Surprise! The American Mainstream Is Not Where the GOP Wants It to Be

For the better part of the year, congressional Republicans were able to argue, accurately, that Americans opposed raising the debt ceiling. It was arguably the only honest claim the GOP made in this debate: poll after poll showed public opposition to doing the right thing.

There was ample evidence that the public had no idea what the debt ceiling is, or what the consequences would be if it weren't raised, but at least on the surface, far-right Republicans could credibly claim some public backing for their reckless tack. Read more