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GOP Tries to Dig Out of Its Hole
Wall Street Journal ^

Posted on 05/05/2009 2:37:53 PM PDT by Sub-Driver

GOP Tries to Dig Out of Its Hole

By GERALD F. SEIB

If you're trying to figure how bad things are for Republicans, consider this: More Americans say they are conservatives than say they are part of the Republican Party -- which is supposed to be, after all, the party of conservatives.

That picture emerges from deep inside the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. The numbers there show the extent of the woes facing today's Republican Party -- woes that came into sharp relief last week with the defection of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter to the Democrats.

Yet the numbers also suggest the GOP might be able to start climbing out of its hole, which is precisely what some party leaders are trying to do by launching a new effort to reach out to the grass roots across the country. video Poll Results Comforting to Republicans 3:12

WSJ's capital Journal columnist Jerry Seib takes a look at the problems that Republicans are having during the Obama era, by taking a dive into the numbers in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

In the Journal/NBC News survey, just 31% of those polled called themselves Republicans. That's down from 37% eight years ago. More important, a larger share of Americans now call themselves Democrats than Republicans in every region of the country, including the South, which the GOP likes to think of as its remaining bastion. Democrats also outnumber Republicans in every age group. In sum, the view of the Republican Party that emerges is the very picture of a minority party.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gop; nc4na; ncna; specter

1 posted on 05/05/2009 2:37:53 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver

ABC reflects the US? Nope. WSJ is closer, but, as with many conservatives now, I just don’t answer surveys anymore.


2 posted on 05/05/2009 2:39:36 PM PDT by combat_boots (When the government controls the captial, all that is left is tyranny. Tagline by Redwarning.)
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To: Sub-Driver
More Americans say they are conservatives than say they are part of the Republican Party -- which is supposed to be, after all, the party of conservatives.

The Bush/Rove rinos got exactly what they wanted.

3 posted on 05/05/2009 2:41:02 PM PDT by RJL
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To: Sub-Driver

lets see if I’ve got this right.

More people ID themselves as conservatives as opposed to Republican so to pick up those conservatives the Republican Leadership wants to become more liberal?

Please, please, the Republicans need some adult leadership. Get the Romper Room kids out of there.


4 posted on 05/05/2009 2:41:38 PM PDT by PeteB570 (NRA - Life member and Black Rifle owner)
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To: Sub-Driver
Personally, I'm a Conservative and always have been.

I don't have an issue politically with it.

Politicians can be or do whatever they want, my political attitude stays the same via conviction.

I'm a conservative!

5 posted on 05/05/2009 2:41:48 PM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, Question everyone else)
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To: Sub-Driver

This “Listen to America” road trip by the GOP is like the Blue Collar Comedy Tour except the BCCT is funnier and more entertaining ....


6 posted on 05/05/2009 2:44:22 PM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Sub-Driver

Fire in the hole!


7 posted on 05/05/2009 2:44:38 PM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: PeteB570

Too many country club Republicans are unhappy that their chums do not respect them.


8 posted on 05/05/2009 2:44:40 PM PDT by RobbyS (ECCE homo)
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To: Sub-Driver

We have trained them to take us for granted. Where else are they going to go they confidently ask themselves.

No more for me. I vote for a man I like or I vote for no man.


9 posted on 05/05/2009 2:57:15 PM PDT by DManA
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To: Sub-Driver

As hard as the pop media is working to make 0 look good, it’s an impossible task, and before 2010 rolls around, people will start figuring out that we need to stop him. The Republican Party needs to wake up, and see the opportunity we have. Clowns running around playing defense and pretending to be just like the enemy won’t get us where we need to go. The US doesn’t need or want two liberal parties.


10 posted on 05/05/2009 2:57:54 PM PDT by pallis
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To: Sub-Driver

Trying to dig out of its hole? By giving up on its past, denigrating Reagan’s legacy, and eating pizza to seem like one of the good old boys? The Magical Mystery Tour joyriders should just all turn dimocrats and get out of the way. Losers all.


11 posted on 05/05/2009 2:58:54 PM PDT by BlueStateBlues (Blue State for business, Red State at heart.........Palin 2012, can't come soon enough.)
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To: Sub-Driver

President GW Bush was the party leader for 8 years. He led his party to this destination (Overspending, deficits, bailouts).

The country is upset about the economy, which crumbled under Bush’s watch.

His initial steps to rescue the economy were similar to the steps later taken by Obama—who is doing it moreso.

The GOP is faced with abandoning Bush economic policies (overspending, deficits, bailouts) without abandoning Bush.

It would help the GOP if Bush himself admitted the mistake of overspending, deficits and bailouts.


12 posted on 05/05/2009 3:17:04 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: Sub-Driver
"More Americans say they are conservatives than say they are part of the Republican Party -- which is supposed to be, after all, the party of conservatives."

Nah not since Bush converted the party to neoconservative world intervention and nation building.

13 posted on 05/05/2009 3:17:53 PM PDT by ex-snook ("Above all things, truth beareth away the victory.")
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To: Sub-Driver

What i find strange. Ok..im strange.But people who are conservative but not a part of the GOP like Obama, but not so much of his policies. Yet, at the same time, they hate the Republicans for disagreeing with the Obama policies they to do not agree with. Am i missing something ?


14 posted on 05/05/2009 3:32:12 PM PDT by dbrew2u
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To: Sub-Driver

Why have conservatives allowed the RINOs to take the Republican Party from them? We far outnumber them yet they are the party leadership. Why do conservatives forever stay on the sidelines doing little more than complaining and allow this to happen? Do they believe in their principles so little that they are unwilling to fight for them? Get involved, people. If you don’t the liberal RINOs and Dems will run this country straight into the ground.


15 posted on 05/05/2009 4:33:44 PM PDT by DangerZone
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