New poll shows high GOP enthusiasm, low marks for Obama

last updated 8 January 2015

It is not shaping up to be a good year for Democrats. As Democrats give up their early hopes of gaining House seats in the 2014 midterms, a new poll from ABC News/The Washington Post has more bad news for the party. The first worrisome number is that 77 percent of Republicans say they are sure to vote in the November midterms, versus 63 percent of Democrats. Also, the Democrats' favorability rating is at a 30-year-low of 39 percent favorable and 51 percent unfavorable. The GOP's numbers are even lower (33/56), but the Democrats have seen their image drop faster, as this chart from ABC News shows:

Midterms elections are usually viewed as a referendum on the party that controls the White House, and the poll found President Obama's overall approval rating at a new low of 40 percent. Obama's numbers on the economy are up, but his approval on immigration and the ISIS threat have dropped by significant amounts. A solid 68 percent of respondents say that the president won't factor in their vote, but the ones voting with Obama in mind are mainly voting for Republicans. The poll was conducted Oct. 9-12, and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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