Republican Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rob Portman of Ohio have decided that hanging with the extremists is the way to go on the Supreme Court, each of them parroting Mitch McConnell's line that this president should not be allowed a nomination. According to new polling from PPP, those are not popular positions among the general electorate back home.
-Strong majorities of voters—58/35 in Ohio and 57/40 in Pennsylvania—think that the vacant seat on the Supreme Court should be filled this year. What’s particularly noteworthy about those numbers—and concerning for Portman and Toomey—is how emphatic the support for approving a replacement is among independent voters. In Ohio they think a new Justice should be named this year 70/24 and in Pennsylvania it’s 60/37. Those independent voters are going to make the difference in these tight Senate races, and they have no tolerance for obstructionism on the vacancy.
-Voters are particularly angry about Senators taking the stance that they’re not going to approve anyone before even knowing who President Obama decides to put forward. By a 76/20 spread in Pennsylvania and a 74/18 one in Ohio, voters think the Senate should wait to see who is nominated to the Court before deciding whether or not to confirm that person. Toomey and Portman are out of line even with their own party base on that one—Republicans in Pennsylvania think 67/27 and in Ohio think 63/32 that the Senate should at least give President Obama’s choice a chance before deciding whether or not to confirm them.
Both senators are already underwater with voters: Only 29 percent approval for Toomey, and 30 percent for Portman. Lining up with McConnell isn't going to help them one bit—the Senate leader "has a 13/56 approval rating in Pennsylvania, and a 14/57 one in Ohio." Ouch. That's flirting with approval numbers that mirror those of the GOP House of Representatives. And it's totally deserved.
The Supreme Court seems to really resonate with these voters. In each state, 52 percent of voters say they'll be less likely to vote for the incumbent if they continue to refuse to confirm a replacement, no matter who it is. Self-declared independent voters show how dangerous this position is for them: 59 percent of independents say it makes them less likely to vote for Portman, 55 percent for Toomey.
Toomey's position is particularly questionable given that he squeaked past the primary filing deadline without an opponent. But he can't throw off those old Club for Growth ties, or the fact that he really is an extremist, so easily. So he's showing his true colors here. Portman does have a challenge from the right, but the primary is just three weeks away and challenger Don Eckhart isn't likely to be able to mount a really serious push in that timeframe. But the Ohio senator apparently doesn't want to take any chances there.
Which goes back to the key point highlighted by the GOP's response to Scalia's death: There are no more "moderate" Republicans, no more "principled" GOP lawmakers whose first duty is public service. They are all Donald Trump now.
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