by Mark Silva
Republicans appear leaderless.
Asked to identify the spokesman for their party, nearly half of all Republicans surveyed either cannot name one or say there is none.
Radio's Rush Limbaugh, former Vice President Dick Cheney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are named most often by those who do name "the main person who speaks for the Republican Party today.''
But even they are named by few: 10 percent each name Limbaugh or Gingrich, and 9 percent name Cheney - a reflection, perhaps, that their names have been in the news a lot lately, doing a lot of talking about the party and the Democratic president.
It's a lot easier for Democrats to name a spokesman, of course: President Barack Obama: 67 percent of Democrats surveyed say the president speaks for their party, and 54 percent of Republicans surveyed say the same. Democrats also are a little more likely than Republicans to name Limbaugh as the spokesman of the Republican Party - though just 18 percent say so. That, of course, suits the White House fine.
It's not surprising, in light of the fact that the GOP's nominee for president lost, and the Democratic winner is enjoying strong job approval. But, while Republicans attempt to regroup and candidates contend for the eyes and ears of their party, the void makes for a certain one-sided conversation -- enabling the president to promote his agenda without a strong counterveiling voice for any debate.
The numbers come from an open-ended survey in the May 29-31 USA Today/Gallup Poll.
"It comes as the Republican Party is attempting to regroup after losing last November's presidential election, and is looking for ways to reorganize and strengthen in time for the 2010 midterm elections,'' Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, reports today.
The GOP's 2008 nominee for president is named by just 6 percent of the Republicans surveyed as the main spokesman for the Republican Party today. The party chairman, Michael Steele, is named by just 2 percent. The leaders of the party in Congress barely register.
More, 17 percent of all Republicans surveyed, say no one speaks for the party, and 29 percent have no opinion on the subject.
The numbers "underscore the leadership vacuum that confronts the Republican Party today,'' Newport suggests. "Almost half of those who identify with or lean toward the GOP cannot think of a single political or other figure when asked to name the main person who speaks for their party...
"Perhaps most importantly, none of these is mentioned by more than 10% of Republicans, a telling indication that rank-and-file Republicans today simply have no single consensus leader around whom they can gather their forces,'' Newport notes.
"Most pundits and political observers already have a list of possible candidates who could end up battling for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination -- including (in addition to Gingrich) Sarah Palin, Romney, Mike Huckabee, Charlie Crist, and Jeb Bush,'' he reports. " Gingrich is the only one on this list who is mentioned by more than 2 percent of Republicans as the person who -- at this point in time -- speaks for their party.''
The survey of 1,015 adults carries a possible margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Comments
What I find funny about this poll is that after 8 years of defending Bush, not 1 republican said he talks for the party. What?
Posted by: bill r. | June 10, 2009 8:06 AM
They are leaderless and clueless. No one speaks for the party. They are inept, hypocritical, and completely dysfunctional. They have no ideas, plans, thoughts, or visions. They barf up negativity and fear. They want the economy to tank and Obama to fail. They parade out buffoons like Gingerich, Limp-baugh, Romney, and Steele and ignorant dimwits like Palin. They are a laughable and pathetic lot. Their sheeple followers are even more so.
Posted by: Doug R. | June 10, 2009 9:25 AM
Actually, the funniest part of the poll is that Michael Steel, the head of the RNC, tied with Mitt Romney at 2%. The fact that Steele would come in so far behind Limbaugh and Cheney is some indication of his inability to lead, the overall disappointment in where the Party has gone, or both.
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Maybe its time for a new conservative party to rise, phoenix like, from the ashes of on the Republican Party pyre.
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In any event, I’m glad I’m not a Republican anymore if Rush and Cheney constitute the public face of the Republican Party. (But I am happier that I’m not a Democrat, and that I don’t support the progressive platform.)
Posted by: John W. | June 10, 2009 11:05 AM
Took the words outta my mouth, bill r.
A ruinous, unsuccessful war of choice.
An economy raped by the Masters of the Universe on Wall Street.
Now, if you watch the floor "debates" on CSpan, all you will hear is "right to life" rants calling Obama a murderer, and a chorus of whining that "vast sums have been spent with no results" .
O, yes,and the odd rant from the Cubano-Replicans from Florida slamming Fidel Castro.
How retro is that?
What they should have done with Ronnie Reagan is put him in a glass casket on display on the Mall, sort of like Lenin, or, better yet, robotize him as well so he could be animated at moments like this and actually deliver a speech.
Disney is really good at that sort of thing.
A little macabre, but doable with today's technology.
I think they are considering that with Fidel, so Diaz-Balerts won't even have to re-write any of their rants.
Posted by: ornery | June 10, 2009 11:16 AM
What do you mean leaderless? They have a whole host of them: Rush, Hannity, Bill-O, Crazy Dick, Tina Fey's evil and stupid twin. Newt, Erkl, etc. All the sort of people that would attract moderate, reasonable, voters--right? I think they have done a fabulous job at leading the party right off the cliff. Let them keep it up. At this rate, and with these leaders, and a little luck, they could be the new Whig or Bull Moose party.
Posted by: gibster | June 10, 2009 11:41 AM
We just finished electing a President. It's a long time until 2012 so I don't think "a leader" is really necessary at this point. We're not concerned about 2012 right now, we're concentrating on 2010 and what is happening in our individual states right now.
As I recall, Obama wasn't the voice of the Democrat party 4 years ago (no one knew who he was) so a leader will emerge in good time and in the parties own time. A lot can happen in 4 years.
Posted by: vla | June 10, 2009 11:43 AM
There is one Great Leader, not only for Republicans, but for all REAL Americans: Rush Limbaugh. He has all the answers. Anyone who doesn't acknowledge Rush as the Great Leader should be deported.
Scholar, business leader, war hero, humble public servant, Rush Limbaugh. A Great Man for our times, and all times. Listen. Obey. Believe.
Posted by: EIBS | June 10, 2009 11:51 AM
There's plenty of Republican leaders, Mark. Plenty of what you term "strong counterveiling voices."
If there is a "one-sided conversation" on the issues, it's not because of lack of "counterveiling voices".
Mark, try talking to a Republican. Sometime. Anytime. And maybe then the "conversation" might not be so "one-sided."
Posted by: Bruce | June 10, 2009 12:11 PM
I can't wait to see the counterpoint poll that Brucie will post in reply to this article.
Posted by: BC | June 10, 2009 12:42 PM
The Republican party is not coming back. Period. Don’t believe it. They own what is happening to this country right now. Sure the lunatic fringe 24% that makes up what's left of the Republican base will blame everyone under the sun but themselves, but who cares? No one is listening to them anymore and it’s insanity like Steele saying “work is not a job”. WTF is that?!? That’s not even remotely convincing to anyone who isn’t the one spouting it.
The Republicans own the disaster that Obama is currently trying to fix. The youngest generation of voters are moderate to liberal. The GOP has demonized Latinos, the fastest growing demographic which also happens to make up 40% of that generation as well. This is not your father’s or grandfather's Republican party that we're talking about here, these people are side-show freaks.
Simply put they continue to tell voters “who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes” and people have had enough. The scars of Republican governance are not going to be erased by the economic runaway train (that they started) continuing on it’s unstoppable trajectory off the bridge into the ravine.
Republicans had complete control of our country at it’s economic and military peak and they dismantled it. Now they own it.
The Republican party has turned into a bunch of shape-shifting mental patients. One day they're writing on the walls with their own excrement, the next day they're found playing toe tap games in a mens bathroom stall.
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http://www.pufferfishblog.com/weblog/2009/04/republicans-less-popular-than-venezuela.html
Posted by: Art Geko | June 10, 2009 2:36 PM
This is Comedy at it's best..
No clue who their GOP leader is, followed by a hate-monger (Boss Limbaugh), followed by the Torturer-in-Chief (The Dick Cheney), followed by a loser (McCain), followed by a disgraced-run-out-of-office former congressman ("President" Gingrich), followed by ... well, 'nuff said.
The GOP is now the perfect size to drown in a bathtub.
Posted by: Mick Hendrix | June 10, 2009 2:52 PM
The GOPer minions want desparately to be told who to follow.
The GOP is a top down organization, and even during the Pres nomination process they made it clear they couldn't wait for it to be over so they could all unite around one man, and who that one man was was less important than someone being designated as the leader.
The decapitation of the GOP by being out of power is fatal: it's not like they have any good ideas to unite around. They're a motley crew of anyone who has a beef with anyone, now. It's like a big teabagging party full of gripers, whiners, and out and out nutbags.
2009 GOP message:
"We suck and don't have any new ideas but you should be afraid. I'll tell you what to be afraid of in a minute. My fax is broke."
Posted by: DrainYou | June 10, 2009 3:04 PM
Conservative Misinformation University Salutes The Class of 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8vro-ecUIQ
Posted by: former Republican | June 10, 2009 3:21 PM
In polls that Democrats in the White House, and the Democrats who write The Swamp, would like hidden, the Republican candidate for governor of scandal-ridden New Jersey is leading the Democratic incumbent by 10%, 50%-40%, and the Republican candidate to replace Democrat Gov. Tim Kaine in Virginia is also ahead.
Two "blue" states. Both going GOP.
Posted by: Voltaire | June 10, 2009 4:49 PM
Flatliners,
Eight years ago, who was leading the democratic party?
How about four years ago, who was the titular haed of the democratic party?
I see Rush Limbaugh, Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Newt Gingrich are among the names mentioned. All conservatives. Where's the mention of Colin Powell? Where are the moderates?
Posted by: Terry | June 10, 2009 8:01 PM
see Rush Limbaugh, Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Newt Gingrich are among the names mentioned. All conservatives. Where's the mention of Colin Powell? Where are the moderates?
Posted by: Terry | June 10, 2009 8:01 PM
----------------------------
Sherri,
I see you're still having conversations with the dueling voices in your head.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omSqEwaO_X0
Posted by: you | June 10, 2009 11:34 PM
Terry, We fully support the Republican purge of the moderates. We think you should continue to marginalize them. We think you should continue to ensure that there is no room in the Republican tent for them. An ideological purity crusade is exactly what you need. Please continue to work toward the goal that anyone to the left of Rush and Newt is driven out of the Republican Party quickly.
Posted by: DNC | June 11, 2009 7:32 AM
DNC,
All those independenst and moderates you had in November, they are fleeing. YOu better hope BO's personal charm doesn't fade away, because his policies are starting to lose popularity.
Posted by: Terry | June 11, 2009 8:54 PM
Eight years ago, who was leading the democratic party?
How about four years ago, who was the titular haed of the democratic party?
Posted by: Terry | June 10, 2009 8:01 PM
.
Sociopath,
I don't know, but I can guarantee you it wasn't some fat drug addict AM hate radio hack.
Posted by: 524367089 | June 11, 2009 10:32 PM
To prove Mark Silva thinks his Leftie readers are really stupid, here's a USA Today article from Aug. 8, 2001, with a Gallup Poll saying exactly the same thing about Democrats. It even quotes Davis Axelrod!
"But more than six months after a Republican president took over the White House, neither Gore nor Clinton nor anyone else has emerged as the clearly recognized leader of the opposition.
Asked who is the leader of the Democratic Party, a 51% majority in a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll didn’t have an opinion.
The next most frequent answer, at 10%: No one.
The findings illustrate a classic problem for the party out of power: It doesn’t speak with a single voice. That can make it more difficult to articulate a coherent case against the side that claims the presidential bully pulpit.
“It’s the nature of being the party out of power,” says David Axelrod, a Democratic consultant based in Chicago.
Democratic strategist Gina Glantz calls the scattered results “symptomatic of what happens when a new president arrives on the scene and everything is reactive to him.”"
Even David Axelrod, now Obama's media guru, refuted in 2001 what Mark Silva is trying to pump up in 2009.
Posted by: Voltaire | June 12, 2009 8:24 AM
No single voice........., but Limbaugh made the list. Tells us, how is it that the party of experience can even consider inexperienced drop-out wicka-wicka disc-jokey Limbaugh as spoke person? Maybe in the same way they consider habitual draft dodgers honorary holders of the keys to the gates of hell.... We can't pretend it's 2001 anymore.... What was politically normal then won't help the party now. Your ability to flame fires to make headlines is going up against masters of grass-roots manipulation. Grass-root movements, the politics of today versus the reactionary top-down politics of the past, take more than a few years to build. Early bird gets the worm...and there needs to be a more visible centered front to proactively seek counter solutions to the democratic solutions. Unless, the party of "I'm offended," "No," and "whatever is the opposite of" is your idea of an image that you can really squeeze a lot of campaign millage out of.. driving a gas guzzler... on the yellow brick road to the WH. David Alexrod didn't get the Democrats in 04, and the Democrats that got in didn't get anything done.
Posted by: Voltaire quotes Alexrod like it did anything for the Democrats. | June 12, 2009 12:09 PM
Even David Axelrod, now Obama's media guru, refuted in 2001 what Mark Silva is trying to pump up in 2009.
Posted by: Voltaire | June 12, 2009 8:24 AM
---------------------------
Good god, Bruce..
WOULD YOU PLEASE QUIT YOUR CRYING?!?!
Posted by: civil war guy | June 12, 2009 3:05 PM
Trickled On 524367089,
The reason the leader of the flatliners would never be a radio talk show host is because no one listens to loon radio. Once again, ideas win in the marketplace and you loons have no ideas
Posted by: Terry | June 14, 2009 2:48 PM