Posted on 12/18/2012 7:58:15 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
If you want to see why American politics are so dysfunctional, just take a look at American voters. In a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, there is a broad consensus that Barack Obama and Republicans should reach a compromise to fix the fiscal cliff. Only a third believe that Obama has a mandate to insist on his own policies as an exclusive response to the crisis. And, oh, by the way … spending cuts are unacceptable.
In other news, next week Santa Claus will come to deliver a solution, in partnership with the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny:
Most Americans want President Obama and congressional Republicans to compromise on a budget agreement, though they, too, are unhappy about the options that would avert the “fiscal cliff,” according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The strong support for compromise belies widespread public opposition to big spending cuts that are likely to be part of any deal.
Most Americans oppose slashing spending on Medicaid and the military, as well as raising the age for Medicare eligibility and slowing the increase of Social Security benefits, all of which appear to be on the table in negotiations. Majorities call each of these items “unacceptable.”
Er, what? Do people believe that we can fix the problem by tax hikes alone? That would at least explain these results, but the answer is no. Only 4% believe that we can fix the problem with tax hikes alone; only 29% think we can fix it with spending cuts alone. Almost two-thirds (65%) think we need a combination of both, and a plurality (47%) think we need to cut more spending than raise taxes, while only 41% think we should do both equally and just 10% think we need more tax hikes than spending cuts.
And yet, large majorities oppose reforming the programs that actually drive the deficits that have created the fiscal cliff. Six in ten oppose raising Medicare eligibility to 67; the same percentage opposes a move to chained CPI to slow down cost-of-living increases. These are two of the mildest reforms on the table. Talk about magical thinking. Where else are we supposed to cut? Oh, yeah — the Pentagon, whose entire budget only comprises about 65% of the entire annual deficit — and even there, 55% believe further cuts are unacceptable. Every choice of cuts and reform is deemed “unacceptable” by a majority in this poll.
And here’s more magical thinking: despite the incoherence of the electorate on the fiscal cliff, 52% believe it very or somewhat likely that Obama and Boehner will reach a fiscal-cliff deal in time. That will be true only if they’re more educated on the issues and options we face than the voters are, and it would be almost impossible not to be.
These polls only prove that the vast majority of Americans are stupid clueless sheep.
Even an obvious target (no bennies for illegal aliens) which enjoys a large majority of support is “off the table” because such bennies are supported by Hispanic KKK groups, a growing and powerful lobby which few politicians have the stones to cross.
Dude, like totally keep me from going bankrupt, but I can’t go without my bling!
Everything the government has come up with so far hurts the working taxpayers, or hurts those who have worked and retired. There's nothing in any of these bills about getting the "never worked" or "never wanted to work" freeloaders off the public teat.
Cut the funds for those who have no legitimate excuse for not working. If they can walk, pick up and talk on a phone, or pick lettuce, they can work. They don't NEED the handouts. They just WANT them.
I’ve said it again and again, the low information voters who decide elections want low taxes and generous benefits. If the GOP was smart they’d always stick to standing for the low taxes part of the equation, cuttingbthem at every opportunity, never raising them, while also never being publicly associated with any ttempts to cut anything. Protect the military, and then let the Democrats negotiate directly with the “bond market” about how much else needs to be cut, given the assumption of no tax increases.
Correct. The average voter is a complete moron.
My neighbor has an Obama-phone. My son and I are plotting to start mass text him because it uses up all his minutes before they refresh at the end of the month. :-)
I oppose raising the eligibility age on Mediscare and SS. Let's just make it 95 and then only Senators will survive to collect... except they won't retire, they'll die in office. It's not a solution.
Moving to chained CPI doesn't bother me much. COLAs do a better job of keeping up with inflation than wages.
And that’s the problem with having passed the “tipping point.” There are too many freeloaders, and the politicians are afraid of them. They want to hold office even more than they want to save their country. This applies to both parties.
An additional problem: the freeloaders have plenty of time to politic. The productive people spend their time working. However, I spend my time working (a lot, mind you) but I also have time to politic. Too many working, productive people have become, politically, stupid sheep by default. The don’t bother to think critically about national policy the way they do about their personal business.
Most Americans oppose slashing spending.ON THEM keep the free ride slackers need to be taken care of can never have to many earn entitlements.................
/s
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