NP: Yeasayer, Odd Blood

I'm not going to do any better than Ezra Klein or Steve Benen when it comes to parsing the latest political polling, but the Washington Monthly post quoted one bit that intrigued me.

A combined 60 percent say that this year's Congress is either below average or one of the worst in history -- the highest percentage in the history of the NBC/WSJ poll... In addition, a whopping 72 percent disapprove of Congress' job.

It's the "one of the worst in history" that I'd love to be able to sink my teeth into. What I'd absolutely love to see -- and would subsequently never, ever happen -- is a survey that frames the Congressional approval question like that, but then follows up with a question asking respondents to name even one other Congress that was as bad as they think this one is. That would work better than asking them why, just because I don't imagine many people would respond with "because Sean Hannity said so."

The reason being that, if you can't name another example, then you're really just regurgitating something you've been told, probably ad nauseum. Which isn't to say that the respondent doesn't believe this with all their heart and soul. Just not their brains.