A pox on both their houses

How dissatisfied are Republicans with their party? How divided are they? These questions, much in the news of late, are key to whether a new Speaker of the House, such as Paul Ryan, can succeed. But they are only one element in a long-running story of deep dissatisfaction with Washington and with both political parties.

A poll this week from CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation provides some evidence. Fifty-two percent nationally were angry at the way both the Democratic and Republican parties were handling the country’s problems. Just 26 percent said they weren’t angry. Of the remainder, more were angry at Republicans (14 percent) than Democrats (7 percent). Sixty-two percent of independents were angry at both parties, as were 60 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Tea Party supporters. By comparison, 32 percent of Democrats were angry at both parties, and 37 percent of Democrats were angry only at the GOP.  Read more