The public’s perception of Congress has sunk to yet another new low, with 43 percent of likely voters believing that a random name pulled from the White Pages would be better than the gang they’ve installed in Congress. According to Rasumssen polls, that is essentially equal to the worst public reading they have on record: 45 percent.
What’s more, the pollster found that lawmakers are ignorant of constituents, with 82 percent of likely voters believing that their House and Senate members listen to party leaders in Congress. Only 10 percent said that lawmakers listen to voters they represent.
The new poll is in line with others that show near historically low public approval ratings for Congress. In fact, if the ratings go down much further in some polls, it will be within the margin of error.
The phone book rating results were pretty much even across the board, with Republicans and Democrats in near agreement. In the poll, just 38 percent disagreed that a Congress made up of random picks would do better than the current group.
Just before the 2008 election, only 33 percent of voters said that randomly-selected people would do better than an elected Congress.
Clearly elected Washington has a big problems in the eyes of voters. Just consider this other Rasmussen finding: Only 21 percent of voters believe that the federal government has the consent of the governed. Most, 61 percent, don’t believe the Feds have the consent of the governed, a point made by conservative talk radio hosts like Mark Levin.
