Rasmussen: Most Voters Oppose the Reelection of Anyone Who Voted for the Health Care Law, Auto Bailouts, Stimulus Plan - Rep. Gary Peters Voted YES!

Most Voters Oppose the Reelection of Anyone Who Voted for the Health Care Law, Auto Bailouts, Stimulus Plan
Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Incumbents, beware: The major votes you’ve cast in Congress over the past couple years appear likely to come back to haunt you this Election Day.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that most Likely Voters think their representative in Congress does not deserve reelection if he or she voted for the national health care law, the auto bailouts or the $787-billion economic stimulus plan. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Those votes also appear to be driving factors in the GOP’s consistent lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. Most strong supporters of President Obama believe those who voted for the measures should be reelected. Even more of those who Strongly Oppose the president disagree.

Forty-three percent (43%) of all Likely Voters say someone who voted for the health care law deserves to be reelected. Fifty percent (50%) oppose their reelection.

Thirty-six percent (36%) say if their local representative voted for the taxpayer bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler, he or she deserves to be returned to Congress. Fifty-three percent (53%) say that person does not deserve reelection.

Similarly, 41% say their representative in Congress should be reelected if he or she voted for the stimulus plan. But 50% don’t see it that way and say the individual should not be reelected.

The partisan divide is predictable since virtually no congressional Republicans voted for any of these measures. So Democratic voters overwhelmingly think those in Congress who voted for them should be reelected, while Republicans feel just as strongly that they should not be reelected.

But, tellingly, voters not affiliated with either party also feel strongly that supporters of the health care law, the auto bailouts and the stimulus should not be returned to Congress.

This survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted October 18-19, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted byPulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters think it would be better for the country if most congressional incumbents are defeated this November. Just 27% think their representative in Congress is the best possible person for the job, and only 37% think their local congressional representative deserves reelection.

Republican candidates currently hold a nine-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot. That means 48% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate, while 39% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.

Among those who would vote Republican, 80% or more say those who supported the health care bill, the auto bailouts and the stimulus plan should not be reelected. Those who would vote for the Democrat are slightly less emphatic in their support for those who backed the measures.

Only 19% of all voters think that most members of Congress understand how their decisions impact the economy. Sixty-seven percent (67%) say they do not.

But just 37% believe most voters understand the impact of Obama administration policies. A plurality (45%) appear to agree with President Obama that instead most voters are too scared of those policies to think clearly. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters believe more strongly than Democrats that most voters are scared.

In today’s Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll, 47% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance, while 52% disapprove. This includes 30% who Strongly Approve and 42% who Strongly Disapprove.

More than 90% of those who Strongly Approve of the job the president is doing think those who supported the health care bill and the stimulus in Congress should be reelected. They are less supportive of those who backed the auto bailouts.

But among those who Strongly Disapprove of how the president is doing, opposition to those Congress members’ reelection is at an even higher level.

Since Democrats in Congress passed the health care law in late March, support for its repeal has ranged from a low of 53% to a high of 63%.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of Americans still think the federal government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler was a bad idea.

Voters continue to give the stimulus plan mixed reviews. Thirty-four percent (34%) say it has helped the economy, but 39% think it has hurt the economy. Twenty-two percent (22%) say it has had no impact.

With two weeks to go until Election Day, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on eight out of 10 important issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports including the economy and health care.

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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/october_2010/most_voters_oppose_the_reelection_of_anyone_who_voted_for_the_health_care_law_auto_bailouts_stimulus_plan