All this could be bad news for officeholders in general

And, since a majority of congressional incumbents are Democrats, it could be devastating for Obama's party. Half of Americans say they are inclined to look for someone new to support for Congress, and only 38 percent are inclined to re-elect their own legislator, according to the Post/ABC poll. Those attitudes are similar to the anti-incumbent feelings in May 2006, six months before the Democrats ousted the GOP and captured Congress. It could be anti-Washington fever all over again.

The mood among independents, the classic swing voters who tend to be centrists, is particularly negative. Nearly two thirds say they are inclined to seek new representatives. And independent voters now favor a generic Republican candidate for Congress by 52 percent to 30 percent, according to the Gallup Poll. The recent gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia resulted in victory for Republicans in two states where the Democrats held sway, partly because independents turned against the status quo.

But voters also are skeptical that the GOP will adequately represent their interests on healthcare, social policy, and other issues, so all this could also mean that opportunities are growing for a strong third-party or independent candidate for president in 2012. This is where Sarah Palin might come in. The GOP establishment distrusts her and doesn't think she could win a general election. And 60 percent of voters say she is not qualified to be president, with 53 percent saying they would "definitely" not vote for her, according to the Post/ABC poll. But many rank-and-file conservatives see her as a messenger for their scorn and fist-shaking anger.

Palin might not be able to win the Republican presidential nomination if she decides to run, but she could certainly be the standard-bearer for people who want a Washington outsider to shake up the field.

Billionaire businessman Ross Perot rode a similar populist movement in the presidential election of 1992. He got 19 percent of the vote, and many believe he drew enough support from Republican President George Bush to throw the presidency to Democrat Bill Clinton.

Anti-Washington fervor is nothing new

But the current version seems particularly broad and deep. Luntz, who advised Perot and, later, House Republicans, says 33 percent of the voters in 1993 said they were "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore." They ended up dumping the Democrats from control of Congress in 1994. Today, that number is 72 percent. It's a clear danger signal to the powers that be.

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