The main concern for CCHQ is how much these underlying attitudes are contributing to their declining poll lead over Labour (7 points according to this ComRes poll - and similar in other recent polls). There's no real way of telling, but I suspect the issue of clarity will be having a major effect. From being on the right side of Brown's self-defeating investment vs cuts dividing line, only a few weeks ago, the Tories have now muddied the issue (and Labour have played catch-up) until there's hardly any clear, blue water between the parties at all. In the scope of their spending cuts, in the nature of their tax hikes, and even, now, in their language, there are all too many similarities between Labour and the Tories.
This situation is pretty astonishing when you consider how Labour have managed the economy and our public finances. But it isn't necessarily a permanent one. George Osborne is giving a speech today with the explicit aim of clarifying Tory economic policy, and we know his team have some radical ideas in the locker. So the differences may emerge with the "fine print" that Cameron has promised. In the meantime, they're relying, more than anything, on the public's dissatisfaction with Brown.