Dems Take Mighty Lead Among Likely Voters

Today, National Public Radio released polling that is as promising for the Democrats as it is worrying for the Republicans.

The survey, conducted by Stan Greenberg and Glen Bolger, shows the Democrats maintaining a robust 52 percent to 37 percent lead on the generic congressional ballot question, when leaners are included. Even without the leaners, Democrats still maintain the 15 point lead, 47 percent to 32 percent. The kicker: the NPR poll surveyed likely, not registered voters.

While it's true that the Democrats have maintained very impressive leads in several recent polls that have included the generic congressional ballot question, almost every one of these previous surveys has measured support either among registered voters or all Americans -- neither of which is necessarily representative of the population going to the polls this November. The poll conducted by Greenberg and Bolger, however, measures support among likely voters, a population that has traditionally been less supportive of Democratic voters than larger groups like registered voters or American adults. Such a large Democratic lead is thus that much more impressive.

Even more important to note, though, is the fact that the generic Democratic lead seems to be holding up among the voters most likely to head to the polls on election day. In some respects, widespread support for Democratic congressional candidates is meaningless if that support does not result in tangible results, namely votes on election day. But if the poll is correct -- if voters are actually poised to go the polls for the Democrats and not poised to go to the polls for the Republicans -- a change in Congressional leadership in January is not only possible, it's probable. So much for the high-paid consultants and analysts who say the Dems aren't going to win this November.



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Thats great (none / 0)

So we don't just have the disaffected with us, we have people who will go out there in November.


Max Friedman
by Max Friedman on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 08:35:56 PM EST

Re: Dems Take Mighty Lead Among Likely Voters (none / 0)

Before we let the confetti drop and pop the champaign corks it's worth remembering that Democrats also had strong generic leads at this point in 2002 and other years only to see it evaporate like a light rain in the desert.  The other side still controls the agenda.  

I just get uncomfortable whenever we start acting like anything but the underdog.  


by howardpark on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 09:30:02 PM EST

We've Seen This Movie in 2002 (none / 0)


  -- Dems take generic ballot lead in the spring
  -- GOP revs up war rhetoric
  -- Dems fall right into it for fear of "looking weak"
  -- "Strong" Dems clean up in November.

 Well, one of those didn't happen.

 Think the party's learned anything?

 


by Master Jack on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 09:35:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dems Take Mighty Lead Among Likely Voters (none / 0)

According to Polling Report, the generic numbers in March 2002 in most polls show each party within five or so points of the other, apparently more or less at random.

Which I suppose may mean that today's NPR numbers actually tell us something.


by skeptic06 on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 10:02:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dems Take Mighty Lead Among Likely Voters (none / 0)

Three things:

#1 - I couldn't find one 10 point Dem lead on that page

#2 - 5 of the last 6 polls have the Dems up by 10 or more

#3 - Bush's job approval in 2002 was typically around 66%. Bush's job approval in 2006 is typically around 33%.

Some people are the victim of 'false memories'. Bush supporters have their false memory of Bush being unpopular in 2003. Democrats have their false memory of being up by huge margins in 2002 and losing.


by RBH on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 11:02:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's Ours to Lose (none / 0)

  Let's take up a collection to send every member of the DLC, and every beltway consultant, off on an all-expense paid vacation to the South Sandwich Islands up until, say, Thanksgiving.

  That'll make it much harder for the Dems to blow this lead.


by Master Jack on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 09:31:32 PM EST

Re: Dems Take Mighty Lead Among Likely Voters (none / 0)

Sounds astonishing news.

According to the chart, the gap on the NPR generic poll has been growing at one point every few months, and suddenly it almost doubles!

I'd expect the slide of GOP ratings into the toilet to continue - but is the sudden dive quite so easy to explain?

(According to Polling Report, there was a step change which occurred around the beginning of March from around +7-8 (with the Hotline Feb and ABC Jan polls (+15 and +16) as outliers) to around +14-16 for a number of polls.)

And how do strong positive generic results for Dems track with the fav/unfav for the Dems in Congress (which I think - no numbers - has been fairly consistently almost as deep in the toilet as for DeLay and Co!)?


by skeptic06 on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 10:07:02 PM EST

Under New Management (none / 0)

The best sign you can hang on a business after a run like this last one with the GOP.


by jcjcjc on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 11:46:22 PM EST

Not 2002 (none / 0)

This is not 2002. That election was the first one to follow 9/11. It was in the midst of a war run-up for Iraq. Bush was at 66% approval. Support for Congress as a whole was around 50 percent.

This year is very different. Bush is at the mid-30s. People hate Congress. Corruption is widely reported and widespread. And Iraq is a disaster.  


by elrod on Sat Mar 18, 2006 at 02:07:58 AM EST

Re: Not 2002 (none / 0)

And Bush screwed up on the attempted ports deal and he's increasingly mentioning Iran being connected with troubles in Iraq...


by Quinton on Sat Mar 18, 2006 at 11:41:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dems Take Mighty Lead Among Likely Voters (none / 0)

These results are a reflection of Bush's collapse and the growing determination of Americans to vote for change. There has been a tectonic shift in the electorate with two thirds of the country now wanting to move in a new direction. Bush's approval stands at 39 percent. 58 percent disapprove of his performance, and 45 percent of America disapproves strongly.
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by galin on Mon Nov 12, 2007 at 12:00:43 PM EST


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