Congress may be less popular than cockroaches and root canals, but new polling shows that voters dislike Republicans significantly more than Democrats.
The entire body has a 7% approval rating since the fiscal cliff debacle that dragged out until the very last minute. Democrats in Congress emerged with a 38% approval rating while their Republican counterparts are approved by only 15% of voters. Even GOP voters don't like their GOP lawmakers in Washington, with 25% approving and 61% disapproving.
The approval ratings for various members of the Republican and Democratic leadership show a similar picture. In the House, John Boehner has a 21% approval and 60% disapproval rating while Nancy Pelosi enjoyed 35% approval and 55% disapproval. In the Senate, Harry Reid has a 30% approval rating and Mitch McConnell's is at 24%.
Even the Republican controlled House has a lower approval rating than the Democratically controlled Senate, with only 15% approval for the House compared to 28% for the Senate.
If the election were held today, Democrats could make gains in the House as well. When asked which generic candidate they would prefer, 47% of voters said a Democrat and only 41% said a Republican, while 13% were unsure.