Voters in competitive House districts: Mr. President, you can keep the “change”
The news just keeps getting worse for the Obama administration:
A majority of voters in key battleground races say President Obama has either brought no change to Washington or has brought change for the worse.
In 10 competitive House districts, 41 percent of likely voters say Obama has brought change for the worse, and 30 percent say he has made no difference.
Almost two years after Obama declared on election night that βchange has come to America,β only 26 percent believe he’s delivered on his promise to end business-as-usual in the capital.
Strikingly, 63 percent of voters under the age of 34 said the president either has not changed Washington or has made it worse.
In 2008, voters under the age of 30 voted 2-to-1 for Obama against his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.). But in The Hill 2010 Midterm Election Poll, only 34 percent of young people say the president has effected change for the better.
The poll was conducted by Penn Schoen Berland and surveyed 4,276 voters in 10 House districts held by two-term Democrats. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.5 percent.
βAll change is not good change, and the voters are expressing overall dissatisfaction with the direction of change so far,β said pollster Mark Penn of the findings.
Some observers say Obama set a trap for himself by promising too much. βThe stronger the pledge to make change, the greater the subsequent disillusionment,β said Ross Baker, political science professor at Rutgers University. βItβs a common theme and a common trap.β
“Obama over-promised and under-delivered,” said Mark McKinnon, a Republican strategist and former adviser to President George W. Bush. “And now voters are looking to Republicans for change.”
Thatβs what happens when you sell yourself as a miracle worker who can βhealβ the oceans and βsaveβ this nationβs soul.Β This is also a cautionary reminder to anyone who believes that politicians and bigger government can fix all of societyβs problems: They canβt, and if they assert that they can, you shouldΒ definitely look to support another candidate.Β If they promise to be a βsoul-fixerβ β run, donβt walk, away from that candidate as fast as you can.
I donβt feel sorry for President Obama at all.Β Not even a teensy bit.Β Hell hath no fury like a voter scorned.
Bring it.