For the GOP, a Base Hit Isn't Enough
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061301500.html
By Sarah Chamberlain Resnick
Wednesday, June 14, 2006; Page A23
The inside-the-Beltway crowd has been chattering about the need for
Republicans to reconnect with the "conservative base." Columnists,
talking heads and other so-called experts have been going on at length
about the need for the GOP to motivate this base to save our
congressional majorities in the fall. While this may make for
interesting banter on the Sunday morning talk shows, the reality is
that Republican majorities in the House and Senate do not rest on the
base alone. While keeping that segment of the party motivated is
certainly an important factor in the November midterms, it isn't
enough. To maintain our majorities, particularly in the House, our
party must reach out to independent and swing voters.
A recent Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll gave Democrats an
11-point generic ballot advantage on the question, "Which party would
you like to see in control of Congress?" Not surprisingly, by a margin
of 87 percent to 8, self-identified Republicans say they prefer
Republican control. By similar margins, self-identified Democrats
prefer Democratic control. The 11-point advantage for Democrats is due
not to an unmotivated base but to a dramatic shift among independents
against Republican control of Congress. By a greater than 2-to-1 margin
(46 percent to 21 percent), independents say they prefer Democratic
control of the House.
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