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I hold great skepticism towards all political polls: too often the questions are slanted in subtle ways, and thus the results aren't really that interesting. However, when the mouthpiece of the Republican Party (NBC and the Wall Street Journal) publicly worries about the lack of support for Republican leadership, there might be something worth looking at.
Only 27% of voters have positive views of the Republican Party, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, the lowest level for either party in the survey's nearly two-decade history.
Yet the party's probable presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, continues to run nearly even with Democratic rivals Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. His standing so far makes for a more competitive race for the White House than would be expected for Republicans, who face an electorate that overwhelmingly believes the country is headed in the wrong direction under President Bush.
"The nearly unprecedented negative mood of the country is presenting significant challenges this year for other Republican candidates," said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who conducted the poll with Democrat Peter Hart.
President Bush reached new lows in his eighth and final year, with 27% approving of his overall job performance, and 21% his handling of the weakened economy. An unprecedented 73% of voters believe the country is on the wrong track; only 15% say it is going in the right direction.
The numbers show an electorate more disenchanted than in the fall of 1992, the previous low in the Journal poll -- sentiments that led to the ouster of President Bush's father.
[From Support for Republicans Falls, But Race for President Is Tight - WSJ.com]
Regardless of how highly McCain polls at the moment, once the Democratic is settled, barring election night shenanigans or other weirdness, the election of a Democrat is nearly assured.
