U.S. Voters Trust Obama, Democrats To Avoid ‘Fiscal Cliff’
by Hugh McQuaid | Dec 6, 2012 1:51pm
(10) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Congress, Poll, White House
A majority of voters believe President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are better equipped to avoid the looming “fiscal cliff” than their Republican colleagues, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.
Quinnipiac surveyed 1,949 voters nationwide between Nov. 28 and Dec. 3 and found Americans trust Obama and Democrats to avoid the fiscal cliff 53 percent to 36 percent. Voters also approved of the president’s job performance 52 percent to 40 percent.
“Nothing like winning an election to boost your job approval,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said. “President Barack Obama hasn’t had a score this good since his 52-40 percent approval rating May 5, 2011, right after the death of Osama bin Laden.”
On the fiscal cliff, a combination of self-imposed austerity measures and expiring tax cuts, a slim majority — 48 percent to 43 percent — believe Obama and Congress will be able to strike a deal before the end of the year.
One of the major sticking points in negotiations between Obama and Congressional Republicans is the president’s insistence that the deal include a provision to let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for households making more than $250,000 a year.
Voters back Obama on this issue by a wide margin of 65 percent to 31 percent. Democrats support the higher taxes on the wealthy 84 percent to 14 percent while unaffiliated voters support it 66 percent to 31 percent, and Republicans oppose it 53 percent to 41 percent.
Americans are split on other proposals to avoid the cliff. They favor limiting the home mortgage interest deduction to the first $500,000 of mortgage debt 62 percent to 28 percent. However they oppose eliminating it altogether 67 percent to 23 percent. They do support eliminating the deduction for second homes 56 percent to 35 percent.
Most Americans, or 66 percent, agreed the best way to reduce the deficit will be to raise taxes and cut spending, just not from Medicaid. Voters opposed Medicaid cuts 70 percent to 25 percent. They also opposed raising the age of Medicare eligibility, but only by a 51 percent to 44 percent margin.
Voters support raising the capital gains tax 47 percent to 40 percent but oppose cutting military spending 55 percent to 41 percent.
Brown said voters feel Republicans are likely to be obstructionist in the negotiations and have less confidence they have the right ideas to solve the country’s fiscal woes.
A majority of voters, 56 percent to 38 percent, said they think Obama and the Democrats will make a good faith effort to work with Republicans. Meanwhile, 51 percent to 43 percent said they did not think Republicans would do the same.
“The 48 to 43 percent belief that President Obama and both parties in Congress can avoid the Fiscal Cliff is hardly a strong vote of confidence that the folks in Washington can avert the supposed financial catastrophe they all say they want to avoid,” Brown said.
Thursday’s poll had a 2.2 percent margin of error.
Tags: fiscal cliff, Obama, Democrats, Republicans, Quinnipiac University poll, debt, Medicare, dh
(10) Comments
posted by: 17beachboy | December 6, 2012 4:52pm
What a shock - the taxpayers that will not be impacted by President Obama’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy support him on this issue by a wide margin of 65 percent to 31 percent.
posted by: Reasonable | December 6, 2012 8:46pm
Many voters do not trust Obama. He did not win by a landslide. You can fool some of the people—sometims—but not ALL THE TIME.
posted by: redman | December 7, 2012 8:30am
I trust that Obama will want to raise taxes and increase spending.
posted by: Reasonable | December 7, 2012 5:55pm
kenneth_krayeske: You dislike all Republicans—but “Unindited war criminal” is a stretch—even for you!
posted by: NickFortune | December 7, 2012 6:18pm
REPUBLICANS OVER A BARREL
When the Republicans bought into the democrat bait and decided that they would be against “tax increases for the rich” they set the stage for when Romney “the “rich man” would become their candidate and the republican party would appear to be for rich people. And so the Obama propaganda machine convinced people that the republican party is for rich people and has disdain for the poor and middle class. Of course this is ridiculous, but the ignorant voters drank the Kool Aid and believed it.
Now this has become the main sticking point in the budget negotiations; the seeming stubbornness of the republicans to look after the welfare of the rich, when they’re really trying to bring sanity into the government by restraining profligate spending.
Of course Obama is hypocritical in that he has many millionaire “rich” donors and members of his administration; for example Warren Buffet who says he should be paying more taxes; while at the same time fighting in court NOT to pay the taxes he already owes.
The Democrats are trying to co-opt the tea Party conservatives by coaxing them to compromise on their commitments not to raise the taxes, reminiscent of George, “read my lips” Bush Sr. That betrayal cost Bush the presidency.
So now it appears that the republicans are over the barrel as they’re coming to the dubious “cliff”. They must now either back out of their commitment not to raise taxes or be accused of being the one’s who’re bringing the country over the cliff. This clever democrat ruse not only makes the republicans either liars or fiscally irresponsible; it also will create divisiveness between republicans.
posted by: Reasonable | December 8, 2012 1:10pm
Nick Fortune: REPUBLICANS ARE NOT OVER THE BARREL—Our Socialistic-controlled—beauracracy leadership has has OUR COUNTRY OVER THE BARREL!
They are our elected power-brokers—who are calling the shots. Let’s call “spsde. a spade” Nick.
posted by: borisvian | December 9, 2012 11:15am
Reasonable, could you even define what socialism is?
On the other hand, don’t be a sore loser. Admit kindly that the majority of people trust Obama and not the Republicans, and that Republicans are unreasonable, whether they call themselves reasonable or not.
Stop the whining, and start to look into the fact that the Republican party and their gullible minions were dumbfounded deers in the headlight on election night.
The fact that Romney, too, didn’t see this coming, disqualifies him to be a president.