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The GOP is Winning
Townhall.com ^ | October 10, 2013 | Jack Kerwick

Posted on 10/10/2013 11:48:39 AM PDT by Kaslin

The Republicans are winning the fight over the government shut down. This, at any rate, is the conclusion that must be drawn from both the latest Associated Press poll as well as the terms in which it is described.

The headline of the AP article is: “Poll: GOP gets the blame in shutdown.”Yet in the very first paragraph, the very first line, it is said that while Republicans are being held as “primarily responsible” for the (partial) shutdown, “public esteem” has soured on every player in this “struggle with no heroes.”

In the following paragraph, we are told that, just as in 1996, Republicans “may end up taking the biggest hit” from this standoff.Immediately afterwards, however, the piece states that nine days into the shutdown matters are “fluid,” with “plenty of disdain to go around.”

One would think that if the GOP was really faring all that badly, then the AP shouldn’t have had any problem mustering up quotations from any number of people who would’ve been eager to have spoken to that effect. Yet the only two people that it quotes are Martha Blair, an “independent,” and Barbara Olpinski, a self-identified Republican. Both explicitly blame Democrats as well as Republicans for the current situation.

“Asked if she blamed Obama, House Republicans, Senate Democrats, or the tea party for the shut down,” the article reads, “Blair…said yes, you bet. All of them.”Olpinski is quoted as saying: “People don’t know how they are going to pay for things, and what will be covered.” She adds: “Everybody is kind of like holding their wallets.”

Another interesting tidbit to be gotten from this poll is that Ted Cruz—you know, the Texas Senator whose 21-plus hour charge to defund Obamacare was supposed to have done permanent damage to the Republican brand—scarcely even registers with those polled: most Americans, supposedly, aren’t aware of who he is.

The poll also informs us that in spite of Obama’s promises that Doomsday will descend upon the world if Congress fails to raise the debt limit, less than one out of every three Americans favor raising it.

The President’s characteristic fear mongering is failing him.

As for the Tea Party, the AP has just now learned from its own poll that it is not the “gang of malcontents” that has been “portrayed by Democrats.” Instead, “it’s a sizable—and divisive—force among Republicans.”Moreover, “4 out of 10 Republicans identified with the Tea Party [.]”

The most interesting thing about this poll—a poll, let’s not forget, that the AP is promoting to establish that the GOP is losing the public relations war vis-à-vis the shutdown—is what it reveals about the politically perilous condition of Democrats.

The Republicans were blamed overwhelmingly for the shutdown of ’96.That state of affairs isn’t even close to being replicated today.

First, consider that the very poll that the AP seeks to use against the GOP reveals that Congress—the Democrat-controlled Congress—has a historically unprecedented low approval rating of five percent.

Secondly, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid has an approval rating that is no higher than that of House Majority leader John Boehner.Considering that most people continue to derive their (mis)information from the overwhelmingly Democratic-friendly “mainstream” press, this is quite remarkable, for even in the midst of an unpopular so-called “shutdown”—a shutdown for which, allegedly, Republicans are held to be “primarily” responsible—a lackluster Republican like Boehner fares no worse among the public than one of the country’s leading Democrats.

Third and most significantly, Obama’s approval rating is at an all-time low.Only 37 percent of Americans approve of his job performance, versus 53 percent of Americans who disapprove of it.

This is staggering.

Whether the Republicans persist in holding the line against Obama and his party is left to be seen.The skeptic in me is doubtful.But if this AP poll suggests anything, it is that the GOP is winning.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: abortion; cruz; deathpanels; obamacare; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; zerocare
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1 posted on 10/10/2013 11:48:39 AM PDT by Kaslin
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They won’t be winning if Boehner and Ryan sell out to the Libs with this 6 week debt ceiling increase.


2 posted on 10/10/2013 11:49:18 AM PDT by InsidiousMongo
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To: Kaslin

Hold the line Republicans. keep the useless government shut down.


3 posted on 10/10/2013 11:50:14 AM PDT by rurgan (only taxes allowed 5% federal sales tax, 3% state ,2% local. no income, no property tax)
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To: Kaslin

I t should read Republicans responsible and damned proud of it. It’s time the wild spending and Obamacare was stopped.


4 posted on 10/10/2013 11:50:26 AM PDT by Venturer (Keep Obama and you aint seen nothing yet.)
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To: Kaslin

Maybe now Americans will that the government is not needed as gov shut down and nothing has happened.Obama is pure evil and a communist.

I’m glad Republicans shut down government. government is useless and only oppresses as in the IRS

call them and tell Republicans to hold the line and not cave in to media pressure

The only things government does is slow down the free market(capitalism) , take away our freedoms and oppress the people.

shut government down forever at all levels

hold the line republicans


5 posted on 10/10/2013 11:51:40 AM PDT by rurgan (only taxes allowed 5% federal sales tax, 3% state ,2% local. no income, no property tax)
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To: Kaslin
Unless freedom and liberty accrue to We the People, nobody’s ‘winning’. Period.
6 posted on 10/10/2013 11:51:53 AM PDT by Paulie
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To: Kaslin

And the only reason they are winning is because of Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee taking the courageous stands they have taken and forcing the rest of the weak sisters in the GOP to take a stand.


7 posted on 10/10/2013 11:56:37 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: Kaslin

Who will end up with the blame has yet to be seen. That said, the spiteful overreach of the Obama Administration punishing US citizens may end up tamping down any blame the Reps would have gotten. Ironic? I think so.


8 posted on 10/10/2013 11:56:44 AM PDT by CityCenter (The solution to all problems is spiritual.)
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To: InsidiousMongo; All

BTTT !

__________________________

Boehner, Cantor and Ryan have dedicated their lives to losing to the Liberal Democrats.

They call it “Bipartisan Compromise,” and we call it CAVE IN.

The Republicans are winning because they are on offense.

Once Boehner’s RINOs Cave In, they will be back on Defense, and thus continue to lose to the Liberal Democrats.


9 posted on 10/10/2013 11:58:59 AM PDT by Graewoulf (Traitor John Roberts' Marxist Obama'care' Insurance violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: Kaslin
In case anybody thought the AP poll was an outlier, today Ipsos/Reuters released a poll that has Obama at 40% Approve 54% Disapprove.

http://www.ipsos-na.com/download/pr.aspx?id=13087

10 posted on 10/10/2013 11:59:57 AM PDT by apillar
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To: Kaslin

Okay, but has the GOP reverted to supporting America again — or is it still just the “go slow” wing of the Party of Government?


11 posted on 10/10/2013 12:00:13 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Paulie

Amen. And it’s meaningless to talk about “winning” in the middle of the contest. I wish I could be more optimistic that We the People will win in the end.


12 posted on 10/10/2013 12:01:23 PM PDT by bigbob
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To: Kaslin

Sorry but they are not.


13 posted on 10/10/2013 12:03:06 PM PDT by Hattie
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To: Kaslin

Unfortunately, the GOOBs aren’t used to winning and don’t realize it when they are winning. They’ve got Barry and the ‘RATS on the run right now. Barry’s approval is down to 37%. Let’s see if we can get him to bring it down to 5% or 10%. Now is not the time for the GOP to go wobbly. They are winning this battle against the communists.


14 posted on 10/10/2013 12:04:47 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The DemocRAT Pahtay! Spending our grandchildren's future, today!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Republican leadership understands the whole ball of wax is st stake in this battle. If they cave the Tea Party will coalesce into a new national political party. It is just that simple.


15 posted on 10/10/2013 12:12:34 PM PDT by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: Kaslin

Thank you Cruz....and the 6week delay in the debt ceiling will put the focus back on the tiny gov shut down and the growing ObamaCare problems! Time is on our side


16 posted on 10/10/2013 12:13:12 PM PDT by Bulwinkle (Alec, a.k.a. Daffy Duck)
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To: Kaslin

Nope ! Today the Republicans will cave. They already signaled it. Just watch.


17 posted on 10/10/2013 12:13:23 PM PDT by Newbomb Turk ("All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.")
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To: Newbomb Turk

IF THIS IS WINNING, HATE TO SEE WHAT LOSING IS...


18 posted on 10/10/2013 12:15:30 PM PDT by seeker41 (take your country back by whatever means necessary)
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To: Kaslin

The only way they can loose is by backing down to the Bastard.


19 posted on 10/10/2013 12:15:51 PM PDT by ZULU (Impeach that Bastard Barrack Hussein Obama)
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To: ZULU

I hope the Palins are well protected. We have the great one (SP) to thank for TC.

And she ain’t done, no way no how.


20 posted on 10/10/2013 12:22:37 PM PDT by bicyclerepair (The zombies here elected alcee hastings)
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