This Divided State - Or Divided Party?

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Pew Research just released two minor surveys documenting the divisions within US politics; one about the views on poverty and income inequality, and the other about the public perception of the Republican and Democratic parties.



Here it is interesting to note that Republicans are not only considered to be significantly less willing to work with the other party (by a 25 percentage point margin) by the US public; there are also deep divisions within the GOP about major policy issues.

On an issue like tax increases for the wealthy, moderate Republicans actually agree more with moderate Democrats than with Conservative Republicans (by an 11 percentage point margin). And on the issue of aid to the poor, moderate Republicans are as far away from Conservative Republicans as from Moderate Democrats (23 percentage points margin each).

Conversely, there appears to be much greater party cohesion within the Democratic party.

Sources:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/20 ... the-aisle/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/20 ... democrats/

Now, in a multi-party system, such deep internal disagreement on core economic issues in the voter base of a party would likely quickly split the party in two, but this is easier said than done with the US electoral system.

So it will be interesting to see exactly *how* the GOP will deal with the forces tearing it apart from within. Those of you in the front row will get wet...

WHAT republican moderates? they were all driven out by the tea party takeover.