As I have stated before, I agree with all the objectives of Cut, Cap and Balance and this poll indicates that the People do well. The Republicans have just positioned this poorly and their PR has failed them. There is hardly a scintilla of difference in the policy result between my Reasonable Budget and Cut, Cap and Balance. As this poll shows, the policy is right they just have to tweak the packaging. A slight change in the package right now could result in a change in perception and a victory on the policy.
A few of the interesting poll results.
- 36% OPPOSE raising the debt ceiling even if Congress takes action to reduce spending!!
- 45% FAVOR raising the debt ceiling ONLY IF Congress takes action to reduce the amount the government owes by trillions of dollars
- IN SUMMARY, 81% are firmly behind very dramatic action for change in Washington's deficit spending.
- 64% would like to see a plan that includes a combination of spending cuts and tax increases on higher-income Americans and some businesses.
- 52% believe that President Obama has acted responsibly and only 33% think that Republicans in Congress have acted responsibly. Moreover, if the debt ceiling is not raised more would hold the Republicans responsible (51%) than would President Obama (30%).
- 66% would favor an increase in the debt ceiling in return for spending cuts of $2-$4 billion in spending cuts and raising taxes on some businesses and higher-income Americans.
- HOWEVER, 66% also favor raising the debt ceiling ONLY if a balanced budget amendment were passed by both Houses of Congress and substantial spending cuts and caps on future spending. (No taxes were mentioned at all in this poll question).
- 74% FAVOR a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget.
- 60% believe that it is necessary to pass a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget.
The bottom line here is that if the Republicans would make just a few cosmetic changes in the Cut, Cap and Balance bill it could be a total game changer. It not only could clear the way for a transformative budget and debt ceiling deal but it could set the stage for the Republicans to become the ruling party for a generation.
The most striking thing in the poll data is looking at the underlying demographic data. As Ed Morrissey in Hot Air points out. The highlighted portions are particularly interesting.
Where should the House Republicans go from here?When one scrolls down to the crosstab sections of the raw data, the consensus becomes very, very clear. The CCB/BBA approach wins majorities in every single demographic — including self-described liberals. Sixty-three percent of Democrats back the House bill. The least supportive age demographic is 50-64YOs at 62/37; the least supportive regional demographic is the Midwest at 61/39. Even those who express opposition to the Tea Party supports it 53/47.In other words, it’s a clean sweep. Simply put, there is no political demographic at all where the CCB/BBA doesn’t get majority support. The BBA on its own does even better. It gets 3-1 support (74/24), and except for those Tea Party opponents (56%) and self-professed liberals (61/37), doesn’t get below 70% support in any demographic.Guess what doesn’t get much support? The McConnell plan. Respondents rejected the idea of letting Obama raise the debt ceiling on his own, 34/65. Not one single demographic supports the idea, not even Democrats (40/60) or liberals (34/65).
The Senate will vote on Cut, Cap and Balance tomorrow. If it passes tomorrow, it is game over for President Obama. If he vetoes the bill he will risk bearing almost all the responsibility for the failure to raise the debt ceiling. It is almost unfathomable that he would take that risk.
If Cut, Cap and Balance fails to pass in the Senate as is predicted, I believe the Republicans in the House should come back immediately for another vote and drop the Balanced Budget Amendment section (still promising to make it a major issue in the 2012 election.) They should also agree to the contingent tax increase in The Reasonable Budget, if needed, once spending is cut to the 19.9% level in the Cut section with revenues limited to no more than 18% of GDP. If we can't get the economy generating more jobs and taxes with the current tax code structure to get back to the 18% GDP level in the next 5 years or so, we have much bigger problems.
Making these small changes positions the Republicans as the true adults in the room. They are also giving nothing more than the sleeves in their vest to get where they want to go. However, they come across as reasonable and willing to compromise for the good of the country.
Doing these simple things would have broad bi-partisan support of THE PEOPLE for something very close to what the Republicans have already passed in the House based on the poll data.
GAME. SET. MATCH.
Far more interesting than the biased presentation of the CNN poll, or your misunderstanding of it, is the fact absolutely no one on the lunatic fringe has commented.
ReplyDeleteFeeling a little lonely?
You never feel lonely when you wrap yourself in the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe bullet points are not biased in any way. They show that 81% want very dramatic actions to reduce spending. I also showed that 64% would like to see higher taxes on some businesses and higher income Americans. Where is that biased? If I am telling it exactly as the poll numbers are reported.
Where is the bias in reporting the facts that 74% are in favor of a Balanced Budget Amendment? Did I them state that since the People support it that the House should go ahead and keep voting? NO. I suggested that the BBA be dropped. In fact, I was not in favor of even bringing it to a vote in the first place if you have read all my posts. Where is the bias in that?
If you want to see bias, see how the mainstream media reported this poll. If you want to see someone on the lunatic fringe, check out Senator Harry Reid's comments that the BBA plan was "one of the worst pieces of legislation to ever be placed on the floor of the United States Senate".
This is the same Senator from Nevada who has presided over the Senate and has not introduced a federal budget for over 800 days when it is required by law.