While a supermajority of Republican voters still may think the GOP is out of touch, the Pew Research Center finds that independent voters are increasingly inclined to opt for Republican congressional candidates:
. . . independent voters who express an unfavorable view of Congress, say they would back the GOP candidate over the Democrat by a whopping 51% to 31% margin, while the smaller proportion of independent voters who have a positive view of Congress say they intend to vote for the Democrat, by 55% to 29%.
Now, that may seem to favor the Democrats; a higher percentage of those having a favorable image of Congress prefer the Democrats than of those having an unfavorable view of Congress preferring the GOP. Only problem is that “smaller proportion” is shrinking rapidly: only 37% have a favorable opinion of Congress, down “13 points since April . . one of their lowest points in more than two decades of Pew Research Center surveys.”
If Republicans can show that they have solutions to today’s problems, they should be able to tap into the growing discontent with a spendthrift Congress and make some real gains next fall.
*Insert post on Fred Barnes’ WSJ piece here*
No matter what happens regarding health care and other issues over the next 14 months, Democrats are DOA in 2010. Dick Morris, who knows something about political handicapping, even predicts Republicans will retake the House and possibly the Senate in 2010.
@GP: “If Republicans can show that they have solutions to today’s problems, they should be able to tap into the growing discontent with a spendthrift Congress and make some real gains next fall.”
You should be stressing that they have to effectively promote their solutions. Plenty of people on the left are completely ignorant that there ARE any Republican proposals. They HAVE solutions, they propose solutions all the time. They’re just completely ineffective in promoting them (thanks for nuthin’ free press).