A poll of 508 persons attending the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. found that Republicans experienced significant defeats in the 2006 elections because of illegal corruption; conservative leaders who kept silent while the Republican Party embraced Big Government; and President George W. Bush.
The poll, sponsored by ConservativesBetrayed.com, asked each person to identify 10 choices, out of 31 individuals, factors, or groups, that caused Republicans to lose control of the House and Senate.
The top three results:
79.5% selected illegal corruption (such as Mark Foley, Robert Ney, and Jack Abramoff)
69.9% chose conservative leaders who kept quiet while the GOP pursued liberal policies;
52.4% designated President Bush
The other Top 10 choices included:
4. Mainstream media that may have influenced voters 52.2%
5. Legal corruption (such as “earmarks” and special interest legislation 50.2%
6. Blunders by Republican candidates 47.6%
7. Conservative media that kept silent while the Republicans became the party of Big Government 45.5%
8. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld 35.6%
9. Neocons in the Bush Administration 30.7%
10. Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay 26.4%
Additional persons or factors receiving significant votes were big business lobbyists 25.2%; Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), promoter of the Bridge to Nowhere, 24.4%; Vice President Dick Cheney 22.0%; and Michael Brown, former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 19.9%.
These results were similar, but not identical, to a recent on-line poll at ConservativesBetrayed.com.
Richard A. Viguerie, author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause, said the results of both polls point to the need to re-launch the conservative movement.
ConservativesBetrayed.com conducted additional polls during CPAC and the results will be released as soon as the ballots are tabulated.