Gallup tracking of 2010 congressional voting preferences shows Republicans moving back ahead of Democrats, 49% to 43%, by two points their largest lead of the campaign to date. Registered voters' preferences had been closely divided for the last several weeks.
Then came the top issue concerns:
The Republican Party is preferred over the Democratic Party for handling the two top-ranking issues of public concern -- terrorism and federal government debt. The Democratic Party is preferred by much wider margins for the environment and discrimination against minority groups -- but these are among the least worrisome issues to Americans.