Split in the GOP: Liberal Republicans Are Unhappy with the Party’s Rightwing

When the Bush-Cheney-Rove juggernaut was at full force, the splinter groups within the GOP were held together by their fear of reprisal and retribution from the White House. Now that the public has gotten wise to the Bush team’s flimflaming of America, the Republicans in Congress are coming undone:

In an August Washington Post-ABC News poll, a solid 85 percent of GOP moderates approved of the job George W. Bush was doing as president, including 60 percent who “strongly approved.” By early November, overall support had dropped 24 points among moderates, and only 30 percent remained strong backers. In contrast, overall support among Republican conservatives has held steady.

It’s not just Bush who is getting lackluster reviews. While 74 percent of conservatives say Republicans in Congress are doing a good job, backing falls to 54 percent among GOP moderates, down 22 points from early summer. About one-third of moderates say their party’s leadership is taking them in the wrong direction.

One potential wedge is the role of conservative religious groups in determining the party’s agenda. In the most recent Post-ABC News poll, 44 percent of GOP moderates said that conservative religious groups have “too much influence” in the Bush administration, compared with 17 percent who thought those groups didn’t hold enough sway. About a third saw religious conservatives as appropriately influential.