A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll reveals that the American people prefer, by a 56% to 33% margin, it if Obama does not take the lead role in setting policy. Rather, American want to see Congress at the helm. The Wall Street Journal,
To be sure, this is fairly typical. American presidents have trailed Congress on this question since the WSJ/NBC poll began asking it in 1994. Only once since then did the American people want the president to take the policy lead: In January 2002, when George W. Bush had record popularity in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, but before the Iraq war escalation truly began. But the 56% who now want Congress to take the lead role in policy making is a high water mark in the poll’s history.
The WSJ/NBC poll found Americans are pleased that the Republican victories in this month’s midterm elections were broadly viewed as a rebuke to the president – 53% said they feel positive about the idea that “fewer people were elected who support President Obama’s legislative agenda.” Only 41% said they feel badly about candidates who back Mr. Obama’s agenda losing.
