Poll: Most voters skeptical Obama will get anything done

Most Americans are skeptical President Obama will be able to accomplish much of anything in his final years in office now that Republicans control both chambers of Congress.

Nearly six in 10 respondents in the Pew Research poll say the president will “accomplish not much or nothing of what he wants to get done.” By contrast, only a third say Obama will accomplish “some” of his remaining goals. A mere 6 percent predict Obama will get a “great deal” of what he wants done.

{mosads}Separately, a poll from Gallup finds that 53 percent want Republicans to have more influence than Obama. Thirty-six percent say they want the president to set the agenda.

According to the Pew poll, 41 percent say they want congressional Republicans to take the lead in solving the nation’s problems. Forty percent say they want the president to do so.

By contrast, in 2010 — when Republicans took control of the House — half of Americans said Obama should take the lead, only three in 10 said the GOP should.

Forty-four percent approve of congressional leaders’ plans for the future, while 43 percent disapprove. But a slightly wider majority say they are glad Republicans have taken control of the Senate.

Voters across the board say they prefer the Republican approach on nearly every issue. Republicans hold a 13-percentage-point advantage when asked who will have a better approach on the budget deficit, and a 9-point lead on taxes.

On immigration, Republicans hold a 6-point advantage, although voters are increasingly likely to describe no preference between the parties. A third of all voters — and, more concerning for Democrats, 47 percent of Hispanic voters — say there’s no difference between the president and the GOP on the issue.

That’s despite the White House’s repeated assurances that it will act unilaterally on immigration before the end of the year. Indeed, Obama’s decision to delay executive action until after the midterm elections may have disheartened a key constituency for Democrats.

Republicans also hold narrow leads over Obama on foreign policy, healthcare, energy and Social Security, according to the poll. 

In fact, Obama led on only one issue: the environment. Voters preferred his approach by a 15-point margin. That could help the president as he looks to sell an ambitious new climate change deal negotiated with China and announced Wednesday in Beijing.

Americans are split on at least one major Republican agenda item: the repeal of ObamaCare. While more Americans disapprove of the landmark law than approve of it, those who fall into the latter camp are split on whether it should be fully repealed.

And at a time when Republicans and Obama hope that they can work together on major issues like immigration, Americans are pessimistic they can close the partisan divide. The Pew poll found that only 18 percent of Americans think that relations between the parties will improve following the election. Most expect them to stay about the same.

The poll asked Republicans and Democrats whether the leaders of their parties should work with their opponents. Two-thirds of Republicans say that GOP leaders should “stand up” to Obama even if less gets done in Washington. Democrats are more inclined towards bipartisanship: 52 percent say Obama should work with Republicans, even if it disappoints some of his supporters within his party.

— This story was updated at 8:43 a.m.