Yet the GOP’s single-minded focus on Obama could backfire if voters blame them for bashing the president instead of producing their own legislative agenda. And when asked, none of the Republican leaders bring up the budget deficit or $17 trillion-plus national debt, although fears over out-of-control government spending helped ignite the tea party movement in 2010.

On Tuesday, POLITICO asked several of the Republican Party’s top leaders how they see 2014 shaping up — and the answer was remarkably consistent.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said that Republicans’ main reason for coming to work each day on Capitol Hill is to “try to respond to the hurt being caused by Obama’s policies.” …

“I think this election … it’s about two issues,” Boehner said. “It’s going to be about the issue of jobs. And when you look at it, the American people have a right to continue to ask the question, where are the jobs? The president’s been in office now for over five years. It’s time for the president to admit that his policies are not working. In addition to that, and also part of that, is the issue of Obamacare. Obamacare is part of the ‘no jobs’ problem.”