Assmussen Reports just released a poll describing Americans’ expectations for our elected officials to put partisan douchebaggery aside for the sake of tackling the enormous challenges before us. In a sign of an increasingly conscious electorate that is finally waking up from 6-8 years of intellectual hibernation, 42% of the voters polled responded that the President is governing in a bi-partisan manner. Conversely, 22% agreed Congress is returning the favor.
Nonetheless, the poll revealed that Democrats have an enormous uphill battle if they seek to conclusively stamp out the voter ignorance spawned by a Bush administration that, for eight years, trumpeted the idea that stupid is cool. According to Rasmussen:
Fifty-eight percent (58%) say congressional Democrats are governing in a partisan fashion, and 52% say the same about Republicans in Congress.
In direct contrast with these results, empirical data gathered during the House’s vote on the stimulus bill shows that, in reality, 0% of Republicans are interested in bipartisan governance. This figure could rise slightly if the tiny handful of Senate Republicans who enjoy the benefit of common sense decide to throw their support behind the stimulus package and, by extension, the American people.
In another interesting finding, the poll substantiated the popular notion that Republicans are pessimistic curmudgeons inclined to assume the worst about people and human nature, while Democrats have a more optimistic view centered on American values such as hope, opportunity and a zealous preoccupation with promoting the common good:
Sixty-three percent (63%) of Republicans now expect politics to become more partisan while the same number of Democrats (63%) expect more co-operation.
On an unrelated note, Americans still love their new president:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index continues to show that Obama is earning high marks from the American people.
Sixty-four percent (64%) of voters give Obama good or excellent marks as a leader while just 16% say he’s a poor leader.
Most (60%) say the President’s leadership style is about right. Just 13% of voters believe he is too confrontational and 17% say he is too cooperative.