Poll: Congressional Performance is Down to 5%

[caduceus111]

No wonder Obama is separating himself from this bunch:

"Rasmussen has the latest approval numbers for Congress, and it isn't pretty. Performance approval has been dropping and dropping, and has now hit an all time low of 5%.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just five percent (5%) of Likely Voters rate the job Congress is doing as good or excellent. Sixty-eight percent (68%) view Congress’ job performance as poor.

A scant 1% says Congress is doing an 'excellent' job, with 4% rating Congressional performance as 'good' and an overwhelming 68% rating Congressional performance as poor. The most damning number, though, may be the 86% of respondents who say that members of Congress are more interested in their careers than in helping others."

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/helenwhalencohen/2011/12/31/poll_congressional_performance_down_to_5

[annabanana]

1. Does that mean that even Castro beats Congress now?

IIRC he was the only one polling lower at the last numbers.

[caduceus111]

2. Dunno but...

I think herpes was polling higher a while back.

Still, I blame Bush/Cheney for all the divisiveness that started. Democrats need to get some spine and get back to doing work for THE PEOPLE.

[meow2u3]

13. The Teabagger Congress is so unpopular

that even Kim Jung Un and Ahmedinejad (sp?) beat them.

[dems_rightnow]

3. Just when you think it can't go lower......

They suck, and pretty much everyone recognizes it.

[mmonk]

4. They are performing?

[cali]

5. I love spin. I particularly love this spin on this subject

which I've been watching with fascination as the entire MSM piles on. Yes, Americans disapproval of Congress is notable. No, it's not 5%. It's 5% who find that Congress is doing an excellent job and 23% who say that it's doing a "fair" job. Saying someone or some entity is doing a fair job is NOT disapproval. It may be faint praise but it falls more in the positive category than the negative one.

So why is the entire MSM piling on and LYING (yes, it's decidedly a lie)? That's an interesting question.

[Bragi]

6. Why they lie?

I think the people who report for the MSM have internalized the meme that left and right are equally to blame for the low reputation of congress, and the 1% benefits from increased discrediting of democratic institutions. They look forward to an eventual total corporatist state in which they won't have to pay off politicians or care about congress at all. Discrediting democratic institutions helps to get them where they want to go.

[TheKentuckian]

10. You approve of the way Congress is conducting business? My current grade is super disapproval

Down from somewhat disapprove which was up from between strongly disapprove and contemptable.

Your point is quite valid but it also runs away from the truth of legitimate frustration with the body over many years that never trends up to tolerable (much less approval) and goes deep into the toilet.

Apparently, Republicans have to be extinct before Democrats will muster the fortitude to even make decent proposals, much less seriously attempt to implement them.

Congress is a fucking debacle, as are most of our failed institutions and the truth is we are being herded toward corporate rule by them because they are captured. Sadly, Democrats have become so desperate to defend our institutions that they have often morphed into conservatives driven by fear that are essentially determined to perserve the status quo (including profit centers, prevailing world view, economics).

It would be great to be able to place blame on the TeaPubliKlans but they could only do their dirt with help and in some cases, they depend mostly on Democrats to put their horrible ideas into play.
Anyone that can remember more than a few cycles back and was paying attention knows exactly where most of this policy came from.

The dumbest fetish ever is "bipartisanship" it means you can't separate from and properly blame the primary culprits or their ruinous policies, instead opting for emulation and assimilation and at minimum open acceptance of the oppositions credibility and honerable intentions.

By refusing to be oppositional in nature our guys have unbalanced the system and made it very difficult to have the pendulum swing naturally in response to over reach, criminality, mismanagement, abuse, and evolving positions by the public.

[tledford]

11. We need to call a spade a spade.

"total corporatist state" is just a euphemism for "fascist state," which is what the United States has been for some years now.

[workinclasszero]

22. You got that right /nt

[caduceus111]

7. No...

ONE percent said Congress was doing an excellent job. Not 5%.

FOUR percent said Congress was doing a good job (Woo!).

On the other hand, the remaining responders said Congress was doing anywhere less than good. Regardless of those who said "fair", nearly 70% gave Congress the lowest rating they could give, and "approval" (good or excellent) was the lowest ever polled.

Argue semantics and split hairs, but I think the point remains (lowest ever affirmation of doing a good job). When nearly 9 out of 10 of those same people polled say that Congress is more interested in their careers than helping people, I think that says it all.

[maggiesfarmer]

8. the question to me is whether or not Obama will be able to leverage public dissatisfaction

with congress to counter right-wing criticism of the president's inability to work with congress.

how can BHO do that without appearing to be indulging in finger pointing?

[Autumn]

9. That seems kind of high to me n/t

[CrispyQ]

17. ~lol

Good one.

[stillwaiting]

12. By continuing the rightward lurch of the past few decades we will eventually see a 1% approval.

Republicans unabashedly support right wing governance.

Democrats, so many of them, support working in Congress in a "bipartisan" manner.

The ONLY way to work in a bipartisan manner with Republicans is to support right wing governance, and it's KILLING the middle and working classes. In addition, it's making the plight of the poor that much more insecure.

I'm so not pleased that Tim Kaine is running for Senate against George Allen in Virginia. I keep getting emails from Kaine's campaign stating he wants to work in a bipartisan fashion if he gets elected. This will insulate him for many people for his many betrayals if elected because, after all, he even RAN on it so kwit yer bitchin' and realize this is the best we can do until we send progressive Democrats to D.C. Tim Kaine is the enemy within as far as I'm concerned, and he's not alone. He's conservative on many social issues AND most economic issues.

The middle class, working class, and poor will continue down this path we've been on as long as these are our only options in enough states to EVER allow us a super majority in the Senate. It's just not possible this way.

System reboot time. We CAN'T send enough progressive Democrats to D.C. due to the elections system we have which necessitates so very much money to get elected. The game is rigged at the primary level (and through Party Leadership) where enough Democratic candidates are pre-approved by the elite to ensure there will be no deviation from the status quo. We just don't have enough money to fight this. Maybe we need to start a movement that will be national in scope (FIFTY states) where the Democratic base will screen, select, and promote its candidates outside of Party Leadership. We can not look to the Party to turn this ship around.

[JaneQPublic]

14. 5% = Respondents who misunderstood the question. (nt)

[Gman]

15. Over twice as bad as Dick Cheney

Thats pretty bad.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. "History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians." Mark Twain

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians.  Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn’t be wise." Mark Twain

[RKP5637]

18. Way outta line! Sounds too high to me. I think they should all just stay home, look at the

$$$ saved, cut their pay. This is like having someone on the payroll while they do no work but for themselves. Needs to be renamed the "Corporate Welfare Congress."

[Shadowflash]

19. So

Is 5% within the margin of error for zero?

[beyurslf]

20. It is really unimportant in some respects what the country thinks of all of Congress.

We each can only vote for 1 person out of the 435. A better number is where people rank their own Congressperson. If I love what my person is doing and hate that Congress as whole blocks it, I may rate Congress poorly but still vote to re-elect my rep. Congress has one of the highest retention rates in the world.

[workinclasszero]

21. "A scant 1% says Congress is doing an 'excellent' job..."

Yeah and guess who that one percent is...

The one percent that bought and paid for the congress of course. The government is doing exactly what the rich want with this country and to hell with the rest of us 99%.

Bastards!

[deacon]

23. In an economic crisis, the GOP house did nothing. These numbers not too hard to believe. n/t