Wow, this is rather stunning news. From Rasmussen:
Running under the Tea Party brand may be better in congressional races than being a Republican.
In a three-way Generic Ballot test, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds Democrats attracting 36% of the vote. The Tea Party candidate picks up 23%, and Republicans finish third at 18%. Another 22% are undecided.
There seems like there are warning signs here for everyone. Let’s take a look at them.
The GOP
For the GOP the news could not be grimmer. A non-existent “Tea Party” Party cleans its clock in a generic match up. What is worse, even amongst registered Republicans, the Tea Party holds its own:
Among Republican voters, 39% say they’d vote for the GOP candidate, but 33% favor the Tea Party option.
What the GOP needs to understand is that its base is almost capable of striking out on its own. If the GOP is not careful, the Tea Party movement could grow to the point where it could wipe out the GOP all together.
What the GOP needs to do is to abandon this foolish notion of moving to the center and get back to its conservative roots. Should the GOP learn to sing the Tea Party song, it will able to easily overcome the Democrats.
The Democrats
While many Democrats look at these numbers and think bring on the Tea Party, they should think again. More people favor Republicans and Tea Partiers than the Democrat brand. Worse yet, the poll finds that independents are feeling the Tea Party movement too:
Among voters not affiliated with either major party, the Tea Party comes out on top. Thirty-three percent (33%) prefer the Tea Party candidate, and 30% are undecided. Twenty-five percent (25%) would vote for a Democrat, and just 12% prefer the GOP.
The tax and spend big government solutions the Democrats are pushing is very unpopular with the electorate. Should/ when the Tea Party and GOP align, the Democrats could be staring at landslide loses.
The Tea Party
While the numbers are impressive, the truth is now is not the time for a third party. Democrats will win in a three-way race. In order for the Tea Party to prevail too many things would need to be accomplished (start the party, find a leader, slay the GOP) and time is running out. It would be far better to use our influence to bend the GOP to our will than to strike out on our own. However after 2012, all bets are off and the GOP had better mind its P’s and Q’s.
What is also interesting to note, is that it seems like now more than ever a presidential candidate running as an independent, could stand a real chance of winning. I have often said that a presidential candidate could emerge from the Tea Party movement and this poll seems to indicate that one could be accepted.
Via: Memeorandum
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