A new survey by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) — one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, and one of the most outspoken critics of the Democratic leadership — is doing just fine politically in his conservative district.
Boren has an approval rating of 51%, to only 33% disapproval, at the same time as President Obama’s approval rating in the district is a ghastly 27%-65%. In the 2008 election, Boren’s district voted 66%-34% for John McCain.
PPP communications director Tom Jensen writes: “On the whole Boren’s clearly done a good job of differentiating how his constituents feel about him personally from how they feel about his party. 70% of his district disapproves of the job Congressional Democrats are doing. But most of them are planning to vote for him anyway.”
Boren was tested for re-election against several Republican candidates, as well as independent candidate and Birther activist Miki Booth. In all instances, Boren is in the mid to high-40’s, the Republican is in only the mid-20s, and Booth is at seven or eight percent.
Boren has voted against many signature Obama administration policies. He voted for the stimulus bill, while also criticizing it for being a “Democrat bill” that didn’t include “any of the Republican ideas.” He voted against the energy bill and the health care bill.
In January of this year, he predicted that Democrats will lose a significant number of seats in the House — and said that this would be a good thing, because it would “put me in the driver’s seat” with a slimmer Democratic margin.
