by Frank James
The National Journal has a new poll of Washington “insiders” from both major parties– lawmakers, Capitol Hill aides and the like–which finds a large majority of them saying that both parties will benefit if President Bush continues to clash with congressional Democrats and vice versa. Download file
This is unwelcome news for the majority of Americans who repeatedly express exasperation with Washington’s hyper-partisanship.
Here’s how the National Journal put it in its press release:
When asked “In general, what’s better for your party politically: President Bush’s cooperating with congressional Democrats, or confronting them?” Political Insiders from both parties agreed that confrontation was better for them politically. 64 percent of Democratic Insiders responded that it is better for their party when the President is confronting Democrats in Congress, and 66 percent of Republican Insiders thought confrontation helped them politically. Only 30 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of Republicans thought cooperation was the better option.
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It’s generally true in national politics that nothing helps raise money for or mobilize the base of both parties as conflict and demonizing the other side, despite what Americans say about wanting the Washington lions to lay down with the lambs.
And the National Journal poll is just further confirmation that tendency isn’t likely to change over the next 18 months.
Even if a politician like Sen. Barack Obama, who has promised a new, less polarized politics, were able to win the Democratic presidential nomination, the political currents running against his vision of a less partisan politics would be very strong. In an interesting result, 61 percent of Democrats said recent Supreme Court decisions would motivate the Democratic base while only 18 percent of Republicans said it would motivate the Democratic base.
Assuming the Democratic insiders who were polled know their base better than the Republican insiders, it would suggest that there might be a little whistling past the graveyard on the part of Republicans.