



I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but — oh, who am I kidding? I love beating this particular dead horse. Today’s ABC/Washington Post poll is the worst horror show yet for the Republican Party. Of the respondents:

81 percent disapprove of the government shutdown.

53 percent think Republicans are solely to blame (compared to only 29 percent blaming Obama).

77 percent believe that Republicans only care about doing what’s best for themselves, not what’s best for the country.

These numbers are way, way higher than just the ordinary partisan divide. Ted Cruz and his fellow tea partiers have done tremendous damage to the Republican Party brand. If I were sociopathic and didn’t care about my country, it would almost be enough to make me hope that they do it again a little closer to Election Day.