Vast majority of Americans dont see Dems as a party with strong leaders that get stuff done: CNN poll

Fewer than a fifth of Americans view Democrats as a party with strong leadership that is able to get things done, with Republicans scoring roughly double on both of those metrics, a new poll has found.When asked about which party has strong leaders, 40% of American adults said Republicans, compared to 16% Democrats and 43% neither, according to a CNN/SSRS survey taken last month.Asked about which party can “get things done,” 19% felt that descriptor applies to Democrats compared to 36% who said Republicans and 44% who felt neither.

All of this comes as a record share of Americans — 58% — want to see the federal government step up and do more to tackle problems vexing the country, a 30-year high for that figure, per CNN.Generally speaking, over recent decades, a majority of respondents had faulted the government for “trying to do too many things” when asked that question by CNN.Democrats have long sought to cast themselves as the party of government, while Republicans have portrayed themselves as the political machine set on reducing the government’s footprint in people’s lives.The abysmal figure for Democrats comes against the backdrop of multiple polls over recent months showing the party underwater and lagging behind Republicans when it comes to their overall approval rating.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) chalked up the bleak survey data to the fact that Democrats are currently out of political power in Washington, DC.“We don’t have the presidency right now, so that’s always going to be challenging a few months after a presidential election,” Jeffries told CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.“But we have to continue to make the case, one, that Democrats, of course, are the party that is determined to make life more affordable for everyday Americans,” he went on.“Understandably, there’s real frustration amongst the American people.”The top House Democrat also pointed to some recent polls that have shown his p...