Republicans have reacted angrily in recent days to what they assert is a blatant effort by Democrats to capitalize on the confusion.
Other Republicans in the crowd reacted with a similar level of what psychologists would call compartmentalization.
Why haven't the Republicans reacted with outrage?
Republicans in Congress reacted positively to the appointment but with barely stifled yawns.
For most of the 20th century, Republicans reacted with horror at the thought of a significant federal role in education.
Republicans reacted by gathering signatures to recall senate Democrats.
Republicans react with glee to the Democrats' nervousness over 1994.
And both Republicans and conservative Democrats have reacted to news of his budget plans by criticizing him for cutting too little.
Republicans reacted with fury to the decision and showed no sign of even preparing to give up.
The Republicans, who now maintain that they never intended to repeal all of the tax increase, only about a quarter, reacted with sputtering outrage.