Public Doesn't Like GOP Control Of House

Republicans like to talk these days about the approval rating of President Obama (which is currently 8 points under his disapproval). I don't blame them, since it is one of the few things they have to talk about that's not downright embarrassing for them. That's because the approval rating for Congress, where they have a lot of power, makes the presidential approval look exorbitantly high. Congressional disapproval is 74 points higher than their approval rating. In addition, a significant plurality of Americans (44%) think the president would do a better job of solving the nation's problems than the Congress (31%).

The congressional Republicans might like to placate themselves by thinking that the public is mad at everyone in Congress (Republicans and Democrats alike) -- and that would be partially true. But while the public is unhappy with both congressional parties, numerous polls have shown that they are a lot unhappier with Republicans than Democrats.

Now a new poll shows an even worse thing for the Republicans. For the first time since the election of 2010 (where the GOP gained control of the House), more Americans think that's a bad thing than a good thing for the Republicans to control the House of Representatives. It is the new CNN / Opinion Research Poll (taken between October 18th and 20th of 841 nationwide adults, with a 3.5 point margin of error). Currently 54% of Americans say it's a bad thing for the GOP to control the House, while only 38% think it's a good thing.

And the demographic breakdown of that poll should worry Republicans even more. Only two groups, the teabaggers and the Republicans, think it is good for the GOP to control the House (while rural voters are split on the issue, within the margin of error). All other groups show a significant preference for the GOP to NOT control the House (including all sexes, races, areas of the country, ages, and income levels). Here is the demographic chart:

This poll just verifies what several others have shown. The GOP did itself serious damage in shutting down the government (and threatening to make the government default on its loans) -- and in doing so, they have given the Democrats a good chance to flip the House in the 2014 election.

There's still a year to go before the election, and the GOP will certainly try to repair the damage they have done. But they won't be able to start seriously repairing that damage until next summer -- after the Republican primaries (where the teabaggers, who control the party in many states, will decide who wins). And waiting until after the primaries to repair the damage may not give them enough time to get it done, especially if they threaten another shutdown in January (which is what their base would like to see happen).