Poll finds most Americans are unhappy with government

Washington Post ^ | 02/11/10 | Jon Cohen and Philip Rucker

[OldDeckHand]

Two-thirds of Americans are "dissatisfied" or downright "angry" about the way the federal government is working, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. On average, the public estimates that 53 cents of every tax dollar they send to Washington is "wasted."

Despite the disapproval of government, few Americans say they know much about the "tea party" movement, which emerged last year and attracted voters angry at a government they thought was spending recklessly and overstepping its constitutional powers. And the new poll shows that the political standing of former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who was the keynote speaker last week at the first National Tea Party Convention, has deteriorated significantly.

The opening is clear: Public dissatisfaction with how Washington operates is at its highest level in Post-ABC polling in more than a decade -- since the months after the Republican-led government shutdown in 1996 -- and negative ratings of the two major parties hover near record highs.

But nearly two-thirds of those polled say they know just some, very little or nothing about what the tea party movement stands for. About one in eight says they know "a great deal" about the positions of tea party groups, but the lack of information does not erase the appeal: About 45 percent of all Americans say they agree at least somewhat with tea partiers on issues, including majorities of Republicans and independents.

[OldDeckHand]

There's some surprising, if also contradictory, information within the poll. It bashes Palin, gives a slight edge to Dems with Party ID, but also reflects favorable opinion of Tea Parties, military commissions and is decidedly ANTI Obamacare.

The Poll in its entirety may be found below...

Washington Post-ABC News poll

There are more than six questions that they've withheld for later release. It would be interesting to know what those questions were.

[wolfman23601]

This is news?

[stuartcr]

I would imagine that these results would reflect the same thing for a number of the last administrations.

[goldstategop]

The MSM wants Americans to love Big Government. So far their efforts to move the country in that direction have been a colossal flop!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

[gov_bean_ counter]

This is news?

The part that bashes Palin.

[Uncle Miltie]

On average, the public estimates that 53 cents of every tax dollar they send to Washington is "wasted."

Perception is reality.

Especially when you are both the funder and the consumer of the government services.

[goldstategop]

Where are all the shovel-ready jobs?

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

[randog]

Hmmmm...I did a search on the link for “teabagger”, “tea bagger”, and “Teabagger” but didn’t find any matches. Either WaPo is falling down on the job or we’re moving out of the “ridicule” phase and into the “holy-s**t-these-guys-are-for-real!” phase.

[RU88]

Every one realizes how bad things are except certain members of Congress and President Spends Too Much. That being said I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the Obama administration has given marching orders to their propaganda organs to smear Sarah Palin on the chance that she will become the 2012 nominee. Hit piece after hit piece after hit piece is no coincidence. The only lull in this was right after the coronation. Once Palin resigned as Governor it started back with a vengeance. They've invested so much on the man child that they can not bring themselves to report the true nature of what's going on in America. If you want to know why newspaper and magazine revenue has fallen off a cliff reread the prior sentence.

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

[OldDeckHand]

"I would imagine that these results would reflect the same thing for a number of the last administrations."

The poll gives the results going back to 1985. On question 25, the poll asks...

"28. On another subject, out of every dollar the federal government collects in taxes, how many cents do you think are wasted?"

In 1985, that number was $.43 of every dollar. Today, that number is $.53 of every dollar. The only other time it was higher was on 1/7/98, which probably not coincidentally was the same time Clinton was facing impeachment.

[OldDeckHand]

"That being said I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the Obama administration has given marching orders to their propaganda organs to smear Sarah Palin on the chance that she will become the 2012 nominee. "

Interesting theory. Why don't you suppose that Obama "gave marching orders" to push his Obamacare, which gets shellacked in this poll, or the civilian trials of terrorists, which gets equally destroyed?

Did you actually read the poll, or are you psychic?

[stuartcr]

I’ll bet there were unhappy people way further back than that too.

[stuartcr]

I think they realize how bad things are, they just don’t care. I don’t think any professional politician really does.

[101voodoo]

Crap poll. It sampled “National Adults” which is the least accurate and I can’t even find the demographics of the polling.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Under cross examination contained in paragraphs 87-99 of the attached the witness displayed questionable emotional stability as well as a deep seeded hatred of women. Other testimony revealed a resentment toward religion. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/gop/2448704/posts?page=87#87

[OldDeckHand]

Goodness, you really are a little child. How pathetic you are.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Go away, law boy.

[henkster]

0bama doesn’t have to give orders to do repeated hit pieces on Sarah Palin. Every single “player” in the Beltway and on Wall Street is united on this issue, and that crosses party lines. Sarah is indeed “one of us.” She is a reformer. Her very existence threatens every corrupt politician and special interest group, and that includes the liberal state-run media. It also includes the high-level GOP leadership nationally and in every single state.

Make no mistake, it’s not just 0bama, it’s ALL OF THEM. That’s why, as a practical matter, she is probably unelectable. There are too many interests with too much power and too much exposure that have their very corrupt survival at stake. They will stop at nothing to keep her out of the White House. And yes, I mean that there is nothing they would do that is “out of bounds.”

[painter]

"gave marching orders" to push his Obamacare, which gets shellacked in this poll, or the civilian trials of terrorists, which gets equally destroyed?

I read the poll Neal

53% oppose to 43% support is not what I call a shellacking. Not when I have seen other polls which show 7 out of 10 not wanting anything to do with Obamacare!