What a shame the public also sees through the corporate nature of the careerist Democrats in DC! Otherwise they'd practically be able to expel the Republicans from Congress altogether. According to an extensive poll released yesterday by Pew the Republicans look like they'll be shedding at least the 2 dozen seats the Democrats need to win in the House to stop Trump's toxic legislative agenda. Unfortunately, though, people hate the Republicans but they hate the Democrats nearly as much.Let's start with Speaker Ryan. You know how bad Trump's job approval ratings are? Ryan's are worse. They report that "Trump’s overall job rating stands at 39%, the same as it was in February. As was the case then, his job rating today is lower-- and more politically divided-- than other recent presidents at comparable points in their first year... In addition, fewer than half (46%) are very or somewhat confident in Trump’s ability to work effectively with Congress; in December, this had been seen as a relative strength for Trump-- 60% were confident he could work well with Congress. Over this period, the share expressing confidence in Trump to avoid major scandals in his administration also has fallen eight percentage points, from 44% to 36%."That said, Ryan is looked at even more negatively-- just 29% of voters thinking his handling his job well. 54% disapprove of him-- and that includes nearly a third of Republicans! Overall, the Democratic Party has poor ratings but better than the Republicans' ratings. Sad. "The public’s overall impressions of the parties are little changed from about a year ago. About half (52%) view the GOP as 'too extreme,' while fewer (40%) say that phrase describes the Democratic Party. Democrats also are more widely viewed as having 'good policy ideas' (58% say this applies to the Democratic Party, 49% to the GOP). But neither party is widely seen as having 'high ethical standards.' About half (49%) say this describes the Democratic Party and 45% say it applies to the Republican Party... [T]he Democratic Party has made sharp gains compared with a year ago on several issues-- notably, foreign policy and immigration. Currently, 49% of Americans say the Democratic Party is better able to make wise decisions about foreign policy, while 36% favor the GOP. A year ago, Republicans were favored on foreign policy, 46% to 38%. Democrats also lead on dealing with immigration, 50% to 39%; in recent years, the parties have run about even on this issue. And, with budget debates looming this month in Congress, 48% say the Democratic Party better represents their views on government spending, while 40% say the Republican Party does."
Public assessments of the Republican and Democratic parties have worsened over the last few months. While the GOP’s image continues to be somewhat more negative than the Democratic Party’s, both parties are currently viewed more unfavorably than favorably. This is similar to their standing among the public this time last year.About half (51%) of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party, while 45% have a favorable view. In January, slightly more had a favorable than unfavorable view (51% favorable to 45% unfavorable).Today, 57% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the GOP, while 40% have a favorable view. In January, Americans were about equally likely to view the GOP favorably (47%) as unfavorably (49%)....The Democratic Party holds sizable advantages over the Republican Party on a number of major issues. More say the Democratic Party could do a better job than the GOP when it comes to dealing with the environment (59% to 28%), abortion and contraception (53% to 33%), health care (54% to 35%) and education policy (52% to 36%). It is also favored over the GOP on foreign policy (49% to 36%), immigration (50% to 39%) and government spending (48% to 40%).On just one issue does the Republican Party have a significant edge: About half (48%) of the public says the Republican Party can better deal with the terrorist threat at home; 36% say the Democratic Party could do a better job.Neither party enjoys an advantage on key economic issues: 46% say the Republican Party is better able to deal with the economy and 43% say the Democratic Party. Similarly, the public is split over which party would do a better job dealing with trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries (45% say the GOP, 42% the Democratic Party) and with taxes (44% say the Republican Party, 43% say the Democratic Party)....The Democratic Party now runs roughly even with the Republican Party on trade, an issue on which the GOP enjoyed an 11-percentage point advantage last spring. And Democrats now have an eight-point edge as the party that could do the better job representing people’s views on government spending: 48% say this, 40% say the GOP. In January 2013, when the question was last asked, just 36% said Democrats could do the better job representing their views on government spending (the share saying the GOP could do the better job is little changed).The Democratic Party now holds a 13-percentage point edge as the party seen as able to do a better job “making wise decisions about foreign policy” (49% to 36%). This is the widest advantage on foreign policy the Democratic Party has had since August 2009 and reflects a significant swing on this measure from a year ago, when the Republican Party held an eight-point advantage (46% to 38%).The Democratic Party also holds an 11-point advantage over the Republican Party when it comes to immigration (50% to 39%); last year the public was evenly split on which party could do a better job on this issue (44% said the Democratic Party, 42% said the GOP)....The Democratic Party continues to be preferred over the Republican Party by wide margins on several domestic issues: education policy, health care, the environment, and abortion and contraception.One exception is gun policy, on which neither party holds a significant edge: Today, the public is nearly evenly split between the Republican Party (46%) and the Democratic Party (41%) on this issue.The Democratic Party now enjoys a 16-percentage point advantage on education policy and a 20-point advantage on policies related to abortion and contraception, both little changed over the last few years.By a similarly wide 19-point margin (54% to 34%), more now say the Democratic Party could do the better job dealing with health care. Democrats have long had an advantage on this issue, but the size of the party’s advantage has widened.By roughly two-to-one, more now say the Democratic Party could do a better job than the GOP dealing with the environment (59% vs. 28%); the Democratic advantage on this issue is slightly wider that when the question was last asked in December 2015.
Last week, in deep red Kansas, there was a 20 point swing from Trump's November totals to how progressive Democrat James Thompson did against a well-known Republican. That swing will probably increase as 2018 approaches. If it does come in at 20%, there will be 120 fewer Republicans in the House in 2019. But imagine that the average swing away from Trump in Republican-held districts is just half of that-- 10%. These are just some of the Republicans we won't have to be thinking about anymore. There are 8 California Republicans, 7 Florida Republicans and NINE Texas Republicans who would be wiped away instantly and several others in dire jeopardy. Future lobbyists from the Golden State, the Sunshine State and the Lone Star State: Jeff Denham (R-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), Steve Knight (R-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA). Ken Calvert (R-CA). Mimi Walters (R-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ted Yoho (R-FL), Ron DeSantis (R-DL), Dennis Ross (R-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Joe Barton (R-TX), John Culberson (R-TX), Mike McCaul (R-TX), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Pete Olson (R-TX), Will Hurd (R-TX), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), Roger Williams (R-TX) and John Carter (R-TX). And here are another 30 Republicans who would be completely swamped in a 10 point swing-- if there was a plausible Democratic alternative (which, in many districts, there isn't):
• Martha Roby (R-AL)• Martha McSally (R-AZ)• Mike Coffman (R-CO)• Peter Roskam (R-IL)• Rodney Davis (R-IL)• Rod Blum (R-IA)• David Young (R-IA)• Kevin Yoder (R-KS)• Bruce Poliquin (R-ME)• Fred Upton (R-MI)• Tim Walberg (R-MI)• Dave Trott (R-MI)• Erik Paulsen (R-MN)• Ann Wagner (R-MO)• Mark Amodei (R-NV)• Leonard Lance (R-NJ)• Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)• John Faso (R-NY)• Tom Reed (R-NY)• Virginia Foxx (R-NC)• Robert Pittenger (R-NC)• Steve Chabot (R-OH)• Steve Russell (R-OK)• Ryan Costello (R-PA)• Pat Meehan (R-PA)• Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)• Dave Brat (R-VA)• Barbara Comstock (R-VA)• Glen Grothman (R-WI)• Alex Mooney (R-WV)