Fifty-two percent of Americans say they would vote for someone other than Obama for president if given the choice. Only 34% think most members of Congress deserve to be reelected. Remember that 60% of those incumbents in both chambers are Democrats.
According to the survey, 51 percent feel their own member of Congress should be re-elected — also an all-time low in CNN polling — while 44 percent say their representative doesn’t deserve to be returned to office in November.
This is presumably more than just a reaction to tough economic times. It involves a semi-rational response to gridlock in Washington. But Steve Benen is right that the blame for that gridlock is not being aimed squarely and plainly at Republican obstruction. It’s not that the Democrats aren’t making that argument, it’s just that it is not being made effectively. That doesn’t mean that Atrios is wrong, but his point is not something the Democrats want to emphasize. In fact, his point has become a Republican talking point.