The Hoffman Effect Rolls On

A new CNN poll shows that 51% of Republicans would rather see a ideologically pure candidate nominated than a winning one.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey's release on Tuesday comes just two weeks after internal party divisions led to the GOP loss of a seat in the House of Representatives that it had held since the 19th century.

The poll indicates that a slight majority, 51 percent, of Republicans would prefer to see the GOP in their area nominate candidates who agree with them on all the major the issues even if they have a poor chance of beating the Democratic candidate. Forty-three percent of Republicans say they would rather have candidates with whom they don't agree on all the important issues but who can beat the Democrats.

Democrats polled seemed to place a slightly higher priority on electoral victory: 58 percent say that they would like their party to nominate candidates who can beat Republicans, even if they don't agree with those candidates on all the issues. Fewer than 4 in 10 Democrats say they would rather see their party nominate candidates who agree with them on all major issues, but have a poor chance of beating the Republican candidate.

"One reason for the difference between the parties: the Democrats have a relatively even split on ideological grounds. Thirty-four percent of Democrats are liberal, 40 percent are moderates and less than one in four call themselves conservatives," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

By contrast, 73 percent of Republicans questioned in the poll say they are conservatives, with only 26 percent describing themselves as liberal or moderate Republicans.

And why not?  The GOP is in some ways more effective in controlling Washington as the minority Party of No then when they were in charge.  They can't dictate the narrative, but they remain united across the board in opposing any legislation the Democrats try to pass, and they are choosing to filibuster everything, always.  Everything now has a 60 vote threshold to pass.

By becoming 100% partisan, the GOP can prevent anything from passing by peeling off even one Democrat.  They win by doing nothing and it's clear their backers would rather see that happen than to see a handful of Republicans cross the line and engage in bipartisanship.

If you understand only one thing about the Republican party in 2009, it's that they believe Democrats are the enemy, and that they must be destroyed.