On Saturday, Spencer reported on the results Rasmussen poll earlier this month, surveying how voters are likely to perceive the Jan. 6 selection committee. A 49 percent of respondents support the committee, while 66 percent think Congress should investigate last summer’s violent protests. But it’s not just about that one poll. The Morning Consult/POLITICO poll it also shows that support for the commission is falling among voters. A poll was also conducted in June to assess voters’ attitudes toward the commission.
Support is at 58 percent, up from 66 percent last month. In a Morning Consult article, Eli Yokley credits Republicans and Independents for this shift, while Democratic support remains statistically unchanged at 82 percent in June and 83 percent in July.
That Democrats would be so supportive is not surprising. But the sinking support from Republicans and Independents is still notable.
Independent support has fallen by double digits, and undecided support has risen by double digits. In June, 65 percent approved, 12 percent undecided, and 22 percent opposed. Now, 52 percent oppose, a whopping 22 percent undecided, and 26 percent opposed.
In June, Republicans’ majority support of 45 percent was within the margin of error, compared to 43 percent who disapproved. Thirteen percent were undecided. That said, 68 percent of Republicans in June agreed with the statement that “too much attention has been paid to the events of January 6 at the US Capitol.”
In July, a majority of Republicans, 52 percent, oppose the commission. Thirty-four percent oppose it and 14 percent are undecided.
Perhaps most importantly, when it comes to how Republican voters feel, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is meeting the expectations of his constituents.
As Yokley admits:
The survey was conducted after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he would not appoint any Republicans to the selection committee after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat Republicans Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio because of their past statements and actions. The California Democrat responded by appointing Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to join her other Republican nominee, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, in an effort to strengthen the group’s bipartisanship.
McCarthy’s actions – combined with the attitude of the Republican Party electorate – (*6*)mirror previous Morning Consult poll which showed more Republican voters want to disassociate their party from the insurrection and move on. At the time of the survey in June, 68 percent of Republican voters said too much attention had been paid to the events of Jan. 6, compared with 23 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of independents who agreed.
Republicans have stuck to a unified message, denying votes to members like Banks and Jordan; Nancy Pelosi only allows a narrative that fits her agenda to exist and will not accept any “tough questions.”
Rep. Banks made this argument on “Fox News Sunday,” which I wrote about here.
