A new poll showing a jaw dropping plunge in popularity for a notable Teaparty shutter could be an ominous portent for Republicans who got dragged into the shutdown mess by Ted Cruz. The poll conducted by the Center For the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University using a rigorous methodology in one of the most conservative states in the nation shows Cruz sidekick Mike Lee losing favorability in a big way. [Read more…]
Slate has a couple of new polls showing a precipitous drop for the GOP, click the image for that article. At this point, the number of people who approve of the GOP roughly match only those who identify with the Teaparty. The rest are gone. Although dems showed a very slight down tick in the same category, dems ticked up slightly toward the good on another, related question while Republicans saw a near identical delta in the opposite direction.
Data like this shows the issue is solidly against the Republicans in the minds of the public. Which may help explain why the Kochwhores, under attack for this NYT piece reporting they enabled the shutdown strategy, sent out a tepid release distancing themselves from the shutdown: [Read more…]
The Republicans were warned, again and again and again, that it was bad politics to shutdown the government or risk a default. Many clearly knew that was true or they wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to blame Harry Reid and Obama. But the tragic flaw for people who think facts don’t count is they don’t listen to facts. In the case of the government shutdown, the Teaparty wing dragged the rest of the GOP into a suicide mission and now they’re all paying the price: [Read more…]
Chris Matthews, who we in the netroots affectionately call Tweety after the bulbous-head little yellow bird of cartoon fame, had a good analogy for what the Teaparty has done. They’ve taken the money and are demanding the baby as ransom. They got it backwards and have convinced themselves of what geniuses they are.
In the real world no one’s going to pay that ransom. And no matter what kind of hostage is taken, the takers better be willing to shoot it, or at least make the victims believe they’re willing to. And we all know the Republicans won’t light the money on fire and Obama won’t hand over the baby even if they did. [Read more…]
Ted Cruz may be a dangerous scheming sociopath, Rand Paul is a dangerous idiot. At least according to his own words. [Read more…]
Day 1 Recap: 4.7mm visitors to www.healthcare.gov. 190k calls. Uninsured Americans are enrolling. Millions want to #GetCovered — @Katie44
As the saying goes, success has many fathers but failure is an orphan. Ted Cruz may find few willing to adopt him at this rate. After a couple of quieter days more or less out the Klieg lights, conservatives are refocusing their angst on the junior Senator from Texas. They’re not happy that he stirred up this hornet’s nest for political profit, presumably knowing he couldn’t deliver.
But what really has them pissed, Cruz is raising large sums of money to fund his Senate Conservatives Fund, and using it to run oppo hits against fellow conservatives. Some of Cruz’s victims are lining up for the kill shot anonymously and some are willing to pitch in by name. : [Read more…]
Cruz above gives you an idea of how far some will push this con. They’re ruthless and reckless often, but right now more than ever. Cruz is feeling the heat, his body language is subtle but clear. Most of our intel and other super-secret assets are furloughed because of the Republican Shutdown. So, like a good strategist, he’s setting up to deflect blame for any terrorist attack that might come and get dumped on the GOP, and on Cruz most deservedly. If Cruz is rattled they all are, regardless if it helped out their personal warchests runing the funding plea con, the concern and possible consequences for the party as a whole are getting through. Enough that Cruz knows he’s lost control of the news cycle and trends, he knows he has to take some bigger chances now. What if we could use that growing awareness of futility against them?
Desperate opponents make for productive negotiation. A meeting is underway between President Obama and leading members of both parties from the House and Senate. That has everyone nervous. The Teaparty is nervous their suicide bomber may lose his nerve and the rest of us are nervous Obama might be enticed. I don’t know that we have to worry about that part: [Read more…]
The fix may not be in on the shutdown, but it’s starting to take shape. Fear of a bad earnings climate has business leaders breaking with Teaparty Republicans and lining up behind moderate GOP members and the democratic President. The WH is only too happy to capitalize: [Read more…]