The Sound You Hear is the Drowning of the GOP

While it's not the most surprising of news, it's certainly worth mentioning because it only confirms what most of us believe - the Republican Party is losing members, and fast. Gee, how could it ever happen!?

The Pew Research Center has the latest numbers. Janet Hook from the LA Times has the story. While you should definitely check out both the study findings and the article, here's a couple choice favorites from the newspaper -

The survey, by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center for People and the Press, found a "dramatic shift" in political party identification since 2002, when Republicans and Democrats were at rough parity. Now, half of those surveyed identified with or leaned toward Democrats, while only 35% aligned with Republicans.

What's more, the survey found the public attitudes are drifting toward Democrats' values: Support for government aid to the disadvantaged has grown since the mid-1990s, skepticism about the use of military force has increased and support for traditional family values has edged down.

Those findings suggest that Republicans' political challenges reach beyond the unpopularity of the war in Iraq and Bush.

"Iraq has played a large part; the pushback on the Republican Party has to do with Bush, but there are other things going on here that Republicans will have to contend with," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. "There is a difference in the landscape."

-snip-

"This is the beginning of a Democratic opportunity," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "The question is whether we blow it or not."

It turns out that Michigan isn't the only place where you can find a bunch of Naysayers...

Whit Ayres, a GOP pollster, said he believed the Pew poll exaggerates his party's problems and that the situation will improve as attention shifts to choosing Bush's successor.

"Once we have new nominees to redefine the Republican and Democratic party in 2008, then we will have a far more level playing field than we have today," Ayres said.

Oh that's right. That definitely explains why Bush is facing numbers (between 34 and 39%, depending on who you ask) not seen since Hoover's term. Remember hearing about the mass shanty-towns going up all over the country affectionately called Hoovervilles? Shrub and his cult of not-so-merry men are definitely working their way there.

Here's one more tidbit to satisfy your appetite till you link over to the article, and trust me, you'll want too!

Republicans seem to be paying a price for a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the state of the country during the Bush years. Three out of 10 people said they were satisfied with the way things are going in the country--a 25-point drop in the last seven years.

While Republicans rode to political power calling for smaller government, support for government action to help the disadvantaged has risen since the GOP took control of Congress in 1994. Back then, 57% believed the government had a responsibility to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves; now 69% believe that.

This is good news. Now, we need to mobilize ourselves, go back to school, and figure out how to continue to give everyday Americans a reason to say "Look what the Democrats have done for me."

What have you done for your community/state/country today?