Just 27 Think Their Congressman is Best Person for Job

Voters Oppose Re-Election of those voting for Health Care Reform Stimulus or Auto Bailouts Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas  Sixty-two percent (62) of voters think it would be better for the U.S. if most congressional incumbents are defeated this November. Perhaps most tellingly voters not affiliated with either party feel strongly that supporters of the health care law the auto bailouts & the stimulus should not be returned to Congress a new Rasmussen survey of Likely Voters finds.      Just 27 think their representative in Congress is the best possible person for the job and only 37 think their local congressional representative deserves reelection. The major votes cast in Congress over the past couple years appear likely to come back to haunt incumbents this Election Day.  Republican candidates currently hold a nine-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot.  That means 48 would vote for their districts Republican congressional candidate while 39 would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. A new Rasmussen survey finds most Likely Voters think their Congressman does not deserve reelection if he or she voted for:

1. The national health care law
2. The auto bailouts or
3. The $787-billion economic stimulus plan.

Those votes also appear to be driving factors in the GOPs consistent lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. Most strong supporters of President Obama believe those who voted for the measures should be reelected. But even more of those who Strongly Oppose the president disagree.

• 43 of all Likely Voters say someone who voted for the health care law deserves to be reelected.
• 50 oppose their reelection.

This survey of 1000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted October 18-19 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is /- 3 percentage points with a 95 level of confidence.  Among those who would vote Republican 80 or more say those who supported the health care bill the auto bailouts and the stimulus plan should not be reelected. Those who would vote for the Democrat are slightly less emphatic in their support for those who backed the measures. Only 19 of all voters think that most members of Congress understand how their decisions impact the economy. Sixty-seven percent (67) say they do not. But just 37 believe most voters understand the impact of Obama administration policies. A plurality (45) appear to agree with President Obama that instead most voters are too scared of those policies to think clearly.  Eighteen percent (18) are not sure. Republicans and unaffiliated voters believe more strongly than Democrats that most voters are scared. In todays Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll 47 of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the presidents performance while 52 disapprove.  This includes 30 who Strongly Approve and 42 who Strongly Disapprove. More than 90 of those who Strongly Approve of the job the president is doing think those who supported the health care bill and the stimulus in Congress should be reelected. They are less supportive of those who backed the auto bailouts. But among those who Strongly Disapprove of how the president is doing opposition to those Congress members reelection is at an even higher level. Since Democrats in Congress passed the health care law in late March support for its repeal has ranged from a low of 53 to a high of 63. Fifty-three percent (53) of Americans still think the federal government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler was a bad idea. Voters continue to give the stimulus plan mixed reviews. Thirty-four percent (34) say it has helped the economy but 39 think it has hurt the economy.  Twenty-two percent (22) say it has had no impact. With two weeks to go until Election Day voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on eight out of 10 important issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports including the economy and health care. Thirty-six percent (36) say if their local representative voted for the taxpayer bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler he or she deserves to be returned to Congress. Fifty-three percent (53) say that person does not deserve reelection. Similarly 41 say their representative in Congress should be reelected if he or she voted for the stimulus plan. But 50 dont see it that way and say the individual should not be reelected. The partisan divide is predictable since virtually no congressional Republicans voted for any of these measures. So Democratic voters overwhelmingly think those in Congress who voted for them should be reelected while Republicans feel just as strongly that they should not be reelected. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted byPulse Opinion Research LLC. See methodology. (To see survey question wording click here.)