These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
Republican Voters Say GOP Reps in Congress Still Out of Touch
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republican voters say their party's representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 18% of GOP voters believe their elected officials have done a good job representing the base.
Most Republican voters (55%) say that the average Republican in Congress is more liberal than the average Republican voter. Twenty-four percent (24%) say the average Republican in Congress holds views about the same as the average Republican voter while just 17% think the Congressional Republicans are more conservative than GOP voters.
Republican voters overwhelmingly believe it is more important for the party to stand for what it believes in rather than trying to work with President Barack Obama. Eighty-four percent (84%) of Republicans hold that view while just 14% favor more co-operation with the President.
As for voters not affiliated with either major party, 58% say the GOP should stand for what it believes in while 33% would like to see more cooperation with the President. Seventy-one percent (71%) of unaffiliated voters believe the Republicans in Congress have lost touch with their base and a plurality of unaffiliateds (41%) believe that the average Republican in Congress is more liberal than the average Republican voters.
Not surprisingly, Democrats have a fundamentally different view.
Those in President Obama's party overwhelmingly want the GOP to work more closely with the President. And they have a wildly different perception of the relationship between Republicans members of Congress and GOP voters. While Republicans and unaffiliated voters tend to see Republicans in Congress as more liberal than Republican voters, a plurality of Democrats (35%) hold the opposite view and believe the average Republican in Congress is more conservative than GOP voters. Nearly as many Democrats (33%) say that ideologically, Republicans voters and their Representatives share common ground. Just 18% of Democrats believe than the GOP representatives in Congress are more liberal than GOP voters.
Overall, among all voters, 51% believe it is more important for the Republican Party to stand for what it believes in than for the GOP to work with President Obama. Forty-two percent (42%) disagree.
In late April, voters were basically tied on this question.
Just 24% of all voters nationwide think Democrats should pass a health care reform bill that is opposed by all Republicans in Congress. Fifty-eight percent (58%) say Democrats should change the bill to win support from "a reasonable number of Republicans."
Thirty-seven percent (37%) of all voters say the average Republican member of Congress is more liberal than the average GOP voter. Twenty-six percent (26%) believe the average GOP congressman is more conservative, and 28% say the two are about the same.
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of all voters believe Washington politics is likely to become more partisan over the coming year . Fifty-one percent (51%) believe that Obama is governing as a partisan Democrat.
This summer brought a significant shift in voter preferences in the Generic Congressional Ballot . Republican congressional candidates have now held a modest lead over Democrats for nine straight weeks, after trailing for several years. It is important to note, however, that the recent shift is not just because Republicans have been gaining support but also because Democrats have lost support.
For the first time in over two years of polling, voters trust Republicans slightly more than Democrats on the handling of the issue of health care . Overall, Republicans lead Democrats in terms of voter trust on eight out of 10 key issues for the second consecutive month, and the two are tied on one issue.
Those who say economic and fiscal issues are their biggest concerns make up the majority of Republican voters, and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, runs best among those voters if the 2012 GOP Presidential Primary in their state was held today.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is second to Romney as the presidential candidate Republican voters say they'll vote for in 2012 state GOP primaries, but she's also one of two candidates they least hope wins the party's nomination .
In May, 37% of GOP voters said their party had no leader , but that was an improvement over March when 68% felt that way . In the more recent survey, Arizona Senator John McCain was seen as the party's leader by 18% of Republican voters, followed by national party chairman Michael Steele at 14% and Palin with 10% support.
Only 29% of all voters are confident that Congress knows what it's doing with regards to the economy. Fifty-seven percent (57%) say they would vote to replace the entire Congress and start all over again .
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To view the original report, please use this link: Republican Disconnect?