New poll shows high GOP enthusiasm, low marks for Obama

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up