Congressional Republicans are increasingly concerned about the bickering among GOP presidential candidates and their failure to stay on message about job creation, which many in the party consider the key to victory in next year’s elections.
According to a report in the
Chicago Tribune Thursday, House Republicans are especially concerned given their low approval ratings in recent opinion polls and the fact that their own efforts to unite behind a common jobs theme has failed to catch on with the public.
It doesn’t help to watch the presidential candidates attack one another in the debates, several GOP lawmakers told the Tribune. They are concerned that if the infighting continues, it could hurt Republicans efforts overall to make their priorities clear.
“When I watch it, I wish I could sit them all down and say, ‘You need to go watch a video of yourselves. This is not persuasive. It’s not going to help us win,’” Rep. Trey Gowdy told the Tribune. What he’s seen so far hasn’t moved the South Carolina freshman to endorse anyone in his state’s upcoming primary.
Even House Speaker John Boehner is concerned.
In a recent interview with the National Review Online, the speaker said the challenge for Republicans is to make sure the American people understand that Republicans do have a job creation plan. David Winston, a Boehner adviser, reiterated the point in the Tribune article.
“
The challenge for the Republican presidential field is to stay on topic, to let the No. 1 issue be the No. 1 issue,” he said.
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