With unemployment now above 10 percent and still rising, a new survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Democracy Corps reveals a country more pessimistic than at any point since the earliest days of the Obama presidency. An increasing number of voters think the country is on the wrong track, and after months of slow but steady improvement, pessimism on the economy is again on the rise. Voters’ frustration with the economy, bailouts for elites, bonuses and spending, and the seeming partisan gridlock is fueling an increasingly anti-incumbent mood that is impacting everyone in Washington. But as the party in power, Democrats are suffering disproportionately.
Survey of 1,000 2008 voters nationwide, conducted November 12-16, 2009.
With GDP growth having finally returned, but unemployment still rising slowly toward 10 percent, the economy is at a sensitive juncture as an issue for the 2010 elections. Almost half of voters in the 60 most competitive Democratic and Republican congressional districts now rate their personal finances positively and half believe the economic recovery plan passed by Congress and signed by the president will have a positive impact. Yet, only 16 percent have a positive view of the current economy and only a third think the economy is “starting” to improve. Independents are particularly pessimistic on economic issues, with important consequences for the midterm elections.
A new survey conducted for Stan Greenberg and James Carville’s organization Democracy Corps shows a New Jersey gubernatorial race that remains very close, with Democratic Governor Jon Corzine holding a four-point edge over Republican Chris Christie among the electorate most likely to turn out on Election Day. Corzine leads Christie 41 percent to 37 percent among these voters, with independent Chris Daggett receiving 15 percent of the vote. Among a higher-turnout electorate, Corzine leads Christie 41 percent to 36 percent. When Daggett voters are pushed to choose one of the two major party candidates, Corzine leads 47 to 41 percent.
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