GALLUP MISSES THE OBVIOUS EXPLANATION

Gallup has some good -- and surprising -- poll news for Democrats, but I think the pollster is wrong about the reason for the results:

Democrats Jump Into Six-Point Lead on Generic Ballot

In the same week the U.S. Senate passed a major financial reform bill touted as reining in Wall Street, Democrats pulled ahead of Republicans, 49% to 43%, in voters' generic ballot preferences for the 2010 congressional elections....

It's possible the increased voter support for Democratic candidates this past week is linked with the Wall Street regulatory reform bill that passed in the U.S. Senate last Thursday, July 15. The financial reform bill is the second-biggest piece of legislation to get through Congress this year, after healthcare reform, and it enjoyed majority support. According to a USA Today/Gallup poll in June, 55% of Americans were in favor of legislation expanding government regulation of financial institutions -- including 72% of Democrats and 56% of independents. Only Republicans were generally opposed....

So what did Gallup overlook? Well, here are two words missing from Gallup's write-up of the poll: unemployment and benefits.

Insiders and political mavens may be focused on financial regulation, but a hell of a lot of Americans are unemployed, fearful of unemployment, or close to one or more people who are unemployed. Perhaps they've figured out which party is blocking the extension of benefits and which one isn't.

No, forget what I said. Republicans, just keep standing in the unemployment office door. Force Democrats to claw and scratch in order to pass a benefits extension, while you boast about your junkyard-dog meanness. Really -- run specifically on that. Run on how many hoops you made Democrats jump through to pass this extension.

Please.

(Via Memeorandum.)