On Friday, Gallup released a poll gauging Americans’ views of the Senate deal passed last week to avert the “fiscal cliff.” Overall, Americans are mixed on the deal, with 45% disapproving and 43% approving. Among Republican voters, though, the verdict is overwhelmingly negative. 65% of Republican voters disapprove of the plan, against just 27% who support it. It’s the opening salvo in the 2014 primaries.
The Senate deal, negotiated by GOP Leader McConnell and VP Biden, gave the government $620 Billion in new tax revenue and delayed, for two months, the automatic spending cuts enacted with the debt ceiling increase in 2011. The deal passed the House narrowly, due to strong support from Democrats. House Republicans voted 2-1 against the measure. Their opposition mirrors, almost perfectly, the reaction of the party base.
The deal agreed to last week is just the opening act in a drama set to play out over the coming weeks. Next up is a fight to increase the debt ceiling and debate over next year’s budget, or continuing resolution. The Republicans secured no real spending cuts in the “cliff” deal. If they again fail to win any real spending cuts in the coming rounds, the mood of the GOP electorate will sour even more.
The political futures of many GOP members may be decided by March.