Arguments are still flying back and fourth in Washington between the President and the GOP about what is the best way to avoid the fiscal cliff. The GOP is showing signs of cracks within their ranks and may be forced to give into the Presidents demands, to help the longevity of the party.

Polls have begun to suggest that the American people are starting to blame Republicans for the stall in solving this problem. In a new Washington-Post ABC Poll it seems almost necessary for the GOP to give in. According to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza the poll has found:

- Two-thirds of those polled disapprove of how Republican Congressional leaders are handing the fiscal cliff negotiations while just 26 percent approve. In contrast to President Obama’s 47 percent approve and 45 percent disapproval rating when it comes to handling the cliff talks.

– On each of the five issues tested in the poll, Obama has leads ranging from four to 26 points over Congressional Republicans on which side people trust more to do a better job. That includes an 18-point Obama lead on handling the economy and a 26-point Obama lead on protecting the middle class.

– Of those polled 47 percent said that Congressional Republicans would be more to blame if the country went over the fiscal cliff while 31 percent said they would blame President Obama more.

Thanks again to the Washington Post for those numbers.

The Republican Party is going through a time of change. After having to face election results, and the consequences of a few of their colleagues statements it is easy to say the party is going through a bit of a branding issue. They are currently facing a crisis in how to convince the pubic in the rightness of their argument, when most constituents downright don’t trust them.

Like the one above, several polls show that if America were to go over the fiscal cliff a majority of the public would blame the GOP. So Majority House leader John Boehner is in a tough spot, does he allow his party to back down and give up the arguments they have fought so bitterly to hold up, or does he continue to fight the President and send his country and party over a cliff that will be extremely hard to recover from.

Republican strategists are starting to see the benefit of saving the fight for another day when they are standing on better political ground with the American people. This doesn’t mean the party has to completely back down to the President, but it does mean that they need to give a little to be able to move forward to an answer. Only the coming days will tell what move they will make.

-Jerred McKee

Sources-
Cillizza, Chris. “Why Republicans Badly Need a Deal on the Fiscal Cliff.” The Fix. The Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2012. Web.