From Washington Straight / John Mclaughlin Iran And The Gop

The House-Senate committee investigating the Iran affair convenes on May 5, ending more than two months of relative Washington reticence on the controversy. Even optimistic Reaganites admit that this revelationless reprieve has been the eye of the storm. Much has already been said about how Iran affects key players, like the President himself and the various 1988 GOP candidates, notably George Bush. But what about Iran’s “macro” political impact? How does it affect the Republican Party in general?

“Unfortunately,” says a pollster for the White House, “the news is horrible. We see lowered enthusiasm for the GOP across the board, with Iran the controlling factor. April ’87 is centuries away from October ’86.” The loss of support for the GOP is already disturbingly reflected in the widening party-identification gap—the number of voters adrift between the two parties—with most undecideds now leaning Democratic. White males especially are moving leftward.

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The House-Senate committee investigating the Iran affair convenes on May 5, ending more than two months of relative Washington reticence on the controversy. Even optimistic Reaganites admit that this revelationless reprieve has been the eye of the storm. Much has already been said about how Iran affects key players, like the President himself and the various 1988 GOP candidates, notably George Bush. But what about Iran’s “macro” political impact? How does it affect the Republican Party in general?

“Unfortunately,” says a pollster for the White House, “the news is horrible. We see lowered enthusiasm for the GOP across the board, with Iran the controlling factor. April ’87 is centuries away from October ’86.” The loss of support for the GOP is already disturbingly reflected in the widening party-identification gap—the number of voters adrift between the two parties—with most undecideds now leaning Democratic. White males especially are moving leftward.