IS THE BLOOM OFF THE GOP ROSE? – AT 8:33 A.M. ET:  One of the problems of being elected is that you have to do stuff, and some of the people don't like some of the stuff...inevitably.  Speaker Boehner, who has done a credible job since taking over in January, is suffering the effects of incumbency.  From The Politico:

House Speaker John Boehner has become less popular with Americans across the political spectrum since taking the gavel in January.

A USA Today/Gallup Poll released Wednesday showed that 56 percent of Republicans view him favorably, down from 65 percent in January.

Among independents, his net favorable ratings are down a whopping 27 percentage points. About 29 percent of independents said they hold a favorable view of the speaker.

And 46 percent of Democrats find him unfavorable, up from 34 percent.

“The Speaker is focused on the big challenges facing our country — and, thus far, the Democrats who still run Washington seem more focused on partisan attacks that real solutions,” Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel said in response to the numbers.

In the first four months of his term as speaker of the House, the Ohio Republican has been through several epic battles, including a number of short-term government funding measures, extending the Patriot Act and shepherding through a controversial 2012 spending blueprint.

Overall, the poll said that Boehner’s favorable/unfavorable ratings are identical: 34 percent of Americans see him favorably, and 34 see him unfavorably. In January — the last time Gallup polled — 42 percent of people saw him favorably, nearly double the 22 who had the opposite view.

COMMENT:  Some of this goes with the territory.  However, and this must be said, Republicans who take delight in Obama's falling numbers should understand that the GOP isn't exactly basking in public love.  The Republicans are allowing the Democrats to define them as the party of wealth, coldness, kookiness, and indifference to seniors, minorities, kittens and everything good. 

The drop in Boehner's standing among independents is instructive.  Obama has suffered the same kind of drop.  Remember that "independents" have no party loyalty, and are often the most cantankerous and disgruntled of voters.  When they turn against Obama we cheer, and hope that it will tip a future election.  But they turn against our side just as often.

April 28, 2011