Independents abandoning repugicans on economy

The repugicans slithered into the Capitol promising to deliver on jobs. Not so much. So far, they've gone after the health care bill, cut funding for the IRS, PBS and Planned Parenthood -- and decided to spend millions to defend DOMA. Jobs and fixing the economy get a lot of lip service, but no action. And, people are noticing:

In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll out today, just 43 percent of Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling the economy, though more Americans say they trust Obama (46 percent) on the issue than repugicans in Congress (34 percent). http://abcn.ws/gpFL1H

What's more, by a 9-point margin Americans now see Obama as better able to handle the deficit than repugicans in Congress. That represents an 11-point drop for repugicans since December -- a period when repugicans have made cutting federal spending a centerpiece of their agenda.

And here’s another interesting fact, according to ABC polling analyst Gary Langer: “The drop in trust to handle the economy has occurred chiefly among independents, now drawing away from repugicans after stupidly voting their side. As recently as January, 42 percent of independents preferred the repugicans in Congress over Obama to handle the economy. Today just 29 percent say the same, and there's been a rise in the number who volunteer that they don't trust either side.”

The much sought after Independents are bailing on the repugicans.

What do the numbers mean?

Here's ABC's take:

BOTTOM LINE: Voters want results, not rhetoric. And, they don't see that either side is delivering. Moreover, Americans, unlike many in Washington, aren't dogmatic about their approach to solving our fiscal woes. When asked best way to fix deficit, just 31 percent said “cutting federal spending,” just 3 percent picked “raise taxes” while a whopping 64 percent picked a “combination of both.” The basic message: neither side has a winning hand. So, trying to win this fight on “voter mandate” is a sure loser.

All the repugicans have is rhetoric. But, Americans aren't sold on the Democratic response. People in DC get very caught up in the process, but, in the real world, people want results. Not seeing so much so far.