How deep does the nation's pathology run? This deep, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll: "a majority now says the government’s ability to deal with big problems has declined in the past few years. Among those who say this, more--by 3 to 1--blame Obama and the Democrats rather than Republicans in Congress."
The finding's first segment is objectively grounded. Any way one looks at it, the government's ability to deal with big problems has declined in the past few years. The last person to dispute that would be President Obama himself, no doubt. He's confronted with the government's disability every day. It's the perceived causation of that disability, however, that leaves one gaping in wonder. It shouldn't, given the electorate's famed inattentiveness, but the 3:1 ratio of Democratic blame within majority sentiment still staggers.
Inept as they often are, congressional Democrats have over "the past few years" nonetheless pursued immigration reform, national rebuilding projects, an actual jobs program, a minimum wage hike--one could go on--only to be blocked by Republicans, who now receive implicit credit for their ability to deal with big problems.
Added to that mind-bender is that the electorate, by and large, dislikes the GOP marginally more than they dislike Democrats, because Republicans have repeatedly proved they can't govern. So, naturally, "When asked whether they will vote for the Democrat or the Republican for the House in their districts, 50 percent of likely voters say Republican and 44 percent say Democrat." What's more, in "nine states with competitive Senate races, voters express a preference for voting for the Republican in the House election by a margin of 57 percent to 39 percent," says the WaPo poll.
This midterm can't be over soon enough. It's less an exercise in psephological analysis than a study in national psychosis.