Gallup: “The Gallup Economic Confidence Index averaged -19 in September, up from -27 in August and nearly matching the -17 seen in May, the highest monthly reading since the start of Gallup Daily tracking in 2008.”
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds the Democratic party is vastly popular than the Republican Party. 49% have a favorable opinion of the Party, while 42% have an unfavorable opinion. The Republican Party? Their numbers are in 2006 disaster territory. Only 39% approve, while 53% disapprove.
While that is bad enough, it gets worse for the GOP:
Fully 60 percent of moderates view the GOP in a negative light, including 33 percent who view it very unfavorably. By contrast, just 11 percent of moderates see the Republican Party in a “strongly favorable” light.
And while Republicans used to be able to draw from moderate and conservative Democrats — once referred to as “Reagan Democrats” — today just 11 percent of those voters have a positive view of the GOP.
Even traditional GOP constituencies have dimming views of the party. Only about two-thirds of conservatives and tea party supporters have a positive impression of a party they vote for almost universally.
All of which tells use one thing: The Republican Party’s brand continues to be, as former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) said in the runup to the 2008 election, “dog food.” In fact, the GOP brand is actually worse than it was four years ago, with most of the numbers above falling by between five and 10 points over the last four years.
As to Romney: It’s a mark of the fundamental vapidity of his campaign that his people think he can win with mere zingers. That isn’t Romney’s problem. His problem is that people don’t see any authenticity to the man, and basically (and perhaps, ergo) don’t like the person they see. They should be using this debate as a way to address those two deficits. Zingers won’t do that. I’d also bet you dollars to doughnuts that these zingers are written to please the right-wingers watching. That is his same-old problem, thinking that if he’s winning over the right, he’s winning over America.
And that is why he fails. (using my best Yoda voice).