Pollsters: Republicans Will Lose Senate If They Block Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee

[KamaAina]

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/2016/02/23/pollsters-republicans-will-lose-senate-if-they-block-obamas-supreme-court-nominee-2/

As news breaks that every member of the Republican Senate Judiciary Committee has refused to even hold a hearing to consider whoever President Obama chooses fill the Supreme Court Justice seat that is now vacant with the death of Antonin Scalia, a new poll from Public Policy Polling shows that Americans are furious at their Congress for refusing to fulfill their Constitutional duties and ensure that the highest court of the land is fully staffed.

Strong majorities of voters- 58/35 in Ohio and 57/40 in Pennsylvania- think that the vacant seat on the Supreme Court should be filled this year. What’s particularly noteworthy about those numbers- and concerning for [Sen. Rob] Portman and [Sen. Pat] Toomey- is how emphatic the support for approving a replacement is among independent voters. In Ohio they think a new Justice should be named this year 70/24 and in Pennsylvania it’s 60/37. Those independent voters are going to make the difference in these tight Senate races, and they have no tolerance for obstructionism on the vacancy.

More importantly, it appears that the American people are particularly incensed at the Republican establishment’s refusal to even consider the President’s nominee. Respondents in both states overwhelmingly believe that the Senate should at least wait for the White House to make a proposal and give him or her the proper consideration that such a serious matter entails – by a 76/20 spread in Pennsylvania and 74/18 one in Ohio. Over 50% of those polled in both states said they would be less likely to re-elect those Senators if they fail to confirm a nominee this year.

The Republican Party has entirely given up on any pretense at governance or giving any regard to what the citizens they ostensibly represent think about them or their behavior. Wearing their historically awful 11% approval rating as a badge of pride, it is now more clear than ever that the only way to punish these obstructionist ideologues is to vote them out of office. The Rachel Maddow Blog made an interesting observation today about the way Republican voters enable their elected officials to such inappropriate behavior by never responding to their dangerous antics:

[sharp_stick]

1. I think there's a good chance of that happening

Right now we're still in the playing games stage of the confirmation process where everyone tries to stake out the best position they can. The pukes are yammering about not even meeting with a nominee and the dems are saying that one is on the way no matter what they say.

My guess as to the outcome

I'm still "somewhat" confident that eventually they'll play ball in the hopes of getting a nominee that isn't totally opposite from what they want. Over time, if Trump or Cruz becomes the GOP nominee I think we can plan on having a pretty quick confirmation process because they will be really nervous about both the Presidency and Senate, they'll want to cut their loses.

[underpants]

2. The Repubs once again are caught between their PR and reality.

If these polls hold true.

What they are ignoring is that almost every President gets a bit of an end-of-term popularity bump. Well, except W of course. They are going to make this stand against a rising tide.

[unblock]

3. i'm amazed at the crassness of their p.r. strategy.

not the fact that they'll be obstructionists, but that they're announcing it up front. they're supposed to be, you know, politicians and be able to *say* they're going to be cooperative and give any nominee a fair hearing and *then* find a million ways to stall and delay and refuse to confirm.

[BlueCaliDem]

4. They will lose the Senate this year, regardless. They need to defend 24 seats of which 18 are

very vulnerable. Even the racist-base can't save them. In fact, they're helping Democrats.

GOPlifer, Chris Ladd wrote about the vulnerability of the GOP's rightward lurch back in 2014, and how that will hurt the Republican Party:

[center][font color="red" size="5"]The missing story of the 2014 election[/font][/center]
By Chris Ladd on November 10, 2014 at 6:00 AM

Few things are as dangerous to a long term strategy as a short-term victory. Republicans this week scored the kind of win that sets one up for spectacular, catastrophic failure and no one is talking about it.

What emerges from the numbers is the continuation of a trend that has been in place for almost two decades. Once again, Republicans are disappearing from the competitive landscape at the national level across the most heavily populated sections of the country while intensifying their hold on a declining electoral bloc of aging, white, rural voters. The 2014 election not only continued that doomed pattern, it doubled down on it. As a result, it became apparent from the numbers last week that no Republican candidate has a credible shot at the White House in 2016, and the chance of the GOP holding the Senate for longer than two years is precisely zero.

For Republicans looking for ways that the party can once again take the lead in building a nationally relevant governing agenda, the 2014 election is a prelude to a disaster. Understanding this trend begins with a stark graphic.

Behold the Blue Wall:


Read more: http://blog.chron.com/goplifer/2014/11/the-missing-story-of-the-2014-election/#28114101=0

[Blasphemer]

7. Thanks for the repost....

The GOP is in deep trouble and they continue to make it worse for themselves.

[BlueCaliDem]

8. You're welcome, Blasphemer.

Yes, they're destroying themselves from the inside-out.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. Works for me.

Then President Sanders can appoint someone with a Democratic Senate to pass his nominee.

[Dawgs]

6. No they won't.

They will keep it...easily.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. Please proceed.....

[Brother Buzz]

10. What a revolting development this is!