The Disastrous Launch Of Obamacare Has Caused A Remarkable Collapse In Democratic Poll Numbers

The political gains that Democrats made on the generic congressional ballot as a result of the federal government shutdown continue to collapse, as a new CNN/ORC poll shows Republicans re-taking the lead on the generic congressional ballot.

Less than a year ahead of the all-important 2014 midterm elections, Republicans now lead Democrats by a 49-47 edge on the ballot, in which pollsters ask respondents if they'd choose a Republican or Democrat without mentioning specific candidates.

That's a remarkable shift from just a month ago - when Democrats held a formidable 50-42 advantage as Republicans were getting blamed for the shutdown. But after the shutdown ended, coverage began piling up with the problems of the Affordable Care Act's rollout, featuring a dysfunctional website and piling-up concerns about plan cancellations.

Independents now by and large prefer a generic GOP candidate on the congressional ballot, by a 53-36 margin.

The poll follows similar stunning reversals in Quinnipiac and Fox News polls over the past two weeks. According to the Real Clear Politics average, Republicans now hold a 1-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot - something that seemed unthinkable just a month ago, when Democrats held an average 6.6-point lead.

Here's a chart: