WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - An unrelenting sour mood among U.S. voters has steadily eroded support for President Barack Obama's Democrats, putting the party's grip on Congress at growing risk two months before the Nov. 2 election.
Worries about the economy and plummeting confidence in Obama have Democrats on the defensive in dozens of once-safe races, sparking new predictions of a 1994-style sweep that would restore Republicans to power in the House of Representatives and even the Senate.
"A big wave for Republicans is almost guaranteed in November barring some cataclysmic event," said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, who on Thursday increased his projected Republican gains in the House to 47 seats -- enough to win a majority.
"The political climate for Democrats has deteriorated ba dly over the summer," Sabato said. "The rotten economy and President Obama's failure to turn it around is killing Democrats."
Obama and Democrats got little help on Friday from the latest jobless report, which showed the unemployment rate inching up to 9.6 percent after employment fell for the third consecutive month.
The political climate looks worse for Democrats so far than in 1994, two years into Democratic President Bill Clinton's first term, when Republicans recaptured the House by picking up 52 seats.
This year, Republicans must gain 39 House seats and 10 Senate seats to reclaim majorities in each chamber. |
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