Will the Fall Bring a Political Tidal Wave?

As we wait impatiently for the numbers out of Connecticut this evening, some new numbers from a Washington Post/ABC News poll make for very interesting reading. The Washington Post reports today that only 55% of those polled said they approve of the job their representative in Congress is doing - "a seven-percentage-point drop over three months and the lowest such finding since 1994, the last time control of the House switched parties."

While Bush's approval rating rose to 40% in this tally, that's still hardly healthy for a president heading into midterm elections - however, the data indicates that there's still some question about what exactly the Democratic position is on some of the major issues out there (including, most notably, the war in Iraq). "Just 48 percent say Democrats offer a clear direction different from Republicans, while 47 percent say they do not. The public does not think that Bush or the Democrats have a clear plan for Iraq. Even a slight majority of Democrats say their party does not have an Iraq strategy."

And whither the much-sought independent vote? "The survey suggests that it is not just Republicans whose incumbents are in jeopardy. But it includes one important caveat - as of now, few Republicans or Democrats plan to stray from their parties in November. The Democrats' lead stems from a big advantage among independents."

We can certainly say this about the elections this November - they're not going to be boring!