From immigration to student loans to the potential of hitting the debt ceiling in October or early November, Americans are getting fed up with Washington. According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll the dissatisfaction with Washington is at an all-time high of 83% and 57% of Americans want to remove every member of Congress.
President Obama is also feeling the heat; his approval has dipped to 45%, the poll showed. “Our NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows so much dissatisfaction with Washington, with Congress, even with President Obama,” NBC’s Senior Political Editor Mark Murray said on Wednesday’s The Cycle. If “you look collectively on our poll right now, a lot of Americans are saying Washington just isn't working for me.”
One way President Obama may be able to change the vibe for those in Washington is by focusing on how he can strengthen his relationships with his allies in the GOP. “One set of numbers illustrate why you have the gridlock on Capitol Hill. Most respondents say the Republicans have been inflexible, and a plurality of Republican responses say that Republicans are already giving in to much to President Obama,” Murray said. This disconnect is handcuffing Republicans who may “want to be able to reach across the aisle or even move to the 25-yard line.”