Posted on 12/13/2012 8:52:17 AM PST by Qbert
A new poll finds that a majority of voters would blame both President Obama and congressional Republicans equally if efforts to find a deficit deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” fail.
Fifty-six percent surveyed in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll say both sides would be responsible if a compromise is not reached. Nineteen percent would blame Obama and Democrats only, with 24 percent saying the GOP would be at fault.
Those numbers could suggest a shift in public opinion as both parties work to find a way to prevent tax rate hikes and automatic spending cuts from taking effect in January. Prior surveys have shown voters more likely to blame congressional Republicans if talks fail.
A Washington Post/Pew Research survey released last week found 53 percent would blame Republicans, with 27 faulting the president. Twelve percent in that poll said blame should be equally apportioned. And a CNN/ORC poll last month found 45 percent saying Republicans would be responsible if there was no accord, with 34 tabbing Obama.
But voters in the new WSJ/NBC poll also give the president a strong review in talks, with Obama holding a 53 percent approval rating. Forty-three percent disapprove of the president’s overall job performance.
On the issue of taxes, 59 percent say Obama received a mandate in the election to eliminate Bush-era tax rates for those making over $250,000 a year, with 36 percent saying he didn’t receive such a mandate.
Republicans want to extend the expiring tax rates across the board, but Obama has said he will reject any deal that does not raise rates on the top 2 percent of income earners.
Voters are also split on the likelihood that a deal will be reached, with 48 percent pessimistic about the outlook and 48 percent optimistic.
The poll’s findings come as both sides remain deadlocked in talks.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Obama earlier this week exchanged a new round of offers, and staff for both sides are continuing to meet to hammer out an agreement. But publicly, leaders are suggesting that there is a long road to finding a deal.
On Wednesday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) warned lawmakers that they should be prepared to continue working after Christmas.
Both sides have sought to rally public support for their position in talks, with Obama hitting the road, visiting autoworkers in Detroit earlier this week.
The poll was conducted from Dec. 6 to 9 and has a 3-point margin of error.
Other polls have indicated that voters have no idea what Obama is proposing in the way of a top income tax rate. Most voters think that 25% should be the top the tax rate, only 4% agree with a 40% tax rate that Obama proposes.
I would credit Republicans if these talks fail. We should welcome the fiscal cliff. Better to deal with this sooner than later.
If both sides are subject to equal amounts of blame, then something is being done right.
But the media won’t report it that way. What isn’t Boehner’s fault, is Bush’s fault, or even that of the T.E.A. party people. The Current Occupant and the entire Democrat liberal establishment shall be regarded as too morally sacrosant to be assigned ANY blame.
What does it matter who gets the blame? If the last election has taught us anything it’s that the voters have memories about one month long and get easily distracted when the media tangles something shiny in front of them. Does anybody seriously think that anybody will even remember what happens with the “fiscal cliff” in 2014? Nope they will be voting on what stupid comment Senator Foghorn made about Rape two weeks before the election, or Representative Randy Crouch sending text messages to an underage hooker.
4 years from now, the dem prez candidate will blame the repubbies for this and list it as the reason for the crappy economy in O’s 2nd term. O, and he/she will also blame Bush.
"Other polls have indicated that voters have no idea what Obama is proposing in the way of a top income tax rate."
That's why Boehner is such a fool to keep these talks private. Can you imagine what would happen if Obama was asked to answer basic questions about the arithmetic of his "proposals" out in the open? If Obama was asked to name some changes to entitlement programs that he preferred? "Uh..uh..uh"...
WE HAVE TO CUT SPENDING....cut stupid things like Head Start....School lunch programs....
The Federal government should have absolutely no input into schools.
Then there's the Obamaphone scam...
We just had a look at a green training program in Rochester NY. They got millions...but did not produce one green job (nor was green even in the curriculum) and that was the condition of the grant.
Tax increases on all Americans, Spending Cuts Across the board?
I say let ‘er rip!
People need to understand that this level of government is completely unaffordable. We need to punish peoples’ stupid political decisions (see 0bama) with the reality they cause.
50% of the population couldn’t spell “fiscal cliff” if you spotted them the “f”, “i”, and “c”. Polls like this are worthless.
Polls? Polls?
We live by polls these days.
sheep , 2/3rd’s of the electorate is a mush-brained herd that can be made to jump off cliffs and then blame the ground for giving way.
I doubt this. Democrats never get the blame for this kind of stuff. And John Q. Voter demands his STUFF! He’ll blame Republicans if there are budget cuts and tax raises.
"What does it matter who gets the blame? If the last election has taught us anything it’s that the voters have memories about one month long and get easily distracted when the media tangles something shiny in front of them."
You're exactly right. The whole point of this media-generated "fiscal cliff" nonsense is to try to force Conservatives to panic and to agree to tax hikes.
OH! And I believe that all of these little Committee Fiefdoms HAVE TO GO!
Huelscamp and Amash were on with Hannity yesterday. They are fellow House members and get treated worse than we do! Not invited to Fiscal Cliff discussions, not shown negotiations or deals....purely amazing!!
The “media” will direct Americans to blame the Republicans for any negative repercussions stemming from whatever happens with this issue. As a group that possesses nearly nonexistent critical thinking abilities, they’ll simply believe what they’re told to believe.
Voters may be self-interested but they are smart enough to realize that taking 40% of what anyone makes is not going to work.
hey NBC why don’t you wait to see what the poll says when the dummies taking the poll get hit with a $3,000 tax increase after JAN 1st?
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