We have now entered the election year, in which all members of the House of Representatives will be chosen. The question on many minds is whether the Republican Party can hang on to their majority in the House. The Democrats could seize the majority by flipping 17 Republican-held seats, and their are at least 25 to 50 competitive seats currently held by Republicans.I think it is possible for the Democrats to flip the House. While poll after poll shows the public is not happy with anyone in Washington, they also show that the public is more unhappy with Republicans than with Democrats. The public disagrees with the Republicans on many issues -- like raising the minimum wage, protecting Social Security & Medicare, helping the unemployed, raising taxes on the rich, making corporations pay their taxes, protecting the environment, helping the poor, and creating new jobs. Republican policies oppose public wishes on all those issues.
Now there is a new poll showing just how little respect the public has for congressional Republicans. It is the Washington Post / ABC News Poll ( done between January 20th and 23rd of a national random sample of 1,003 adults, with a margin of error of 3.5 points). Note that in almost every Demographic group the Republicans are thought less of than the Democrats.
Of particular interest is what each party's base voters think of their own representatives. A majority of Democrats (56%) have confidence in the decisions made by the reps of their own party -- which is good news for the Democrats seeking re-election. But the Republicans have a problem. Only 36% of the Republican base has confidence in the decisions made by their own party's reps. That means many of those representatives could face a primary opponent, and possibly be replaced by someone from the extreme right -- which would help the Democrats.
The Republicans still have a long way to go in trying to rehabilitate their party's image, and only a few months to do it. I doubt they can do it, because too many of their base don't want a move away from the extreme fringe.
