Who’s the bigger drag? Pelosi or the Republican Brand?

This week, the GOP uncorked another attack on Democrat Bill Owens tying him to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Their logic is obvious:

1. Pelosi leads the Democrats in the House, so electing Owens will empower Pelosi. On a lot of votes, Owens will be obligated to follow her lead. Fair enough.

2. Pelosi is very unpopular. Just 37% of Americans view her positively, compared with 55% who view her negatively.

But there’s a twist here, one that Republicans don’t mention.

The GOP’s own House minority leader, John Boehner, is even less popular than Pelosi, clocking in at just 13%.

He’s the guy who would be Dede Scozzafava’s boss, if she’s elected.

According to the DailyKos poll (paid for by a liberal group but widely respected as accurate) the GOP as a whole has unfavourability ratings of 67%.

That’s 12 points worse than Pelosi’s.

And those numbers are from a national survey. Here in the Northeast, I’m betting the tilt away from the GOP is even more stark.

Indeed, polling last week by Siena Research Institute showed that here in the 23rd district, President Obama is still viewed favorably by 56% of voters.

That group includes well over a third of Republicans.

All of this matters because it highlights the dilemma for Republican Dede Scozzafava.

According to Steven Greenberg, with the Siena Research Institute, her TV ads are actually turning people off.

“By a margin of 28-12 percent,” he reported, “those who’ve seen Scozzafava’s commercials say those commercials make them less likely to support her.”

With two weeks to go, Scozzafava remains the politician in this race with the highest favorable rating (37%).

But her personal popularity may not be enough, given the GOP’s tarnished brand.