Goddard: GOP Losing August

Taegan Goddard posts on The Week that though President Obama's approval numbers have dropped this month, Congressional Republicans are doing even worse.

A new Gallup poll finds the summer has once again not been kind to President Obama, with his approval rate dipping yet again. In fact, August has historically been the worst month for his approval rating throughout his presidency. But there's a big difference this year: Republicans have had a worse summer.

GOP strategist Mike Murphy elegantly summed up the problem: "The party is acting as if the entire world is a GOP primary. That is a very dangerous way to operate. We have massive image problems with the greater electorate, and the silly antics of the purist wing are making our dire problems even worse."

Exactly.  The Republicans' problem is that they are hostage to their base which polls show is moving further right.  Their greatest political vulnerability in safe, gerrymandered GOP districts is a primary challenge from their right. As Murphy notes the survival requirements in today's GOP alienate the rest of the electorate.