Read the full report on why Independents and Tea Party voters express similar concerns on Federal spending and debt.
Read MoreEarlier this month, Resurgent Republic — an independent public-opinion-research group headed by former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie — conducted focus groups in five key House districts, measuring how independent voters and, separately, self-identified tea-party members felt about the direction of the country.
Bad news for President Obama and congressional Democrats is common these days, but these results unveiled Tuesday are simply dismal. Asked to compare Obama to a car, one Iowan chose an Edsel: “Something that had a lot of hype, but failed to live up to expectations.” Another older man described Obama as “a wrecked Ferrari, something that looked great to many people, but was now ruined.”
“In August 2009, [our focus groups found] there was a wait-and-see attitude towards the president. That has changed,” summarized Gillespie. “There is not only growing concern about spending, debt and the direction of economy but creeping doubts about the president’s leadership abilities, which is probably a more troublesome concern to the White House and the president’s supporters.”
Read More
As oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, the results of a nationwide focus group effort indicate that Republicans aren’t the only ones questioning President Obama’s experience and ability to lead during a crisis: Independents are joining that chorus, too.
“Last year … there was still kind of a wait-and-see mentality amongst these voters toward the president,” long-time Republican strategist Ed Gillespie said of the Resurgent Republic focus group series of independent voters. “That has clearly changed.”
Resurgent Republic, a not-for-profit organization made up of high-profile Republicans, released the five-state focus group results Tuesday showing that the BP oil spill has independents concerned about how Obama will perform during a future crisis, such as a terrorist attack.
Read More
A series of focus groups of voters in 5 states conducted for the conservative non-profit group Resurgent Republic found that while independent voters have soured on Obama, they haven't abandoned him completely. However, independents who identified themselves as part of the Tea Party movement, have "turned the page" on the president said GOP pollster Glen Bolger.
These groups, held in Des Moines, IA, Cincinnati, OH, Cherry Hill, NJ, Little Rock, AR and Orlando, FL, were comprised of registered or self-identified independents who said they were undecided on the congressional ballot test.
Bolger, who conducted the Des Moines group of Tea Party independents, described them as "more frustrated than angry" but said they had no "optimism or hope for the future."
Read More