Voters: Just as Unhappy as They Were in 1994

New poll shows voter unrest, trouble for Democrats

By Evann Gastaldo

Posted Oct 31, 2010 4:59 PM CDT

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Voters: Just as Unhappy as They Were in 1994 — US Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., fills out her absentee ballot as she votes in her campaign for re-election, at the Registrar-Recorder's office in Riverside, Calif., Oct. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Voters are just as dissatisfied with Washington now as they were before the 1994 elections when Republicans took control, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Highlights:

More than seven out of 10 voters believe the country is off course.
Fifty-two percent disapprove of how President Obama is doing his job.
Half of all voters describe the economy as “poor.”

Of those likeliest to vote, 49% side with their Republican congressional candidate; 45% side with their Democratic candidate. (Among all voters, 49% side with Democrats and 44% side with Republicans.)
When it comes to dealing with the nation’s biggest issues in the next few years, 45% have more faith in Republicans and 41% have more faith in Democrats.
A big problem for Democrats: voter motivation. Just slightly more than half of Dems see a Republican takeover of Congress as a “bad thing.”

Click here for the full results of the poll. (More midterm elections stories.)

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