Americans Dont Want DC Experience in 2016 Candidate Poll Says
More Americans view extensive Washington experience as a negative trait in a presidential candidate than a positive one, according to a new poll, a marked turnaround from years past. The Pew survey out Monday found that 30 of Americans would be less likely to support a candidate with extensive experience in the capital, compared to just 19 who said they'd be more likely to support such a candidate. The results mark a reversal from when Pew asked the same question in 2007, when just 15 said they'd be less likely to support a Washington insider and 35 said they'd be more likely to. In both years, a roughly equal amount said it wouldn't make a difference. The poll results could have particular significance for the 2016 GOP presidential primaries, since Republicans and independents are particularly unimpressed by Washington experience, with 36 saying they're less likely to support a D.C. insider and just 15 more likely. Partisan gridlock in Washington and continued brinksmanship like last year's government shutdown are partly to blame for the decline in popularity of D.C. pols. A similar measure going back decades reveals a sharp decline, beginning in the Obama era, in how many people view Washington experience positively. In 1987, 66 told Pew that service in Congress was better preparation for the presidency than being governor of a state. That number fell to 55 by 2007, then plummeted to 44 in 2014. An equal number this year say being a governor is better preparation. The results bode well for potential candidates like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.