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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. The Quinnipiac shift was 9 points over a month, while the Fox News poll swing amount to a stunning 11 points over three 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:

Real Clear Politics poll More

Real Clear Politics





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