Two key polls that are sure to keep national Democratic strategists awake at night

Two key polls that are sure to keep national Democratic strategists awake at night.  As Politico reports, Democratic voter enthusiasm is lower than it has been in the past two presidential election cycles, according to a new Gallup poll released Wednesday.  Only 39 percent of Democrats say they are more enthusiastic about voting than usual, down from 61 percent in 2008 and 68 percent in 2004.  Meanwhile, Republican enthusiasm has rebounded to where it stood in 2004: 51 percent said that they were more enthusiastic than usual to be voting in this election. In 2008, only 35 percent of Republicans felt the same way.

• The poll also finds – Business owners resoundingly oppose President Barack Obama’s policies, with nearly 60 percent disapproving of his job performance.  Fifty-nine percent of business owners said they disapprove of Obama’s job performance, compared with 35 percent who said they approve.  Their approval of the president has fallen from 41 percent in the first quarter to 35 percent in the second quarter of 2012, a drop of 6 points.  This puts business owners with the second-lowest approval in terms of occupational groups measured by Gallup.

And in case you missed it, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn was on Fox News this morning discussing yesterday’s Senate vote that put every 2012 incumbent Democrat on record supporting a massive tax hike.  Key excerpt:

• HOST: Do you think in the tight Senate races you forced them to show their hand on this vote?

SEN. CORNYN: I do, absolutely. I’m actually very surprised that Senator Reid would throw his members under the bus on this vote which he knew was not going to go anywhere but which has caused them to have to side with higher taxes on small business, which I think is a very tough thing to explain back home.