Republican Leadership Survey - This Says Lots About Why I will Vote Republican Without Becoming a Republican

Have you ever suspected that Republican leadership is out of touch with Republican voters? Here is the evidence!

The Esquire Survey of America's Republican Elite
Promised anonymity, 75 Republican-party leaders respond to questions about Glenn Beck, a flat tax, who should run in 2012, their favorite Democrat, and much more


About the Survey: With midterm primary season officially under way, we've been hearing a lot of talk lately about what it means to be a real Republican. So what's the consensus? Beats us. That's why we asked seventy-five leaders of the GOP — current and former members of Congress, former Cabinet officials, state elected officials, county party chairmen, and GOP bigwigs from across the country — to fill out a short anonymous survey about policy, politics, and personalities. From Bush being right on Iraq and Obama being a socialist to their thoughts on immigration and gay marriage, they give us a view of the party that's both predictable and surprising. See for yourself.

1. The state of the Republican Party is:

13% Great. Things were tough, but we're back and as strong as the Democrats in most parts of the country.

61% Solid. We're a unified party and we've got a few image problems that we could work on, but our fundamental beliefs are as strong and relevant as ever.

22% Shaky. It's not just image problems — we're losing ground with key constituencies (Hispanics, women, younger voters), and we need to make some adjustments to the party platform.

4% Terrible. We've got problems with the party — big ones — and we need to have a major reassessment of what we should stand for in the twenty-first century.

2. Which of the following statements best describes your essential philosophy as a Republican?

75% You're a fiscal conservative: You believe, above all, that the primary emphasis of the party should be on lower taxes, free markets, and limited government regulation.

8% You're a social conservative: You believe, above all, in defending traditional values.

6% You're a national-security conservative: You believe the Republican party is, above all, the party of national defense.

11% You're a libertarian: You believe, above all, that government should just leave hardworking people alone.

3. In the elections this fall, what is the one topic that members of the Republican Party should spend the most time talking about?

7% Lowering taxes

1% Strengthening national security

55% Shrinking government

1% Protecting traditional values

35% None of the above/other

Notable write-ins: Job creation, job creation, job creation.

Click here for in-depth survey results >>

4. Whom would you most like to see at the top of the ticket in the 2012 elections?

12% Former governor Sarah Palin

13% Governor Tim Pawlenty

31% Former governor Mitt Romney

8% Former governor Mike Huckabee

36% None of the above/Other

Notable Write-ins: Ron Paul, David Petraeus, Haley Barbour, Mitch Daniels (twice).

5. You've been given the opportunity to nominate the Republican of the Year — a person whose values best reflect your Republican Party. Whom would you choose?

7% Senator Mitch McConnell

11% Representative John Boehner

11% Former vice-president Dick Cheney

8% Rush Limbaugh

64% None of the above/Other

Notable write-ins: John McCain (three times), Sarah Palin (four times), Newt Gingrich (twice), Tom Coburn (twice), Governor Bob McDonnell (twice), Tom Ridge, Eric Cantor, Charlie Crist, "I am offended by these choices."

6. You've been given the opportunity to kick one person out of the party--his or her values simply aren't compatible with the Republican Party as you see it. Whom would you choose?

30% Senator Olympia Snowe

7% Representative Michele Bachmann

15% Colin Powell

12% Glenn Beck

37% None of the above/Other

Notable write-ins: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve King, "We need to grow our tent, not shrink it."

7. Which of the following do you believe to be the number-one threat to America's national security?

45% A nuclear Iran or North Korea

4% A revitalized Russia

35% Violent nonstate actors (i.e., terrorists, pirates, drug traffickers)

16% An ascendant China

8. If you could poach one player from the other team, which of the following Democrats would make a useful addition to the Republican Party?

34% Warren Buffett

0% David Axelrod

5% Hillary Clinton

5% Oprah Winfrey

55% No, thanks. You can keep 'em.

9. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck have become controversial figures in our national dialogue. In your opinion, they should:

71% Keep talking. They're speaking for millions of Americans who feel frustrated with the government's current policies.

23% Tone it down a little. They're smart entertainers, but some of their rhetoric risks alienating moderate and independent voters.

6% Shut up. They don't speak for mainstream Republicans, and they're scaring people.

10. Michael Steele's chairmanship of the Republican Party has been:

17% A success.

55% Pretty good, with a few rough patches.

8% A disaster, but what did you expect? He got dealt a bad hand.

4% A disaster. The guy is inept.

16% None of the above.

11. In a poll released by Public Policy Polling in early August, just 32 percent of Republicans in Virginia believe that Barack Obama was born in the United States. How would you characterize the role of the so-called "birthers" in the Republican Party?

2% They're the base.

87% They're the fringe.

12%They're the mainstream.

12. Who was the better president?

53% George H. W. Bush

47% George W. Bush

13. Do you consider Barack Obama a socialist?

78% Yes

22% No

Click here for in-depth survey results >>

14. Given what you've seen so far, do you consider Barack Obama to be a better or worse president than Bill Clinton?

1% Better.

70% Worse.

29% Obama may be the worst president we've ever had.

15. Do you believe that the fight against gay marriage should be among the highest priorities of the Republican Party?

31% Yes. It's a critical issue and we must remain vigilant in defending traditional values and practices.

69% No. It's a distraction from more important conversations we should be having about national security and fiscal responsibility.

16. Do you agree that the United States should commit as many troops and resources as necessary to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan?

78% Yes

23% No

17. Do you agree that America has the right to impose its will on sovereign countries when its interests are concerned?

59% Yes

42% No

18. Do you agree that a flat tax on all Americans would be the best way to reform the federal tax code?

65% Yes

35% No

19. Would you, under any circumstances, support a tax increase on any or all Americans over the next twelve months?

4% Yes

96% No

Click here for in-depth survey results >>

20. Would you support temporary work programs and other methods of "earned legalization" for illegal immigrants?

52% Yes

48% No

21. Which of the following best describes President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003?

71% The right decision.

29% The wrong decision.

22. Would you consider supporting a pro-choice candidate in a local, state, or national election?

67% Yes

33% No

23. Do you believe that climate change is man-made?

17% Yes

83% No

24. Describe your preferred makeup of the Republican membership of Congress:

57% More moderates with a larger but more ideologically diverse caucus.

43% Fewer moderates with a smaller but more ideologically consistent caucus.

25. When it comes to its racial and ethnic makeup, the Republican Party is:

33% More diverse than the mainstream media gives it credit for.

31% Not diverse enough. We could do more to appeal to certain racial and ethnic demographics.

36% Who cares? People are people. Let's leave identity politics to the Democrats.

So What’s the consensus?

Based on our survey, conducted over the course of six weeks last fall and administered with a guarantee of anonymity to all participants, three out of four leaders of the Republican Party consider Barack Obama to be a socialist. More than one in four consider him the worst president of all time. Sixty-seven percent would consider supporting a pro-choice candidate. Seventy-one percent think W. made the right call in Iraq. No one really likes taxes or the birthers. And a lot of people like Mitt Romney.

Click here for in-depth survey results >>

With reporting by Allie Townsend and Mark Mikin. Because of rounding, not all percentages add up to 100.


Find this article at: http://www.esquire.com/features/complete-republican-party-survey-0310