Over the past several weeks, Republican aides in Congress have planted a number of stories attacking the Heritage Foundation, Heritage Action for America, and the Senate Conservatives Fund — three groups closely associated with former Senator Jim DeMint.

DeMint started the Senate Conservatives Fund. He’s now President of the Heritage Foundation. Heritage Action for America is an offshoot of Heritage. The reason Republicans have been attacking Jim DeMint, and with him the men he championed before leaving the Senate — Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul — is because of the very well orchestrated “DefundIt” campaign.

Led by Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, conservatives have rallied to the idea of defunding Obamacare. According to CNN, Obamacare’s popularity has fallen to 39%. Jim DeMint has gone around the country leading massive town halls to encourage defunding Obamacare.

Over the August recess period, the DeMint-Cruz-Lee voice has been the most dominate voice of the Republican Party in the media. The DeMint-Cruz-Lee voice has been used for their cause and against their cause. But it has been them the American people are hearing as the voice and seeing as the face of the Republican Party.

Now comes a new Wall Street Journal poll.

The Republican Party is gaining a public-opinion edge on several key issues ahead of the 2014 elections, as Americans question President Barack Obama’s leadership on Syria and worry about the country’s overall direction, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows.

Republicans are now rated higher than Democrats on handling the economy and foreign policy, and the GOP’s lead has strengthened on several other issues, including dealing with the federal deficit and ensuring a strong national defense.

The public heard John Boehner come out swinging in support of bombing Syria. The public never heard from Mitch McConnell who had to wait for polling and public opinion to become clear. But for more than a week, the public has heard clearly from Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

On the economy, it’s been Mike Lee and Ted Cruz. On Obamacare, it’s been Lee, Cruz, Paul, DeMint, and Congressmen Meadows and Graves of Georgia.

These are the people who’ve filled the August vacuum — not Boehner, not Cantor, not McConnell. And what has happened during that time?

The Republican Party is gaining a public-opinion edge on several key issues ahead of the 2014 elections, as Americans question President Barack Obama’s leadership on Syria and worry about the country’s overall direction, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows.

Republicans are now rated higher than Democrats on handling the economy and foreign policy, and the GOP’s lead has strengthened on several other issues, including dealing with the federal deficit and ensuring a strong national defense.

Republicans remain deeply unpopular. With Mitch McConnell and John Boehner in charge, how could they not? But as Barack Obama’s popularity crumbles, the voices resonating with the public from the right are the voices who would not be on the national stage but for Jim DeMint.