Can the GOP handle any more bad news after four straight years of bad news? Given that a number of recent polls show Republicans benefitting from a change in the voters’ mood since the 2008 elections, a little more bad news can serve to keep Republicans sharp and focused.
While voters trust Republicans on ten major issues (see Part 1) over Democrats, polling data suggests the Republican base is still unhappy with the GOP.
According to Rasmussen Reports, 73% of Republican primary voters think “Republicans in Congress lost touch with Republican voters throughout the nation.”
This suggests that the GOP still has a tremendous amount of work to do in order to unify the party. To say there is a PR problem is an understatement.
Furthermore, while voters give Democrats low marks for their work in congress (as well as mediocre approval ratings for President Obama), only 15% of primary Republican voters believe “Republicans in Congress have done a good job of representing Republican values.”
Clearly, Republicans are benefitting more from fear of what the liberal Obama Administration and congressional leadership might do next rather than from anything special the GOP is offering up thus far. Which is fine; it’s a great start and foundation to build on, and it offers a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with voters.
Meanwhile, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steel is viewed “Very” or “Somewhat” favorably by only 39% of Republican voters. 27% view him “Very” or “Somewhat” unfavorably and 35% aren’t sure.
During the 2008 campaign, there was, and still is, an ongoing public debate among Republicans over the direction of the party. A number of Republican consultants and commentators/pundits have gone so far as to say Reaganomics is dead. They have essentially suggested becoming something similar to European right of center parties and abandon issues that have worked for the GOP in the past.
The real problem, from our point of view, is that in recent years the GOP has drifted from its core values, and, with the poll numbers just cited as evidence, we aren’t the only ones who think this.
We take the data to mean voters are hungry for fresh ideas, ideas that directly counter the lurch to the left by the Democratic leadership, without compromising core Republican principles.
This means coming up with an agenda that is uniquely different from the Democrats’, right down to the slogans employed. Right now is a great time to re-awaken the Reagan optimism that put our country, and the GOP, back on track. The hunt continues.
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