Republican Popularity Falls to Lowest Level in Years

[gbg3]

Wait a year before this could become relevant because right now it's not.

I agree it's too early to be very relevant but what makes the current GOP unpopularity even less relevant is that the Dem party unpopularity is even worse - so it's not like those who are unenthused with the GOP are thinking an answer to their lack of enthusiasm is the Dem party.

 

[Callen]

I agree it's too early to be very relevant but what makes the current GOP unpopularity even less relevant is that the Dem party unpopularity is even worse - so it's not like those who are unenthused with the GOP are thinking an answer to their lack of enthusiasm is the Dem party.

Not so sure about that. Dissatisfaction with the Dems is primarily with their own voters. Independents are seriously turning against the GOP and they are usually fairly reliable voters. As you would say .....it's a binary choice. The Generic Congressional Vote is moving steadily to the Dems.

 

[Peacenik]

I agree that what you propose SHOULD happen. But, reality says it won't. Not as long as the majority of citizens don't have a clue what gerrymandering really is, or don't give a rip, or don't vote.

Another possibility is that Republicans spread themselves too thin. To make Gerrymandering work, Republicans have to take voters from 'safe' districts and stick them in newly created districts. If they cut things too thin and lose the middle they actually risk losing some of their 'safe' seats The whole thing could backfire and hand Democrats more seats if polling continues to dislike where the economy, import taxes and product pricing are going. If the middle rejects what Republicans are doing under Trump and swings blue, Republicans playing with redistricting fire could get burned.

 

[gbg3]

Two things here:

1. Gerrymandering is dumb, regardless of which party does it. Politicians should not be the ones picking their voters when it should be the other way around. Turning otherwise competitive districts into shoe-ins for a particular party doesn't help governance in the long run.

Agreed about the "governance in the long run" part. I knew gerrymandering took place by both parties. But, until this situation, I had no idea how far the Dems had gone with it and how successful they've been. This situation with the Texas Dems has brought a big spotlight to the topic and people like me (who clearly hadn't paid enough attention) have learned a lot about where it's been rampant and out of control (like Illinois). This whole thing has been eye opening for me and my conclusion is the GOP has some serious catching up to do in order to make the situation fairer.

1. Texas is choosing to do this outside of the normal practice of gerrymandering districts after a 10 year census, which is for obvious political reasons that reveal their concerns about their chances in 2026. They're assuming losses in competitive districts and instead what to make them guaranteed wins.

Well, I think every incumbent Congress well understands their chance of losing their chamber's control is high, most especially when the margins are tight like they are now. Call that "concern" if you want. I'd simply call it logical and likely reality. I'm very pleased attention is being placed on this issue now that I understand how behind my party is and what gains they might achieve by catching up and addressing what Dems have been focused on with much more attention. I've said today and many times before - Dems have outdone the GOP with their focus on the long game (there are so many examples of this - like gerrymandering, opening the border to import future voters and significantly impact the census/House seat distribution/electoral college, and taking control of the education system at all levels to indoctrinate our youth).

If there's a position to take here, it's that gerrymandering is problematic for the first point I made. Now that we have states threatening to follow suit, things may continue to break down and not because one party is better than the other, but because one party fears the outcome of losing on ideas so they're trying to secure a win to not face the possibility of a loss.

I definitely think this has the chance of snowballing to include more states, both blue and red. Dems are making quite a scene in Texas over a potential 5 seats and I expect Dem states will redistrict in return, and then several more GOP states will too.

This is a bit off topic but overcounts and undercounts in the 2020 census were abundant. This is per the Post-Enumeration Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 12 states with overcounts or undercounts and 10 of those 12 benefited Dems. Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas were all undercounted, out of the 6 states undercounted. Then, 5 or the 6 overcounts were in Dem states (Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York). This situation impacted the distribution of House seats AND the Electoral College. If this situation would not have occurred, Dems would have lost about 9 seats in Congress (and the corresponding 9 electoral votes) and the GOP would have picked up these 9.

Anyway, it's about time the GOP give a heck of a lot more thought to their long game too and what they can do to "strengthen" their future political chances.

 

[Phys251]

LOL, Dems have been playing the long game for a long time. They've been far more savvy at this than the GOP has. We've been rookies in comparison.

Bullshit. The Repub party is infested with a bunch of aggressive bullies. It's long past time we fought back.

 

[Phys251]

Gerrymandering might just as easily backfire on Republicans. They have already gerrymandered as much as they dare, but Dysfunctional Donald is demanding more. To do that, they are going to have to spread themselves even thinner. Their margins of advantage in their "safe" districts will have to be smaller. Meanwhile, concern over the Epstein files is heating up. That could blow up and drive voters away from Republicans, leading to Republicans losing what they once thought were safe seats because they spread their margins too thin trying to get more seats.

Remember: Democrats got more votes in 2016 and in 2020. Trump was able to get more votes in 2024 due to a number of factors which may not exist in 26. Trump has lost popularity with many of the swing voters and minorities. If Republicans gamble too risky and spread their margins too thin trying to maximize seats, and those swing voters flip back to supporting Democrats without Trump even being on the ballot, this whole greedy plan of Trump's could backfire big time giving Democrats even more seats and more power.

Democrats need to present a better image, a better option than Republicans. They do not need to try to out-Republican Republicans. That is only going to make them appear as pathetic also-rans.

This redistricting plan of Trump's is driven by his fear of having the whole Esptein scandal exposed and elevated. It is not a calculated plan to take more power at all. It is a plan of desperation coming from the neurotic mind of a criminal trying to stay out of prison.

I support Democrats doing the right thing, not lowering themselves to the level of Republicans.

"When we go low, they go high" was destroyed on Election Night 2016. Stop trying to resurrect that zombie.

 

[Phys251]

There was a ton of gerrymandering going on after the 2020 census. Democrats gerrymandered the heck out of Illinois giving them a 14-3 advantage over the republicans, Maryland 8-1 over the republicans, New Jersey 9-3, Washington 8-2 not to mention California and New York. California and New York by the so-called independent commissions which are appointed by either the state legislature or governor. Lots of room for bias and a lot of bias there was. California 43-9 democrats over republicans and New York 19-7 democratic advantage. This doesn’t reflect the actual voter make up in those states, Trump received 44% of the vote in Illinois, Maryland 34%, New Jersey 46%, Washington 39%, California 39%, New York 44%. None of the congressional delegations come close to matching the voter make up of those states. The republicans did the same thing in the states that they could gerrymander. This is not and I repeat is not a condemnation of the democrats but pointing it out. All this gerrymandering was done immediately after the 2020 census, it’s to be expected and both parties do it wherever possible. Gerrymandering right after a census is normal partisan politics.

The condemnation comes in with Texas’s attempt at doing a mid-decade redistricting, gerrymandering. That is totally wrong. All districts should stand as is for the entire decade unless mandated by the courts to redraw them. The republicans are totally in the wrong here. One may use the word corrupt is one has a mind to. Trying to gerrymander the democrats out of existence is a bit hyperbolic considering the democrats tried to do the same to the republicans in the states I mentioned above plus some more. But in this political battle, Texas mid-decade re-districting, gerrymandering, I’m totally on the democrat’s side.

As for being bought and paid for, both major parties are.

See my above comment.

 

[gbg3]

Just want to add this about the 2020 census overcount and undercount problems I was just discussing. Not every article fully agrees about "12 states", but all include the states I listed. My info came from Mark Levin's charts on his show today.

Here is the Forbes (fall 2022) version of what I was discussing:

"After each census, the bureau conducts what is called the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) to get a handle on how well the actual counting went. For instance, it found no meaningful statistical discrepancies in the 2010 census.

However, the 2020 census looks to be one of the worst ever. It vastly overcounted the populations of certain states, mostly Democratic ones, and significantly undercounted other states, mostly Republican ones. Texas, for instance, may have had as many as 985,000 more people than the official count. New York, by contrast, received as many as 1 million extra people.

This affected the number of congressional seats certain states were allotted.

Texas and Florida should each have received an additional seat in the House. Rhode Island and Minnesota should each have lost a congressional seat—but didn’t. Colorado was given an additional seat it didn’t deserve.

This segment of What’s Ahead asks, how did this happen? And why hasn’t there been more of a ruckus, given the stakes involved, both in political power and in the distribution of federal dollars based on population?"

2020 Census Overcounted Democratic States, Undercounted GOP States

Can the U.S. Census Bureau relearn how to count people?

www.forbes.com

 

[Callen]

Ageed about the "governance in the long run" part. I knew gerrymandering took place by both parties. But, until this situation, I had no idea how far the Dems had gone with it and how successful they've been. This situation with the Texas Dems has brought a big spotlight to the topic and people like me (who clearly hadn't paid enough attention) have learned a lot about where it's been rampant and out of control (like Illinois). This whole thing has been eye opening for me and my conclusion is the GOP has some serious catching up to do in order to make the situation fairer.

It's clear the RW media machine is convincing the already convinced that Dems deserve this. However convincing the convinced will not move the barometer. It's all about justification just like they convinced themselves about Jan 6th....but it's only working with the base. Not with Dems or Independents.

 

[gbg3]

Bullshit. The Repub party is infested with a bunch of aggressive bullies. It's long past time we fought back.

Fight away. I think it's possible, even likely, the GOP has a lot more room to work with in terms of redistricting and your fight will likely cause a bigger loss that the 5 seats being discussed in Texas. Dems have already been very ambitious with redistricting. The GOP has fallen behind and now needs to catch up.

 

[Phys251]

Fight away. I think it's possible, even likely, the GOP has a lot more room to work with in terms of redistricting and your fight will likely cause a bigger loss that the 5 seats being discussed in Texas. Dems have already been very ambitious with redistricting. The GOP has fallen behind and now needs to catch up.

Your party started this latest fight. All that needed to happen was for Texas not to further gerrymander itself. How does it feel to finally see the Democrats showing a spine?

 

[Lycanthrope]

The Democratic Party is full of suck.

That said? **** the Trumplicans right in the ****ing ear. I'd sooner vote for the Green Party than Taco's coalition of cucks.

 

[Bullseye]

Republican popularity falls to lowest level in years

According to a new poll, the proportion of people who intend to vote for the Republican Party has declined.

www.newsweek.com

This is why Republicans in Texas are redrawing the state's district lines (gerrymandering) as I post this. States normally redraw their districts every 10 years after the US Census is complete. The next US Census is in 2030.

But if Texas Republicans can get away with doing it again now, in mid-decade, they can pick up another 5 House seats by gerrymandering just before the 2026 midterm elections.

The Republicans are cheating. Again.

Republicans are standing there waiting for Dems to answer the quorum call the Speaker called. Dems are the violators here.

 

[gbg3]

"When we go low, they go high" was destroyed on Election Night 2016. Stop trying to resurrect that zombie.

Lol, I think you reversed the positioning of where you wanted low and high to go in your quote above but, ironically, you ended up getting it right. Dems have been blowing us away with their, "go low" for the long-term, strategies. Time to do what is needed to make the playing field fairer. Dems sure haven't been interested in the "high" road.

 

[Callen]

Lol, I think you reversed the positioning of where you wanted low and high to go in your quote above but, ironically, you ended up getting it right. Dems have been blowing us away with their, "go low" for the long-term, strategies. Time to do what is needed to make the playing field fairer. Dems sure haven't been interested in the "high" road.

The GOP can try and spin this 6 ways from Sunday but they are preaching to the choir. No one else is listening.

Facts are Trump called Abbot and said find me 5 seats and unlike Kemp , Abbot said yes sir.

 

[Phys251]

Lol, I think you reversed the positioning of where you wanted low and high to go in your quote above but, ironically, you ended up getting it right. Dems have been blowing us away with their, "go low" for the long-term, strategies. Time to do what is needed to make the playing field fairer. Dems sure haven't been interested in the "high" road.

Your president is the most malicious, aggressive president of modern times, and your bootlicking party falls in line with whatever he does. As a bully, tRump takes very poorly to being stood up to, as the Texas Democrats are doing, which shows that this is the right thing for them to do!

 

[Peacenik]

"When we go low, they go high" was destroyed on Election Night 2016. Stop trying to resurrect that zombie.

I will never. The virtuous way is the correct way.

 

[Phys251]

I will never. The virtuous way is the correct way.

You want to bring a pillow to a gunfight. **** that. No more of this "when they go low, we go high" shit.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Well, the guy on the Epstein list is also the guy making sure you never see it.

 

[ElChupacabra]

Agreed about the "governance in the long run" part. I knew gerrymandering took place by both parties. But, until this situation, I had no idea how far the Dems had gone with it and how successful they've been. This situation with the Texas Dems has brought a big spotlight to the topic and people like me (who clearly hadn't paid enough attention) have learned a lot about where it's been rampant and out of control (like Illinois). This whole thing has been eye opening for me and my conclusion is the GOP has some serious catching up to do in order to make the situation fairer.

It would be off the mark to somehow think the Democrats were any worse than the GOP's been. What Texas is looking to do is next level dumb in what's already a dumb thing to allow politicians to do. To even frame this in the context of the GOP is ridiculous, unless one is looking to win a race to the bottom.

Well, I think every incumbent Congress well understands their chance of losing their chamber's control is high, most especially when the margins are tight like they are now. Call that "concern" if you want. I'd simply call it logical and likely reality. I'm very pleased attention is being placed on this issue now that I understand how behind my party is and what gains they might achieve by catching up and addressing what Dems have been focused on with much more attention. I've said today and many times before - Dems have outdone the GOP with their focus on the long game (there are so many examples of this - like gerrymandering, opening the border to import future voters and significantly impact the census/House seat distribution/electoral college, and taking control of the education system at all levels to indoctrinate our youth).

Race to the bottom it is then, especially if you think the GOP have to catch up. This confirms what I've suspected, and that is this country needs to learn some hard lessons because it's taken its stability for granted.

I definitely think this has the chance of snowballing to include more states, both blue and red. Dems are making quite a scene in Texas over a potential 5 seats and I expect Dem states will redistrict in return, and then several more GOP states will too.

This should be a point of concern for everyone because it's not just about 5 seats, but the redistricting as a purely political move. What's clear no is the partisanship that exists will continue to drive the two parties in a ridiculous zero sum game contest that will not end up well for either. I can't help but wonder what this will do to the growing number of voters that are ditching both parties because of this kind of nonsense.

This is a bit off topic but overcounts and undercounts in the 2020 census were abundant. This is per the Post-Enumeration Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 12 states with overcounts or undercounts and 10 of those 12 benefited Dems. Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas were all undercounted, out of the 6 states undercounted. Then, 5 or the 6 overcounts were in Dem states (Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York). This situation impacted the distribution of House seats AND the Electoral College. If this situation would not have occurred, Dems would have lost about 9 seats in Congress (and the corresponding 9 electoral votes) and the GOP would have picked up these 9.

Anyway, it's about time the GOP give a heck of a lot more thought to their long game too and what they can do to "strengthen" their future political chances.

You've clearly not been following what the GOP has been up to for the past few decades. What we're seeing now in various areas of government are the plans that were hatched decades ago and have been slowly coming to pass as different areas of GOP politicians and activist groups have been pushing for. Whether it was the defeat of Roe v. Wade to the continued efforts of setting up a unitary executive, this is the result of conservative groups working together to make these things happen by actions across government. Whether it be getting the right politicians to help confirm justices and block those of Democrats to the rush to get Federal judges appointed across the DOJ, none of this is some sudden decision. I'm truly surprised you think they haven't had a long game.

 

[Peacenik]

You want to bring a pillow to a gunfight. **** that. No more of this "when they go low, we go high" shit.

That's the problem with Trump. Badness is just as infectious as goodness. We mustn't lower ourselves. That is what they want. If this weakness is allowed, we have lost what we are fighting for. I am not ready to compromise ideals. I will never do that. You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.

 

[Peacenik]

You want to bring a pillow to a gunfight. **** that. No more of this "when they go low, we go high" shit.

If you can't forgive Trump then you can't think rationally about how to respond to his antics.

 

[Phys251]

If you can't forgive Trump then you can't think rationally about how to respond to his antics.

tRump does not deserve forgiveness. You want to enable him with forgiveness, that's on you. I will have no part of that.