Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps Poll Finds Strong Support for President Obama and Overwhelming Backlash Against Wall Street and Money in Politics.
A poll by Democracy Corps of progressives attending the Campaign for America’s Future Take Back the American Dream Summit found strong support for President Obama and overwhelming backlash against Wall Street and the influence of big money in politics. More than one-quarter of attendees took the survey, which was administered via iPad, laptop, and smartphone during the conference.
Participants continue to support President Obama; 86 percent approve of his performance as President and 84 percent give him a warm personal rating — a rebound since last year’s straw poll. Congressional Democrats are also enjoying a bump in favorability since last year, as the progressive movement rallies around them this election year. Not surprisingly, progressive champions like Elizabeth Warren garner even greater approval than the President.
Progressives are committed to re-electing the President and taking back the House in November. This is very clear in the results of this straw poll. More than 60 percent said that their top priority is to re-elect the President and take back the House. They also shun third parties – 81 percent said they would not even consider voting for a third party candidate this election.
This support is accompanied, however, by a diminished enthusiasm about the upcoming election. As committed as they are to re-electing the President and taking back the House, just 23 percent say they are more enthusiastic than they were in 2008, while almost half say they are less enthusiastic. These progressives are particularly disgruntled about the President’s handling of Wall Street, with less than half (44 percent) saying they approve of his performance on this issue.
These progressives are very focused. They have a clear vision of the cause: put progressives in office who will take on Wall Street and tackle big money in politics. Almost unanimously, theysupport a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision.
On strategy, over 60% of these progressives say the focus over the next months should be on reelecting the President and taking back the House to stop the right from controlling Washington. Eleven percent support building independent movements like Occupy Wall Street that “challenge the limits of the current debate,” while 23 percent prefer to focus on building independent organizations to elect progressive Democrats at all levels of government. The threat posed by the right is clearly beginning to unify and rouse these progressives.
