Posted on 12/07/2012 1:29:33 PM PST by SeekAndFind
As negotiations on a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" enter the final three weeks, Republicans face a stark reality: The American public continues siding with President Barack Obama and Democrats on issues crucial to any potential deal.
Polls taken over the past month have continually shown that a post-election bump for the President, combined with the relative unpopularity of Republicans, gives Obama a lot of leverage in the debate.
Voters overwhelmingly support the key element of Obama's plan for a deal — raising taxes on incomes above $250,000. They also support blanket entitlement cuts, which is what the GOP wants in a deal. But when asked about specific entitlement reforms, they balk at the options.
Here's a rundown of the GOP's public-opinion problem:
* In the past week, voters appear to be moving even more toward a position that favors raising tax rates on incomes above $250,000. A Thursday Quinnipiac poll found the margin at a whopping 65-31. In a new Associated Press/GfK poll, 48 percent favored eliminating the Bush-era tax cuts on incomes above $250,000.
* Obama has more cards to play with — because if leaders do fail to reach an agreement, the public overwhelmingly says it will blame Republicans by a 53-27 percent margin. This underscores what two big conservatives wrote last week — that Republicans are "screwed" because they don't have much leverage, especially in the court of public opinion.
* What has gone unnoticed in a lot of fiscal-cliff polling is how starkly people come out against any specific entitlement reforms pollsters ask about. For example, in the Quinnipiac poll, people oppose cutting Medicare spending by a 70-25 margin. By a 51-44 margin, they oppose raising the Medicare eligibility age.
* The AP poll shows that voters also "trust" Democrats more on handling Medicare
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I would like like to go back to being the Party of No.
No deal is better than a bad deal.
I would like like to go back to being the Party of No.
No deal is better than a bad deal.
Who really gives hoot about this? It is clear that this is purely a political ploy on Obama’s part. Give them what they want. The sooner this country hits rock bottom, just like a with a drug abuser, it will seek help.
I’m sick and tired of this. We have the most inept congress and purely partisan president.
Give them what they want and back off.
The RATS are blatantly stealing elections now, it does not matter how anybody votes. Might as well vote for the right thing because they are going to cheat Republicans out of seats anyways.
The Pubs have been outplayed and can’t win this one. Obama will refuse to make any real concessions because he wants the Bush tax cuts to expire. Then in January, with the new Congress and tax hikes in place, he will propose a bill to reinstate them for all but “the rich”. The Pubs will either have to capitulate, or vote against tax cuts for the vast majority of Americans. If they do the later it will kill their brand as the party of lower taxes.
Sometimes you just have to fold a losing hand.
They might as well do the right thing, it won’t matter what they try to do, they’ll get blamed.
Oh, and 0bama wants higher tax rates AND the fiscal cliff / economic crash.
Yes, he wants the country to fail economically.
The Washington Generals...uhhh, I mean Republicans, are handling this so badly they ought to get hammered in the polls.
It is much, much more important that Republicans resist Obama, and this accepts that there will be extreme pressure put on them in the short term. But the elections are very far away right now.
Simply put:
If Republicans cave now, out of fear of alienating the more liberal voters in two year, they will alienate their core voters right now. And as these core voters demonstrated in the last election, if you do that, you lose them, and you *will* lose the election.
So it is a contest between “might” and “will”.
However, if the Republicans keep their intestinal fortitude, yes they will get heat from the Democrats and the MSM for two or three months. But then push comes to shove.
The Democrats truly believe that Obama is a dictator, and as such, if he orders something, he must be obeyed. But the flip side to this is if he orders something and it does not happen, he has failed “the agenda”, or more to the point, “he is a god that bleeds”. A false god.
And when the paychecks are cut off for Democrats especially across the country, Obama and the Democrat party will be at the center of their wrath.
Republicans worry too much about pissing off people that would never vote for them in the first place.
Polls are U.S. government PROPAGANDA, devised to shape public opinion in favor of tyranny. Lemmings over the Fiscal Cliff!
Tell them to shove their polls up their Butts.
Do what’s right and screw the polls.
Of coiurse I say that, but Boehner and his Progressive Republicans are already starting to bend over for the shaft.
Look, if Repubs give in: top 2% rates go up.
If we let fiscal cliff happen: top 2% rates go up along w/98%
Pubs need to pass bill raising top rates and leaving 98% as is.
Clean bill, nothing added. Announce they are giving Obama what he wants for the sake of the 98% and let Obama own it.
Done!
yeah . votes were stolen. was there enough to win? maybe . did the useless party do anything to stop it? no. did the useless party give us a viable candidate? No!
Of course he does. It is part of the Communist/Alinsky plan.
They now have enough people dependent on the Government that when it collapses they will scream for the Government to fix it, instead of each individual working to make things better. That is the foundation to rip up our Constitution and create a communist government with them in charge for life.
The map of the United States will not look as it does today when that happens.
Amazing how the populace has gone along with it.
Comcast had a site that simply calculates one's increase in tax and payroll taxes if the Bush tax cuts expire for everyone and SS and Medicare go back up to their former percentage payments:
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/fiscal_cliff-calculator-1701.php
I apologize for being http challenged and don't know where on Free Republic one finds all the codes.
Anyways my increase will be $1009.00 - that's on a salary of almost $29,000.00. From $3,477 federal income taxes, lower SS withdrawal to $4,486.00.
Like I said, it's very simplified. Does not take into consideration standard or itemized deductions. Just basic salary and exemptions.
Still . . . what a pain in the arse. I might as well throw in the towel and go suck off the government teat. I'm 62. I'm getting tired of it all.
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