I think this is a very healthy development- 2010 is going to be an interesting year. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/pub...ea_party_tops_gop_on_three_way_generic_ballot [rquoter]Tea Party Tops GOP on Three-Way Generic Ballot Running under the Tea Party brand may be better in congressional races than being a Republican. In a three-way Generic Ballot test, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds Democrats attracting 36% of the vote. The Tea Party candidate picks up 23%, and Republicans finish third at 18%. Another 22% are undecided. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, the Tea Party comes out on top. Thirty-three percent (33%) prefer the Tea Party candidate, and 30% are undecided. Twenty-five percent (25%) would vote for a Democrat, and just 12% prefer the GOP. Among Republican voters, 39% say they’d vote for the GOP candidate, but 33% favor the Tea Party option. For this survey, the respondents were asked to assume that the Tea Party movement organized as a new political party. In practical terms, it is unlikely that a true third-party option would perform as well as the polling data indicates. The rules of the election process—written by Republicans and Democrats--provide substantial advantages for the two established major parties. The more conventional route in the United States is for a potential third-party force to overtake one of the existing parties. (Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. The standard Generic Congressional Ballot shows Republicans holding a modest lead over Democrats. It appears that the policies of the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress are currently enough to unite both those who prefer Republicans and those who prefer the Tea Party route. Data from the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows that just 55% of conservatives nationwide consider themselves Republicans. Recent polling shows that 73% of Republican voters believe their leaders in Washington are out of touch with the party base. Republican voters are paying a lot more attention to the Tea Party movement than anyone else. Forty-three percent (43%) of GOP voters are following news about the movement Very Closely. Another 30% are following it Somewhat Closely. Just 12% of Democrats are following stories about the Tea Party movement Very Closely. Seventy percent (70%) of Republican voters have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement while only seven percent (7%) offer an unfavorable view. Interestingly, 49% of Democrats have no opinion one way or the other. Among unaffiliated voters, 43% have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party efforts while 20% say the opposite. Forty-one percent (41%) of all voters nationwide say Republicans and Democrats are so much alike that a new party is needed to represent the American people. Republicans are evenly divided on this question, while Democrats overwhelmingly disagree. However, among those not affiliated with either major party, 60% agree that a new party is needed, and only 25% disagree. Men are far more likely than women to believe a new party is needed. As for the voting preference, the Tea Party bests the GOP among both men and women and in all age groups except those over 65. The Tea Party candidates are the first choice among political conservatives. Among moderates, the Tea Party candidates are more popular than Republicans. However, nearly half of all moderate voters prefer a Democrat. Among the Political Class, not a single respondent picked the Tea Party candidate. However, among those with populist or Mainstream views, 31% prefer the Tea Party, and 26% are undecided. Twenty-three percent (23%) pick a Republican candidate, and 19% are for the Democrat (See more on the Political Class-Mainstream divide).[/rquoter]
Fracturing the GOP vote for 2010/2012 is probably not going to benefit conservatives in those elections, yet they continue to do so and continue to say they'll make gains for the elections. It's a head scratcher, to be sure.
If you generally support Conservative basso, why would this be a healthy development? Surely you can see that neither of those numbers alone beats the democratic party and together they barely defeat it.
Not sure, but as a registered Republican who votes in the New York State Republican primaries - this is bad news indeed for his beloved GOP.
It could be a healthy sign that the working class deluded enough to vote for the Grand Old Party of Wealth is starting to realize that the Repubs aren't in their interest. However, there is a danger of fascism when these type of folks turn their rath on the system. If the Dems can break away from being the junior party of wealth we might start getting together a coaltion tha could lead to a more equitable society.
Gary Johnson • A self-made business man with no political experience, Johnson exploded onto the scene of New Mexico politics and won a tough Republican party primary and then the governor's seat in a state where Democrats outnumbered Republicans two-to-one, all without mentioning his opponents even once in print, radio, or television. • During his 8 years as governor, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax increase in its entire history. • Instead of growing, the state government shrunk by 1,000 employees with no firings. • At the end of his two terms, the state had a budget surplus. • During his tenure, he vetoed 750 bills, more than the vetoes of the governors of all other 49 states over the same period combined! • He was the only Republican governor not to endorse George W. Bush in 2000. • He opposed the Iraq War from the very beginning. • In 1999, Johnson became the highest office-holder in the U.S. to advocate an end to the War on Drugs and decriminalization of mar1juana.
I love Johnson. He is one of the strong conservative voices for doing away with the drug war. http://alibi.com/index.php?story=29723&scn=news&submit_user_comment=y
