Of the three major scandals currently engulfing the presidency -- the IRS targeting of conservative groups, the Obama administration's response to the Benghazi terrorist attack, and the Justice Department's seizure of phone records belonging to Associated Press journalists, the IRS issue is making the biggest impact with voters. According to Quinnipiac, 66 percent of Americans disapprove of the way in which the IRS is handling its job, and 76 percent support the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS scandal. The Benghazi issue is also doing considerable damage to the Obama administration's image, with 46 percent believing "the Obama administration deliberately misled the American people about the events surrounding the death of the American Ambassador to Libya." Voters are generally less familiar with the AP story.
The Quinnipiac poll suggests trouble ahead for next year's Congressional mid-term elections, where the Republicans will be seeking to consolidate and expand their control of the House of Representatives, and possibly retake the Senate. Significantly, among Independent voters, who are likely to decide many of the crucial House and Senate races in November 2014, 57 percent disapprove of Barack Obama's job performance, and 56 percent do not believe that the president is "honest and trustworthy." By a 45 percent to 35 percent margin, Independents believe that Republicans in Congress are doing a better job than President Obama on handling the economy, the number one issue for the American electorate. Among all voters, Barack Obama and Congressional Republicans are tied at 43 percent. Overall, 68 percent of Americans are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with the direction the United States is taking, hardly a vote of confidence in Mr. Obama's leadership. Expect even worse figures for the White House in the coming weeks, as the pressure intensifies on a scandal-hit presidency. 
|
