[leflyCode]

This actually has a lot more to do with the toxicity of the Republican brand since the Tea Party took control of the party than a real affinity for Democrats in Congress.

But that's exactly what pushed Republicans into a majority in 2010. It would seem that the smart campaign strategy for Dems heading into 2012 is just to run clips of Cantor, Boehner and the Tea folks on a continuous loop.

Gallup: http://www.gallup.com/poll/148964/De...al-Ballot.aspx

Gallup's first measure of the 2012 congressional elections shows Democrats leading Republicans, 51% to 44%, in registered voters' preferences for which party's candidate they would support in their district "if the elections for Congress were being held today."

The poll was conducted Aug. 4-7, after Standard & Poor's downgrading of the U.S. government's credit rating last week but prior to this week's volatility in the stock market, including the 635-point stock market drop on Monday, Aug. 8.

The seven-percentage-point edge for Democratic congressional candidates, nationally, contrasts with ties or Republican leads in most Gallup polls leading up to the 2010 midterm elections. However, the Democratic advantage is not as large as those they enjoyed in the 2006 and 2008 congressional election cycles -- each of which produced a Democratic majority in Congress. The Democrats averaged a 10-point lead over Republicans among registered voters in the year prior to the 2008 elections and an 11-point advantage leading up to the 2006 elections, with individual polls showing them ahead by as much as 23 points.

Gallup also asked registered voters how a Tea Party endorsement would affect their likelihood of voting for a congressional candidate. The effect is nearly 2-to-1 negative, with 42% saying they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate versus 23% saying they would be more likely. About a third say it would make no difference or are unsure.