If Rasmussen is to be believed (they generally poll with a Conservative bias) then Democratic losses may not be as bad in 2010. While Teabaggers are united and loud they represent a relatively small percentage of the electorate though they represent a substantial portion of the GOP. Many are ashamed to be associated with this bunch as they are generally poorly informed and un-educated. Republican Liberals & Conservatives, it is time to step up. Your country needs you. The Right Wing is doing your party and country harm.
A new Rasmussen poll reveals what many have feared: given a choice, more people would vote for a Tea Party candidate than a Republican candidate.
In a national phone survey, Rasmussen asked, "Suppose the Tea Party organized itself as a political party. When thinking about the next election for Congress, would you vote for the Republican candidate from your district, the Democratic candidate from your district or the Tea Party candidate from your district?" The Democrats had the largest percentage of votes–36% percent–but a mythical Tea Party Party beat the Republicans by five points. More than 23 percernt gave their support to the Tea Partiers and only 18 percent were willing to commit to the GOP, leaving 22 percent of voters unsure.
Even more terrifying are this poll’s breakdowns: among people who consider themselves "unaffiliated" with either major party, a third (33 percent) would back an organized Tea Party Party, 30 percent are undecided, 25 percent would vote Democrat and only 12% would vote Republican. Republican respondents went 39 percent Republican– but 33 percent would vote for Tea. The Tea Party "movement" has a 70 percent favorable rating among Republicans and 43 percent favorable rating among the unaffiliated.
Rasmussen concludes:
For this survey, the respondents were asked to assume that the Tea Party movement organized as a new political party. In practical terms, it is unlikely that a true third-party option would perform as well as the polling data indicates. The rules of the election process—written by Republicans and Democrats–provide substantial advantages for the two established major parties. The more conventional route in the United States is for a potential third-party force to overtake one of the existing parties.
It’s that last part that is significant. Radical third parties traditionally garner mainstream political power once an existing party co-opts their positions–not when they get one person elected to Congress. The Republican Party has been feeling pressure to embrace the teabaggers and their ideological positions.
Remember the Scozzafava mess in upstate New York? There a mainstream Republican candidate essentially pulled out of a congressional race after she was labeled "too liberal" and conservative support went a third candidate, Doug Hoffman. Scozzafava ended up endorsing the Democrat, who ultimately won. [CONTINUED]
Katharine Trendacosta: GOP Trails Teabagger Party In New Poll – Politics – Air America