Q: What impact will the tea party movement have on GOP prospects in the midterm elections?

Democrats (93 votes)

Help a lot      16 percent
Help a little   31 percent
Hurt a little   39 percent
Hurt a lot      11 percent
No impact        1 percent

Also receiving votes: Depends on states, additional factors, 2 percent.

Help a lot

"They are fired up and showing up. No matter how flawed their thinking or their candidates might be, they are voting for them in record numbers."

"Tea party helps a lot in the short term. It is providing the energy and resources necessary to make this a wave election."

"They are scary and polarizing. They will be a problem in 2012, but they are the GOP's spark in 2010."

Help a little

"It's a mixed bag. Some of the candidates are scary and unknown, but you cannot deny the party's enthusiasm."

"Overall probably helps, but at this stage it has hurt in some of the Senate races by nominating Republicans who are having a harder time winning."

"The tea party will help a lot as long as they can identify with more than just the right-wing nuts in the GOP. To do this they must stop the name-calling and keep to core issues."

Hurt a little

"In some races there may be a Ross Perot effect, resulting in a win for a Democrat when Republicans split the vote between GOP and tea party candidates."

"The tea party is currently a distraction to any Republican message. If the fringe elements are the news, the Republicans won't be able to take full advantage of their opportunity this year."

"Might hurt a little to the extent that it creates dissension within Republican ranks and maybe gives lethargic Democratic base a reason to turn out."

"The GOP base is already fired up, but the antics of the tea party are beginning to embarrass moderate GOP voters."

"Thank God for Nevada's tea party."

Hurt a lot

"The tea party is having its party now. When the counterargument is made, the party will look very odd."

Q: What impact will the tea party movement have on GOP prospects in the midterm elections?

Republicans (95 votes)

Help a lot      45 percent
Help a little   41 percent
Hurt a little    9 percent
Hurt a lot       1 percent
No impact        3 percent

Also receiving votes: Helps and hurts, 1 percent.

Help a lot

"The tea party is driving the dynamic -- may be bad in some places, but the bottom line is, they are angry and they are voting."

"Yes, they've nominated some wacky candidates. But their intensity will help Republicans across the board, wacky and non-wacky alike."

"Tea party is forcing the GOP to shape up, return to core principles."

"The tea party is very energized, and [they] are not the whack jobs the media wants to pretend they are. Their energy is invigorating the party, which was written off just a year ago."

"Motivated voters are better than depressed voters. We can worry about re-electing this [freshman Senate] class in six years."

Help a little

"In some places it kills us, in others it puts us over; but overall we are better off with it."

"That is the net-net of increased passion versus pressure causing internal problems."

"Helps with driving the base enthusiasm level, but hurts by giving up weaker candidates like Sharron Angle."

"Adds sizable energy, but distracts and also nominates weaker candidates."

Hurt a little

"It adds an extra variable that we can't anticipate or control. For the Democrats, it's a break wall against the tsunami."

"The nut cases will cost us a half dozen otherwise winnable House seats."

Hurt a lot

"The tea party movement is drowning out voices of moderation in the Republican Party."

No impact

"This election is about the incumbent party, and that is the Democrats."

Q: Politically, what's the best outcome for your party on the Bush tax cuts?

Democrats (94 votes)

They are extended for everyone
  before the election                     10 percent
They are extended before the 
  election only for those families 
  earning less than $250,000              59 percent 
They are temporarily extended before 
  the election for one year for everyone  23 percent 
The issue gets set aside for a lame-duck
session of Congress to consider            9 percent

Extended for everyone

"If we can't actually coordinate a consistent and resonating message around why they economically make no sense now and are in fact detrimental, we have to leave them alone."

"It's bad public policy, but it's a good political outcome."

Extended for families earning less than $250,000

"If Democrats take a stand, they can win this argument. Tax cuts for the wealthy are also one of the worst stimulus options out there."

"It is a good debate to have just before the election: Force the R's to embrace tax breaks for the wealthy and Wall Street big shots."

"Only by reminding people who is on their side and who is on the side of the wealthy do we have a fighting chance to rally our base."

"This is what Obama ran on. Stick with it. Argue that he is a deficit hawk."

"Any other option wouldn't play well with Dem voters."

Temporarily extended for everyone

"Takes the political heat off and sets the stage for a major compromise in the next Congress."

"Despite repeated efforts to make the distinction between tax cuts for the rich and the rest of America, Democrats have failed to make the case on the basis of fairness or deficit reduction and have been hung with the 'tax increase' label. No reason to think we'd succeed in the next month when we've failed for years in the past."

"The base won't like it, but it is the best among a series of bad options."

Set aside for a lame-duck session

"We need to stay focused on using the September session for creating jobs, not raising taxes."

"One of a growing list of topics it would be best for Democrats to avoid in the next two months."

Q: Politically, what's the best outcome for your party on the Bush tax cuts?

Republicans (95 votes)

They are extended for everyone
  before the election                     19 percent
They are extended before the 
  election only for those families 
  earning less than $250,000               7 percent 
They are temporarily extended before
the election for one year for everyone    12 percent 
The issue gets set aside for a lame-duck
session of Congress to consider           59 percent

Also receiving votes: Tax cuts are not extended, 2 percent; any of the above, 1 percent.

Extended for everyone

"The GOP will be seen as spearheading a victory for economic revival."

"Good policy is always good politics. And if it is a Republican policy that a Democrat president has to be on the record supporting, then it reinforces that we have ideas and takes away Dem's 'Party of No' mantra."

Extended for families earning less than $250,000

"Raising taxes by billions of dollars, even on 'the rich,' will reinforce the narrative that Democrats cannot stop punishing the private-sector economy."

Temporarily extended for everyone

"A temporary extension takes the populist heat out of the 'tax cuts for the rich' argument for the Democrats."

"Lets the voters know that if they do not change the Congress, the taxes will rise. This gives the relief folks need but keeps the threat alive."

Set aside for a lame-duck session

"No action will frustrate supporters and opponents of extending the tax cuts. It will fire up conservatives while further depressing liberals."

"Bad for America, but good for Republicans heading into November, as the D's seem out of touch."

"Best action for Republicans is for Democrats to punt on the issue, do nothing, and leave it on the table for us to use as a political issue."

"More evidence of the lethargy of this administration in the face of problems they do not understand."

"Allows Republicans to remind voters before the election about the big tax increase that is on its way, so it is no longer the Bush tax cuts but the Obama tax increases."

"We need to keep this issue on the table."

National Journal Insiders

Democratic Political Insiders Jill Alper, John Anzalone, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Matt Bennett, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Stephanie Bosh, Paul Brathwaite, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Deb Callahan, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Guy Cecil, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Larry Cohen, Jerry Crawford, Stephanie Cutter, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Howard Dean, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, David Di Martino, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Patrick Dorton, Pat Dujakovich, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Eric Eve, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Jim Fleischmann, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Don Fowler, Vincent Frillici, Gina Glantz, Niles Godes, John Michael Gonzalez, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Larry Grisolano, Michael Gronstal, Lisa Grove, Marcia Hale, Jill Hanauer, Dick Harpootlian, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Mike Henry, Karen Hicks, Leo Hindery Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Lisa Kountoupes, Kam Kuwata, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Penny Lee, Chris Lehane, Jeff Link, Bill Lynch, Bob Maloney, Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Keith Mason, Terry McAuliffe, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O'Donnell, Scott Parven, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, Tony Podesta, Jack Quinn, Larry Rasky, Bruce Reed, Mame Reiley, Steve Ricchetti, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, John Ryan, Michael Sargeant, Wendy Sherman, Terry Shumaker, Sean Sinclair, Phil Singer, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Greg Speed, Darry Sragow, Ken Strasma, Sarah Swisher, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Rick Wiener, Bridgette Williams, James Williams, JoDee Winterhof, Brian Wolff, Jon Youngdahl, and Jim Zogby.

GOP Political Insiders Dan Allen, Stan Anderson, Gary Andres, Saulius (Saul) Anuzis, Whit Ayres, Brett Bader, Mitch Bainwol, Gary Bauer, David Beckwith, Clark Benson, Wayne Berman, Brian Bieron, Charlie Black, Kirk Blalock, Carmine Boal, Jeff Boeyink, Ron Bonjean, Jeff Buley, Luke Byars, Nick Calio, Al Cardenas, Danny Carroll, Ron Christie, Jim Cicconi, Rob Collins, Cesar Conda, Jake Corman, Scott Cottington, Charlie Crist, Greg Crist, Diane Crookham-Johnson, Fergus Cullen, Tom Davis, Mike Dennehy, Ken Duberstein, Steve Duprey, Debi Durham, Sara Fagen, Frank Fahrenkopf, John Feehery, Don Fierce, Mindy Finn, Mindy Fletcher, Carl Forti, Alex Gage, Sam Geduldig, Adam Geller, Benjamin Ginsberg, David Girard-diCarlo, Bill Greener, Jonathan Grella, Lanny Griffith, Janet Mullins Grissom, Doug Gross, Todd Harris, Steve Hart, Christopher Healy, Ralph Hellmann, Chris Henick, Terry Holt, David Iannelli, Barry Jackson, Clark Judge, David Keating, David Kensinger, Bruce Keough, Bob Kjellander, Ed Kutler, Chris Lacivita, Jim Lake, Steve Lombardo, Kevin Madden, Joel Maiola, Gary Maloney, David Marin, Mary Matalin, Dan Mattoon, Brian McCormack, Mark McKinnon, Kyle McSlarrow, Ken Mehlman, Jim Merrill, Tim Morrison, Mike Murphy, Phil Musser, Ron Nehring, Terry Nelson, Neil Newhouse, David Norcross, Ziad Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Todd Olsen, Connie Partoyan, Dana Perino, Van B. Poole, Tom Rath, Scott Reed, David Rehr, Tom Reynolds, Steve Roberts, Jason Roe, David Roederer, Dan Schnur, Russ Schriefer, Rich Schwarm, Brent Seaborn, Rick Shelby, Andrew Shore, Kevin Shuvalov, Don Sipple, Fred Steeper, Bob Stevenson, Eric Tanenblatt, Richard Temple, Heath Thompson, Jay Timmons, Warren Tompkins, Ted Van Der Meid, Dirk van Dongen, Jan van Lohuizen, Stewart Verdery, Dick Wadhams, John Weaver, Lezlee Westine, Dave Winston, Ginny Wolfe, and Fred Wszolek.