Americans Evenly Divided on GOP and Obama Influencing Direction of Country
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The White House(WASHINGTON) — With President Obama and the Republican-controlled Congress already butting heads on a number of issues after just two weeks, Americans are clearly split on who should have more influence in moving the country forward.
Gallup’s annual Mood of the Nation poll of 800 adults conducted earlier this month shows that the public is about evenly divided on the issue with 43 percent favoring the GOP and 40 percent behind the president.
Obviously, the vast majority who identify themselves as Republicans back Congress while the same is true for Democrats supporting Obama.
The wild card, as usual, are independents and they are split down the middle: 37 percent behind the president, 38 percent in the GOP’s corner. The other independents gave no particular preference.
There has been some drop-off in support for Republicans since the mid-term election when 55 percent of respondents wanted the GOP to have more influence.
Compared to his immediate predecessors at this point in the presidency, Obama falls in the middle. George W. Bush only had the backing of 32 percent of the public at the start of the seventh year of his term while Bill Clinton, even in the midst of impeachment proceedings, was at 55 percent.
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