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- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's star is rising, as she was seated in two highly-coveted committees.
- Sen. Rick Scott stances on Social Security and Medicare have suddenly gained more attention.
- But Greene polls poorly, as do Scott's positions. Dems will likely weaponize that ahead of 2024.
Two years after being stripped of all committee assignments, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene carefully rebranded her image in an attempt to gain trust and power within the Republican Party.
It worked: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rewarded her with prized committee assignments. But that could come back to haunt Republicans as Democrats increasingly try to paint her as one of the faces of the party.
Greene's polling isn't ideal for her or the GOP
According to polling in January by YouGov, Greene was more often than not deemed as "unfavorable" among all respondents.
The second-term Republican polled even worse among self-identified Independents — a group Republicans need to sway to stay in power — 37% said they viewed her as "unfavorable" compared to the 25% who favored her.
And while Greene is likely to be a thorn in the Democratic Party's side in committee hearings for years to come, Democrats will likely use her negative favorability in polling to their advantage, just as they're currently doing now with Sen. Rick Scott.
The Scott plan
In 2022, while the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Scott unveiled his "plan to rescue America," which in part requires the government to sunset all federal legislation every five years as "if a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again."
Scott's plan to sunset federal legislation every five years also notably includes sunsetting Social Security and Medicare, a deeply unpopular idea.
According to a January 2023 YouGov poll, 70% of respondents — including 69% of independents — said they were against slashing spending on Medicare and Social Security.
And while many Republicans came out against the plan, Democrats — especially President Joe Biden — have used it as a cudgel against the GOP. While at the 2023 State of the Union, for example, Biden made a point of mentioning Scott's plan.
"Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years," Biden said. "That means if Congress doesn't vote to keep them, those programs will go away."
Republicans in the audience immediately became irate, repudiating Biden's claim.
"Liar," Greene yelled at Biden. "You lie!"
According to the Washington Post, Biden later called out both Greene and Scott by name at a speech in Florida on Thursday, referencing her outburst and his plan.
Reuters/Colin Hackley
Democrats also drew upon Scott's plan during the 2022 midterm elections, pulling out specific promises within it to spook Independent voters to the left.
And while Democrats lost control of the House, they lost far fewer seats than expected, partly due to utilizing Scott's messaging against the GOP.
Democrats can use Greene to their advantage
Now as Greene continues to gain power and authority in the GOP and Congress, Democrats have the opportunity to use her own actions and words against the GOP as a whole.
There's a variety of ideas espoused by Greene that Democrats can — and likely will — use against the GOP, such as her fierce views against the transgender community, election denialism, and anti-Ukraine sentiments.
There's the possibility that giving Greene larger platform could backfire on Democrats. She holds a powerful seat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee where she's already laid out her plans to zero in on everything to do with President Joe Biden.,
"Joe Biden, be prepared," Greene said in January. "We are going to uncover every corrupt business dealing, every foreign entanglement, every abuse of power, and every check cut for The Big Guy."
But as she continues to poll poorly — along with many of her views going against the national consensus — it's the perfect time for Democrats to make her the face of the GOP.