reality-based educator

I can't remember exactly where I first read this, but Republican strategists feel that the Republican brand that helps sell the party to voters - i.e., Repubs are fiscally responsible, strong on defense, ethical - has taken a huge beating in the past couple of years as a result of a) Bush administration policies b) Abramoff and the various other GOP scandals c) Katrina and d) the Iraq war. GOP strategists hope to rebuild the brand before the '08 elections, but the latest Newsweek poll suggests they've got their work cut out for them:

Jan. 20, 2007 - When President George W. Bush declared earlier this month that the only way to quell sectarian violence in Iraq was to send more than 20,000 additional American troops, he probably knew the move would be unpopular. Indeed, the latest NEWSWEEK poll finds that Bush’s call for a “surge” in troops is opposed by two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans and supported by only a quarter (26 percent). Almost half of all respondents (46 percent) want to see American troops pulled out “as soon as possible.”

Bush’s Iraq plan isn’t doing anything for his personal approval rating either; it’s again stuck at its lowest point in the history of the poll (31 percent). Meanwhile, the new Democratic-controlled Congress is getting relatively high marks. And 55 percent actually trust Congressional Dems on U.S. policy in Iraq, far more than the 32 percent who trust their commander in chief.

As Bush’s public image continues to tarnish, the new Democratic congress appears to have made a good first impression. Respondents give House Speaker Nancy Pelosi largely favorable (36 percent to 23 percent) ratings and also agree by a nearly two-to-one margin (43 percent to 24 percent) that the Democrats are keeping promises they made during their campaigns.

...

Looking forward to 2008, a generic Democratic presidential candidate has a 21-point lead over an unnamed GOP challenger. The race becomes much closer, however, when voters are asked to choose among actual names. The new poll finds statistical dead heats in different scenarios involving John McCain or Rudy Giuliani vs. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards. In a hypothetical match-up, Clinton gets 48 percent while McCain gets 47. A Giuliani-Clinton race finds the same numbers but with the former New York City mayor as the hypothetical victor.

Notice just how unpopular the preznut and his war is and then notice how large a lead a generic Dem presidential candidate has over a generic Repub presidential candidate for '08.

George W. Bush's unpopularity and the toxic residue left over from the 109th Delay/Hastert/Frist Congress has bled over into how people view the parties - especially into which party they want to control the White House.

That's something new. Two years back, the generic GOP candidate for the WH would have held a fairly substantial lead. But not anymore.

Even when names are added to the poll, Dems still look good in the generic ballot. Think back two years ago (or even one year ago) and ask yourself if a Hillary Clinton vs. either John McCain or Rudy Giuliani contest would have been a statistical deadheat.

No, McCain and Rudy would have had double digit leads. But not anymore.

The Republican brand is REALLY beat up right now and I don't see how the GOP can build it back up while George Bush remains in the White House and continues to pursue his war policy in Iraq (and perhaps Iran.) Novak put it best the other day - as long as Americans remain on the ground in Iraq being wounded and killed, the Grand Old Party has its electoral work cut out for it. This war is seen as GOP war and people are STILL pissed off about it months after they took it out on the GOP at the ballot box in the midterm elections. If anything, people seem even angrier because the preznut is escalating the war after they sent him a message to get out. And don't kid yourself, GOP strategists and Republican bigwigs know this very well. That's why nobody but McCain, Rudy, Romney and Duncan Hunter have embraced Bush's surge plan. Most GOPers see just how much damage Bush's has already been done to the party as a result of the war and worry that things are going to get much worse for the GOP.

And even the little domestic issues Bush is trying to grab at to assert his relevance - like the health care proposal he's supposed to unveil during the State of the Union speech on Tuesday - look like bigger losers for the Republican Party than just doing nothing at all on the issue (kinda like the Social Security plan was.)

I dunno what GOPers do to rebuild their brand. I dunno if they know what to do. But I do know that right now, they're fucked.

And it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.

Remember how Rove/Frist/Hastert/Delay and the administration used the war as a political bludgeon against Dems?

Now it's the other way around.