US Chamber’s Bruce Josten: Tea Party Could Marginalize Republican Candidates in Mid-Terms
Bruce Josten, executive vice president for Government Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, made a return appearance on Neal Asbury’s “Truth for America.” Josten characterized this upcoming election as “the most unpredictable in modern history. We have an angry electorate that doesn’t feel good about this country. They are rightfully concerned about the past two years,” said Josten.
Josten proposed that the public disapproves of the health plan and they recognize that the recovery plan has failed to create jobs. This disapproval is reflected in some data from recent Pew Polls that found that when asked if the government was trying to do too much, the results came back 48% to 48%. When asked if both parties should work more closely together to create solutions only 42% thought it was good idea. But most damning for Obama is that only 18% of respondents have confidence and trust the way the federal government is being run.
Josten anticipates that the Republicans will take back the House, because “they have the wind at their backs.”
He is watching with dismay the way Democrats are ignoring the Obama health plan as they campaign. “It’s very unusual for incumbents not to run on their record. But they are watching Obama’s approval numbers, which are hovering at 45 percent, which is really the ‘Danger Zone,’” said Josten. But he noted that Reagan’s approvals fell below 45 percent during his mid-terms.
Josten believes that this will be a “Wave Election,” like 1994, and that even incumbent Republicans will be in trouble, especially those who approved appropriations. “Spending is not popular.”
Josten agrees that Republicans are being pushed by Tea Party activists, and they could marginalize regular Republicans. He is having a hard time, like most pundits, predicting election results, but momentum is driving the election and will help Republicans all through the ticket.
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Given the comments by Sara Palin over the last few weeks or the lack of comments, I believe she is now considered to be a great liability to the Republican Party as well as the Tea Party. Her comment about blood libel and her reference to her lack of knowledge about it was refuted when she said “I know what it means.” Her loss of civility and disrespect for those who do know what it means is reprehensible. The kind way to have dealt with this issue was to apologize to those people she hurt. Her knowledge of government is limited. I do believe she is a liability. If the Republican party thinks she’s a candidate, I can only think of one person who thinks she is neat and that is Glenn Beck. Mr. Boehner needs to deal with this woman in a firm manner.