From The Morning GrindWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A majority of Americans say they will vote for Democratic candidates in the midterm elections, but the same number say things are going "well" in the country today, according to a new CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation.
The poll is the latest sign that Democrats are within striking distance of taking back control of the House and perhaps the Senate in November. Such a scenario would all but neutralize President Bush in his final two years in office.
Fifty-three percent of Americans said they favored Democrats in November compared to 40 percent for Republicans. And only 40 percent of Americans believe that the Republican led Congress has been a success since taking control in 1995. In 1998, when asked this same question, 58 percent of Americans said they believed the GOP was successful in leading the House and Senate. (
Read the full results -- PDF)
Still, 55 percent of Americans believe that things are going "well" compared to 44 percent who said things are going "poorly." And Democrats need to do a better job convincing voters they are better equipped than Republicans to lead the Congress. Only 41 percent of Americans believe that Democratic leaders in Congress "would move the country in the right direction." As for the GOP, 43 percent of Americans believe that Republican leaders in Congress "would move the country in the right direction."
As for the top four issues on voters minds: terrorism, gas prices, Iraq and the economy.
Democrats need to gain 15 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate to take back the respective majorities. The poll was conducted August 2 and 3 and surveyed 1,047 adult Americans.
