GOP Continues Abandoning Republican Voters

GOP Continues Abandoning Republican Voters
June 25, 2009 5:05 pm ET by Matt Finkelstein
It seems the GOP is intent on purging anyone who doesn't adhere to their rigid ideology.

With the House preparing to vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, congressional Republicans have stepped up their efforts to smear the Democrats' cap-and-trade bill. However, Greg Sargent points out that the GOP's opposition is not only at odds with the American people, which at this point is par for the course, but also with a significant number of Republican voters. According to the Washington Post:

Debate over the cap-and-trade approach has focused on the cost to the average American. The Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that cap and trade would cost the average U.S. household $175 a year in 2020, but House Republicans have pushed the message that the legislation would cost many times that and drive millions of jobs offshore.

That message has failed to sway liberal and moderate Republicans, 60 percent of whom back a cap-and-trade program, but it appeals to the party's conservative base.

Moreover, while the GOP has drawn a line in the sand opposing a public health care option, fully 50 percent of their followers -- and 73 percent of independents -- support a public plan. Matt Yglesias provides this nifty visual underlining how out of touch the Republican leadership is on health care:



As Sargent notes, it's no wonder that "38% of Republicans and GOP-leaners view the party unfavorably." But rather than winning them back, it seems the GOP is intent on purging anyone who doesn't adhere to their rigid ideology.

–Matt Finkelstein
Organizations: GOP
Issues: Health Care
Energy
Climate