The resignation of John Boehner shows just how far to the right the Republican Party has moved. Instead of lamenting his resignation, most in the party seem to be celebrating it. Even though he was always a reliable right-wing voice in the House, he wasn't right-wing enough for some members, and for the party's base either. They want an extremist in that position -- someone willing to shut down the government over far-right-wing policies and issues.
And they don't want to stop with Boehner. About half of the Republican base (46%) would like to see Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell resign also (see chart above). He's a right-winger, and always has been, but he not an extremist -- and they want an extremist in that position. They don't want a hint of compromise, even if it's for the good of the country. For this new extremist Republican Party -- it's their way or the highway.
Oddly enough, that's pretty much the feeling of the general public also (see chart below) -- though not for the same reason. The public (by 42%) also would like to see McConnell gone. But for them, it's so a leader could be installed that would work with Democrats, and compromise for the good of the country. The public is tired of Congress being unable to solve any of this nation's problems.
These charts were made using results of a recent Rasmussen Poll -- done on September 28th and 29th of a random national sample of 1,000 likely voters, with a 3 point margin of error.
