Posted on 03/07/2011 8:26:42 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing. The polls in Wisconsin have consistently shown that voters want an end to the standoff in Madison over the budget-repair bill, and appear to be blaming Governor Scott Walker for the impasse. Almost two-thirds want Walker to negotiate with the Democrats who fled the state and hijacked the legislative process. On the other hand, Wisconsin voters want lower taxes and spending cuts rather than higher taxes and the current level of spending, too:
In the WPRI survey from mid-November, 45% of Wisconsinites viewed Walker favorably and 35% viewed him unfavorably.
Today, about the same share – 43% – view him favorably, but the share of people who view him unfavorably has jumped 18 points to 53%.
The poll also illustrates how feelings about Walker have intensified among both supporters and opponents. Even though Walker’s overall favorability has gone down slightly from 45% to 43%, the percentage of people who strongly support him – who view him “very favorably” – has gone up from 21% to 28%. The percentage of people who strongly oppose him – who view him “very unfavorably” – has more than doubled from 19% to 41%.
Walker has lost significant ground with independents in the state, as Rasmussen also indicated earlier in the week. A 57% majority disapproves of Walker’s performance, and 59% of independents have a negative view of the governor. However, 23% of independents said that the top priority of the state government should be to balance the budget, another 13% said holding the line on taxes and spending, and another 20% said economic improvement should be the highest priority, with only 5.8% saying negotiating/bargaining was the highest priority and 7.9% for protecting collective bargaining “rights.”
It seems that Wisconsin voters (especially independents) want government to focus on the right priorities, but not disagree too much over them. Walker gets the blame for drawing a line in the sand.
That said, the WPRI analysis shows that voters have not been sold on the budget-repair bill’s union reforms, either:
Walker has proposed limiting collective bargaining to wages. Exactly half of the respondents (50 percent) say that public employees are willing to compromise on pensions and benefits but limiting bargaining rights does nothing to balance the state’s budget situation and is really just an attempt to get rid of public employee unions. Forty-three percent say the proposed changes are a necessary reform because they will give local governments greater flexibility to control their budgets over several years.
There is real opposition to Governor Walker’s proposal to restrict the collective bargaining rights of workers, but the intensity depends on how the question is worded. When the issue is framed as limiting bargaining rights to help local governments, 47 percent are in favor and 50 percent are opposed. When the issue is framed as eliminating bargaining rights to ultimately dismantle public employee unions, then the public overwhelmingly disapproves, with 32 in favor and 58 percent opposed.
The problems with the WEA Trust have apparently not gotten as much attention as needed in the last couple of weeks. That may explain this finding as well:
In the most recent poll, almost six out of ten respondents (59 percent) had a somewhat or strongly favorable opinion of public employee unions. Thirty-four percent had a somewhat or strongly unfavorable opinion.
WPRI has the survey’s full crosstabs available. The sample seems a little off, with a D/R/I of 28.1/23.7/29.1, and 19% either confused about the three choices or refusing to answer. The exit polls from the Wisconsin Senate race in 2010 had a D/R/I of 37/36/28, which suggests that both Republicans and Democrats got undersampled, but Republicans significantly more. That wouldn’t be enough to overcome the difference in support for the unions or the demand that Walker negotiate with the fleebaggers to get them back to the state capital. Furthermore, this poll largely agrees with the Rasmussen poll and other surveys taken in Wisconsin.
Walker doesn’t seem inclined to talk while Democrats refuse to engage in the legislature. These kind of poll numbers might push Republicans in the Senate towards a settlement if they continue in this direction.
Update: Charlie Sykes thinks there is more good news in this poll than one might otherwise conclude. Be sure to read his analysis.
If we’re governing by polls now, it’s time to sell the capitols and institute a daily American-Idol phone referendum system.
The average citizen does not realize how the unions combined coercive power with government power threatens the liberty of individuals in every county and state--indeed, the very nation itself.
Your analysis is absolutely, positively, 100% spot on target. If Walker doesn't get the message out clearly his "blitzkrieg" will become a "sitzkrieg" and the tie will go to the runner.
Regards,
GtG
PS Maybe Wisconsin Freepers should start a letter writing campaign to their local fish-wrappers?
Of course. Unfortunately the middle gets its info from the partisan media, who long ago abdicated its responsibility to educate the electorate.
So the GOP at large has two choices, what they've done for years - fold up under pressure, or FINALLY develop a coherent strategy to deal with a hostile media.
So...the voters want fiscal responsibility but aren’t willing to back Walker? That doesn’t make any sense.
Tough times call for tough decisions. True leaders are willing to make those decisions. I think Mr. Walker is one of those leaders. I’m hopeful that he will be able to show a whole lot of progress in that state by 2014 and he is able to be re-elected. If the state doesn’t show a decent recovery, he will be toast, even if it’s not his policies that cause it.
So what!? Just do what’s right and get out if you have to.
Ironically, if he caves now he is toast, forever seen as a weaking.
If (when!) he prevails, watch his “poll numbers” skyrocket.
In any event, Walker has plenty of time until the next election. He can either win a hard-fought victory now and proceed onto other matters, or he can immediately become a lame duck. Let’s see what he does.
Their business is to create hits to their website. The easy way is to post troll articles that no one likes.
They have to spend political capital because they have budgets to balance by a certain date. what part of this don’t you understand?
Polls are useless at this point. they are up and down and who cares? Once the policies are intact, people will calm down and see a huge difference for the good in their states.
THe unions and libs want people to believe these polls so they can retain power and cause the R governors to back down.
Wise up.
Actually it was Davy Crockett who said: ‘BE SURE YOU’RE RIGHT THEN GO AHEAD..’
Lots of these “dissatisfied” voters just want the problem to go away. Once the problem goes away, and it will, they will make another judgment about whether they are happy with the resolution. The Republicans need to stick to their guns. Oops, they need to remain resolute.
Pensions: Eight out of ten Wisconsinites (81 percent) favor requiring public employees to contribute to their own pensions while only 18 percent oppose it.
And then there is this question/statement:
Q20. As you may know, Governor Scott Walker recently announced a plan that would require public employees to contribute to their own pensions and pay greater amounts for their health insurance, which would, in effect, be a pay reduction. The plan would permit most public employees to negotiate only their wages, and future wage increases above the rate of inflation would have to be approved by a voter referendum. Contracts would be limited to one year. In addition, Walker’s plan also changes rules to require public employee unions to take annual votes to maintain certification as a union, stops state or local government from collecting union dues, and allows individual members to decide if they wish to pay union dues. Unions for law enforcement and firefighters would be exempt from the changes Do you favor or oppose Governor Walker’s plan?
Strongly favor 32
Somewhat favor 14
Somewhat oppose 9
Strongly oppose 42
Don’t Know/Refuse 3
He’s got the “moderates” upset. No matter. They’ll just blow with the wind as usual by next election.
When asked whether they favored "limiting" public employees ability to negotiate over non-wage issues: the poll splits 47% in favor, 50% opposed. (That is within the margin of error.)
When that question is changed to whether employees should be "stripped of their rights to collective bargaining," along with other loaded language, support drops to 32%.
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So we always have to look closely at the polls to see if they are worded to try and bias the results.
Morrissey is a RINO squish who supported Romney.
And Hot Air has been a commie front group for years that hatched the likes of the execrable Marxist moron Chuck Todd.
Add those two together and you get crap.
A commercial using the UPS Whiteboard approach would be short, simple, powerful, and effective.
“What are these people smoking?”
What? They can’t have high benefits and free ice cream AND low taxes? Well then, someone else will promise it to them and they’ll vote for him! Never mind if it’s impossible. What they want they are entitled to. Just make it magically appear.
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