A new Quinnipiac Poll found that support for Democrats taking back Congress increased by two points from 11 points to 13 points after the government shutdown.
Trump and the Republicans in Congress took most of the combined blame (49%-32%) for the shutdown over the Democrats.
According to Quinnipiac, the Democratic margin on the generic 2018 ballot grew after the government shutdown:
– Voters disapprove of Republicans in Congress 70 – 24 percent;
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– Voters disapprove of Democrats in Congress 63 – 30 percent;
– Voters say 51 – 38 percent, including 46 – 35 percent among independent voters, they want the Democratic Party to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives
– Voters say 53 – 39 percent, including 53 – 33 percent among independent voters, they want Democrats to win control of the U.S. Senate.
This poll represents another messaging failure by Trump and the Republicans. The GOP thought that they were getting a salesman, but it is impossible for any salesperson to close a deal when they aren’t believed or trusted. Republicans and Trump tried to push the message that the shutdown was on Democrats, but that it didn’t resonate with voters in the least.
The Quinnipiac Poll is a sign that voters want divided government
After eight years of President Obama, a roughly 90,000 voters in three states put Trump into office, but the message coming from the electorate in 2018 is that they are not happy with Republicans in control of everything, and would like a check on Trump through a return to divided government. Republicans lost ground in the government shutdown. For those who think that Democrats “caved,” 84% of voters polled said that the shutdown was unnecessary.
It looks like Democrats cut themselves a decent deal in the Senate and voted to fund the government at the right time.
Voters are sick of Trump and Republican dysfunction, and the loud message being sent from voters is that a government shutdown can’t halt the oncoming blue wave.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
