# Do Republican voters actually like the behavior of their elected reps in Congress? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209 "2016-03-16T20:29:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/1 "2016-03-16T20:29:33Z")
Is the rabid “anything Obama does must be opposed” mindset actually come from the electorate? Are Republican voters genuinely behind the current position of automatically refusing to.approve any Suprene Court nominee? Or is it really just the politicians themselves, with most Republican voters unhappy with this bullshit? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/2 "2016-03-16T20:38:40Z")
According to the [CNN poll (not at the top, but near):](http://pollingreport.com/court.htm) 69% of Republicans think Obama should not appoint the new SCOTUS justice and, we should wait for the next president to do so. And 67% of Republicans think the Senate should hold hearings on Obama’s appointee. Makes perfect sense to me! 😃 Actually, it looks like they screwed up the numbers on the second question, since fewer Democrats than Republicans think the Senate should hold hearings. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/3 "2016-03-17T05:14:08Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Is the rabid “anything Obama does must be opposed” mindset actually come from the electorate? We oppose his policies and proposals because we think they’re wrong. Is that what you mean by “rabid”? Odd definition to use. > [@](#): > > Are Republican voters genuinely behind the current position of automatically refusing to.approve any Suprene Court nominee? Or is it really just the politicians themselves, with most Republican voters unhappy with this bullshit? It’s been all over the news that in 1992 then-Senator Biden said this: “It is my view that if the President [GHW Bush] goes the way of Presidents [Millard] Fillmore and [Andrew] Johnson, and presses an election year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over…” Is that also bullshit? If not, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/4 "2016-03-17T10:14:14Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Is that also bullshit? If not, why not? Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/5 "2016-03-17T12:28:55Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > 69% of Republicans think Obama should not appoint the new SCOTUS justice and, we should wait for the next president to do so. And 67% of Republicans think the Senate should hold hearings on Obama’s appointee. > > Makes perfect sense to me! 😃 > > . Makes sense to me, Since he has less than a year left, I could see letting the citizen’s current political mindset, be considered by allowing the next POTUS nominate, but if he decides ( which he has) to use his constitutional right to nominate, the I think the Senate should hold hearings and vote. So I do not see those two opinions being necessary contradictory to each other ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/6 "2016-03-17T13:35:35Z")
Joe Biden offered that they should ‘consider’ that they ought not seat a justice. So tell us, did they follow his advice? Did his party outright refuse to hold hearings? Announced in advance of any candidate being proffered? That is worlds away from, ‘no hearings, no how, no way’. Leaving the court with an empty seat for a year! Republicans really need to stop being so transparently disengenuous. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/7 "2016-03-17T16:09:57Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Joe Biden offered that they should ‘consider’ that they ought not seat a justice. So tell us, did they follow his advice? Did his party outright refuse to hold hearings? Announced in advance of any candidate being proffered? > > That is worlds away from, ‘no hearings, no how, no way’. Leaving the court with an empty seat for a year! > > Republicans really need to stop being so transparently disingenuous. Seems like they being perfectly genuous. You sound like you’d prefer them to be disingenuous rather than being open with their intentions. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/8 "2016-03-17T16:13:07Z")
I consider most Republikns the lesser of two evils. The pres had the right and duty to nominate a candidate. The Senate should consider his choice, but they still have the right to reject the candidate. so the pres needs to make a choice that is not extreme. If the senate does not even consider his choice then they are not doing their job and should be held accountable. Both parties making the claim that a sitting president should not nominate any candidate are so wrong that any Senator making that claim should be voted out of office. But the public has been too stupid in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/9 "2016-03-17T17:52:05Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > I consider most Republikns the lesser of two evils. > The pres had the right and duty to nominate a candidate. The Senate should consider his choice, but they still have the right to reject the candidate. so the pres needs to make a choice that is not extreme. > > If the senate does not even consider his choice then they are not doing their job and should be held accountable. > > Both parties making the claim that a sitting president should not nominate any candidate are so wrong that any Senator making that claim should be voted out of office. But the public has been too stupid in the past. This +1, pretty much down the line. It appears that Obama has decided that the GOP will either nominate Trump, in which case he will lose to Hillary and she can nominate the next Supreme Court justice, or there will be a nasty and divisive floor fight and the GOP will end up nominating someone sane and that will divide the party and whoever gets nominated will lose to Hillary and she will nominate someone anyway. The question is who will control the Senate. Obama would like to highlight the fact that the GOP will not consider his nominee, and hopefully make the GOP look bad in the eyes of moderates and the Dems will pick up seats or control the Senate outright. IOW Obama and the Dems have everything to gain and nothing to lose by nominating someone. If the Senate won’t even hold hearings, there will be no chance for the GOP to paint the nominee as an extremist. Of course, I didn’t think Trump would last beyond the first few primaries, so my predictions are worth as much as they usually are. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/10 "2016-03-17T18:08:31Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > We oppose his policies and proposals because we think they’re wrong. Is that what you mean by “rabid”? Odd definition to use. A while ago I watched a video with someone interviewing people on the street. First were a bunch of questions where the interviewer asked “What do you think about X?” where X were basically the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Everyone thought they were great ideas. Then, the last question was “What do you think of Obamacare?” and these same people railed against it. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/11 "2016-03-17T19:59:06Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > We oppose his policies and proposals because we think they’re wrong. Is that what you mean by “rabid”? Odd definition to use. > > It’s been all over the news that in 1992 then-Senator Biden said this: “It is my view that if the President [GHW Bush] goes the way of Presidents [Millard] Fillmore and [Andrew] Johnson, and presses an election year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over…” > > Is that also bullshit? If not, why not? Biden was simply talking about waiting until after the election, not until after a new president is inaugurated. It was also closer to the election then than it is now. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/12 "2016-03-17T20:10:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Seems like they being perfectly genuous. You sound like you’d prefer them to be disingenuous rather than being open with their intentions. Er, um, the disengenuous part is equating Biden’s ‘suggestion’ with the current denial of hearings. But you knew that, right? You’re just being…what’s the word…???😃 ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/13 "2016-03-17T20:30:01Z")
The title of the post is sure a lot more general than the body… For me personally, I think Republicans should play the current situation as a way to get a more moderate candidate. Actually blocking every single proposal though? I think that’s ridiculous. It’s especially ridiculous since I’m sure they will still try to obstruct Hillary’s nominations. But I know a lot of other Republicans who genuinely want to block everything and are quite happy with the Senate for proposing that. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/14 "2016-03-17T23:31:27Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > It’s been all over the news that in 1992 then-Senator Biden said this: “It is my view that if the President [GHW Bush] goes the way of Presidents [Millard] Fillmore and [Andrew] Johnson, and presses an election year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over…” > > Is that also bullshit? If not, why not? Taken out of context. Here’s the [continuation of that speech](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/us/politics/joe-biden-argued-for-delaying-supreme-court-picks-in-1992.html). He finishes with > [@Joe Biden](#): > > If the President consults and cooperates with the Senate, or moderates his selections absent consultation, then his nominees may enjoy my support as did Justices Kennedy and Souter. But if he does not, as is the President’s right, then I will oppose his future nominees, as is my right. What else you got? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/15 "2016-03-18T00:47:58Z")
> [@Lowdown](#): > > A while ago I watched a video with someone interviewing people on the street. First were a bunch of questions where the interviewer asked “What do you think about X?” where X were basically the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Everyone thought they were great ideas. Then, the last question was “What do you think of Obamacare?” and these same people railed against it. Harry Reid (D-Nev) said today: > [@](#): > > The roots of Trump’s rise, he said, can be found in the GOP determination to block Obama’s legislative agenda, starting with health-care reform but extending to financial reforms, the post-2008-crash stimulus, middle-class tax cuts and more. > > “Many of these ideas originated with Republicans and nearly all of them had previously enjoyed bipartisan support,” Reid said. “Yet one by one, they were rejected by \*\*Republican leaders \*\*who repeated the big lie: ‘If Obama supports it, it won’t help you.’ … On issue after issue, Republican leaders faced a choice: Help their constituents put food on the table, literally, or stick it to President Obama. Time after time, Republicans chose to stick it to President Obama instead of helping their own constituents.” My bold. ---
**Author:** ![jsquire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jsquire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsquire)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/16 "2016-03-18T00:55:06Z")
There are a lot of Republican voters and, as with any large group, it’s a mistake to assume they all think alike. I have no hard data to base my guesses on, just a general feeling from observing election results from the last 24 years, but I think those who both always vote and always vote Republican are the most dead-set against anything Obama proposes. To a lesser degree, they treated Clinton the same (see: impeachment hearings). Those who are open to at least thinking about voting for someone from the opposition party are less likely to want politics to devolve into the [Argument Clinic sketch](https://youtu.be/kQFKtI6gn9Y). ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/17 "2016-03-18T01:00:53Z")
Thank you, ThelmaLou… that’s what I was referring to, the court is just the latest in a depressingly long line of obstructions that are part of a larger “fuck Obama” POV that has little to do with actual policy disagreements, other than accidentally, and everything to do with their group decision to act like 4 year olds. And it just doesn’t seem that most sensible Americans (or as sensible as someone who votes for Republicans in the 21st Century can ever be…😃 ) would be on board with that. I’m a pretty committed liberal and I would be outraged if the Dems acted like the Republicans have acted during Obama’s time in office. (Actually, I consider Republicans to have gone off the rails during Bill’s term, and it’s only gotten worse.) So I just HOPE a good percentage of right-leaning folk are disgusted… ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/18 "2016-03-18T02:01:02Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Thank you, ThelmaLou… Here’s a [link](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/03/17/harry-reid-gop-leaders-are-responsible-for-trumps-rise/) to the whole article about Reid. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/19 "2016-03-18T02:14:53Z")
> **[Americans Think The GOP Should Give Obama's Nominee A Fair Hearing](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-nominee-poll_n_56e9724ce4b0b25c9183fd33)** > > But the GOP is not hearing them. it’s not split by party, but it summarizes a lot of polls. At the end it gives data showing these antics by the GOP may end up with them losing control of the presidency and congress. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209/20 "2016-03-18T02:35:44Z")
[E. J. Dionne today:](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gops-reaction-to-supreme-court-nominee-puts-gop-extremism-on-full-display/2016/03/16/4886ac60-ebab-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html) > [@](#): > > And members of an increasingly angry, old and overwhelmingly white Republican electorate have been told for seven years by their leaders (and sometimes by Rubio himself) that Obama is a radical trying to turn America into a foreign place. In large numbers, they heard what their party was saying and voted accordingly, for the candidate who most plainly echoes their extreme rage and alarm. > > Republican politicians are in no position to upbraid them now for how they are casting their ballots. The chickens have come home to roost. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-republican-voters-actually-like-the-behavior-of-their-elected-reps-in-congress/749209.md?page=2)