The Fat Lady Is Warming Up

If it ain’t over until the fat lady sings, this Washington Post article may be an indication that she’s getting the pipes loosened up. Generally an article like this would have quotes from some mid-to-low-level GOP congressman (someone from the at-large seat in North Dakota, for instance) bemoaning the downfall of the GOP while all the top brass cheerily whistles past the graveyard.

Not this time…

“If you are a Democrat, you have to like the atmosphere,” said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.).

“It is unquestionably closer than we would like,” said Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.).

These two guys aren’t lightweights. Granted the article pulled two quotes that may well not be representative of their larger comments. Either or both of these guys could have said, “We’re going to hang on,” but the reporters left it out because it doesn’t fit with the storyline.

I suspect, however, that the quotes above are actually about the most positive things they could say about the current environment. With two new polls out (USA Today/Gallup and ABC News/WaPo) showing the GOP getting its ass handed to it.

Most polling shows a drop in support among conservatives and independents, but I’d really like to see the conservative universe broken down by fiscals and socials. I don’t think we’re going to lose a lot of social conservatives because they don’t, strictly speaking, have a lot of hope getting the Democrats to pass socially conservative legislation.

Fiscal conservatives, however, now appear to have equally dismal options for getting fiscally conservative policies out of either party. I suspect that’s where we’re bleeding support, but the timing of the Foley things gives us a convenient out to blame the social wing.

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