CBS News polled Republicans to see how they feel about the House Republican caucus voting Rep. Liz Cheney out of her leadership position. This is what they learned:
Eighty percent of Republicans who'd heard about the vote agree with Cheney's removal — they feel she was off-message, unsupportive of Mr. Trump, and that she's wrong about the 2020 presidential election.
Those Republicans opposed to her removal — just a fifth of the party right now — say it's mainly because there's room for different views in the party, not all need support Mr. Trump and this was a distraction. But when we look down the line to any potential electoral impact, theirs might be even more limited: this group is also less likely to report voting in Republican primaries.
Around 80% agree with Trump's positions on immigration, economic issues, leadership and how to treat the media. Somewhat fewer, 66% believe loyalty to Trump is important. As we've argued before, Trump's positions on issues are more important to voters than the man himself.
The loyalty Trump engenders arises from him being the first Republican in modern memory to vigorously espouse that particular constellation of issues which focus on the needs and well-being of workaday American citizens. He is a populist, and I argue that is the basis of loyalty to him.
Afterthought: Politics is basically systematized self-interest, with a few safeguards.
