clo,
re: "As for your argument about "Congressional polls" having little impact, I disagree. That's why we had the results of 2010."
I did a quick google search. The first supporting article I found is from 2006. The year shouldn't matter. I didn't put much effort into the search and could have found other examples...
http://themoderatevoice.com/8285/not-so-fast-gop/
The relevant excerpt:
"Views on Congress have gone significantly downhill since August: from 29% approval to 25% approval. In fact, the 25% approval rating for Congress as a whole is one of the lowest it has ever reached. Approval of one’s own Congressman is at 53%, which sounds quite high."
Got that? Americans hate Congress, but consistently give their own Congressmen passing marks. That's how it was in 2006... in 1906... in 1806. That's how it ALWAYS is.
That's because Americans hate it when Congress gives money to other states and communities, but loves their own representatives when they bring money home. It's very shallow, self-centered thinking, bordering on unethical, but it tells you all you need to know about Americans and their motivations.
Again: The poor opinion of Congress doesn't matter. The good opinion Americans generally have of their own Congressman is what does.
The 2010 phenomenon was a referendum on Barack Obummer.
Sorry, but I'll stand by what I said earlier. If Obummer remains unpopular - and the slow-moving economic tide assures us he will - then you guys are going to get creamed next year.
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