The latest Gallup poll showed widespread discontent among the populace over the Republican agenda. But even more interesting is a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showing that rank-and-file Republicans aren’t all that impressed with their elected leaders either.
Almost three months into President Bush’s second term, a raft of economic and social issues — Social Security, immigration, gay marriage and the recent national debate over Terri Schiavo — is splintering the Republican base.
After winning re-election on the strength of support from nine in 10 Republican voters, the president is seeing significant chunks of that base balk at major initiatives, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows.
It’s one thing when the nation overall starts a subtle shift away from the GOP agenda, but when Republicans show increasing disapproval for Bush, DeLay, Frist, & Co., you know they’re on the wrong track. Moreover, since Republicans in DC have relied on staunch, usually unwavering, support from Republican voters to provide a base of political support to advance their agenda, poll results like these show a party façade showing some fairly serious cracks.
The closer one looks at the data, the more one sees encouraging signs for the Dems.
* A whopping 63% of all Americans, a record for Bush’s presidency, want Dems in Congress to block Bush and the Republicans from “going too far in pushing their agenda.” Amazingly, one-third of Republicans agree that Dems should stand in the GOP’s way.
* On the “nuclear option,” Americans overall clearly do not want to see Senate Republicans change the rules in the middle of the game — 50% oppose the change, while 40% support it. Again, the surprising thing is that 41% of Republicans also reject the change.
* By a wide margin (54%-35%), Americans want the federal government to play a less active role when it comes to “social and moral issues facing the country.” Even 50% of Republicans agree.
* On gay marriage, of all things, a bare plurality of Republicans want to see Congress pass legislation — 48% of Republicans say Congress should, while 47% say it shouldn’t.
* The trend even continues on tax cuts. Overall, 54% of Americans said the tax cuts have not been worth the increased deficit and cuts to domestic programs, while only 38% say they have been worth it. Surprisingly, even one in four Republicans agree that the tax cuts have not been worth the cost.
* And on Social Security, 55% of Americans, an all-time high, said it would be a “bad idea” to “change the Social Security system to allow workers to invest their Social Security contributions in the stock market.” One in three Republicans believe the same thing.
At this point, GOP leaders haven’t even convinced their own supporters of the merit of their ideas.