Resurgent Republic

CNN released a new poll yesterday, demonstrating most Americans support the Democrats' loss of their supermajority in the Senate caused by Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts last week. 

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday finds that 7 in 10 Americans believe that the Democrats' loss of their 60 seat supermajority in the Senate is a positive move for the country.

The results comport with other surveys showing many voters do not support unified Democratic Party control in Washington.  While the Massachusetts Senate election did not produce divided government, it did restore the possibility of a procedural balancing tool -- the Republican filibuster.

Resurgent Republic polls and other surveys consistently have shown voters would rather have divided government -- to serve as a check on President Obama -- rather than unified control by one party to help the president enact his agenda.

Restoring the opportunitiy for Republicans to use the filibuster is a move in that direction and clearly supported by a large percentage of Americans.

The poll also demonstrates some significant movement in Republican brand appeal, with GOP numbers increasng and Democrats' favorability eroding since last fall.

According to the poll, 46 percent of the public has a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, with 44 percent viewing the Republican Party in a positive light.  That's a change from October, when 53 percent had a favorable opinion of Democrats and 36 percent saw the GOP in a positive light.

Read the full results of the CNN poll here.