Very interesting numbers in last week's McClatchy-Marist poll - good news for Dems on major issues

[highplainsdem]

I've already mentioned one of them in a post about a new Daily Kos diary where the diarist says President Obama needs his base to win in 2012 and shouldn't move right. The new Marist poll shows only 68% of liberals approve of the job Obama's doing as President, though 72% of liberals have a favorable impression of him. (This is quite a bit lower than his support among liberals shown in other polls.)

The PDF file with the complete poll numbers can be found at:

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/misc/usapolls/US110410/McClatchy/McClatchy-Marist%20Poll%20Complete%20April%2018th,%202011%20USA%20Poll%20Tables.pdf

The Democrats in Congress have a slightly higher approval rating among all registered voters than the Republicans have, though it's only 34% to 30%.

The best news for Democrats comes with the polling numbers on specific policies and issues -- but this is good news only if the President and the Dems in Congress go with the policies the majority of people support, rather than compromising with Republicans.

64% of registered voters support raising taxes on those making over $250,000 a year. That breaks down to 83% of Dems and 63% of Independents. Even 45% of those who say they support the Tea Party would support a tax increase on the rich.

80% of registered voters oppose cutting Medicare and Medicaid. That's 92% of Dems, 75% of Independents, and 73% of Republicans -- and 70% of Tea Party supporters.

Only 44% of voters -- and only 53% of Dems -- support reducing defense spending.

A large majority of all registered voters -- 69% -- and even a small majority of Dems -- 53% -- are opposed to raising the debt ceiling.

Tea Party support among registered voters is low and almost entirely from Republicans, as other polls have found. 65% do not support it, 19% support it, only 9% support it strongly.


The DKos diary I posted about was making the point that the President needs his base and should not move right if he wants to win in 2012. I agree.

It's essential to raise the debt ceiling, and the low support for that shows that our Democratic leaders have not been making a good enough case to the American people.

It's also essential to raise taxes on the rich, and the majority of voters understand and support that -- and this is also a case that must be made again and again, and that MUST become Democratic policy. No more compromises on this.

Cutting defense spending doesn't have as much support -- even though it has a lot of support here at DU. But if the cutting is done wisely, a case can be made that it's just eliminating waste.

There is in effect NO support in terms of numbers that can win elections for the Republican plans to cut Medicaid and Medicare. The fact there's just enough support to skew Republican primaries and leave them stuck with candidates who can't win a general election must NOT be turned into a problem for Democrats as well -- but it will be if Democrats are unwise enough to compromise with them on this issue.

The Republicans' Ryan budget will be an electoral disaster for them in 2012, UNLESS they can get Democrats to compromise.

These new poll numbers show that clearly. The worst thing Democrats could do right now -- not only alienating their base but alienating majorities of independent voters on these issues -- would be to compromise with the Republican plans to lower taxes on the rich and cut Medicare and Medicaid. The GOP is hoping for compromise not just to move toward their goals -- and they keep moving the goalposts farther right -- but to make sure Democrats will share the blame and the anger from the electorate.