POLL: Majority Disapproves of Debt-Ceiling Agreement (63% of Dems approve, 35% of Repubs approve)

[jefferson_dem]

Majority Disapproves of Debt-Ceiling Agreement in One-Day Poll
By Steven Shepard
August 2, 2011 | 10:34 AM | 0 Comments

Share Even after months of Sturm und Drang about the danger of the U.S. defaulting on its debt, a majority of Americans -- and an overwhelming majority of independents -- disapproves of the agreement to raise the federal debt ceiling and make major cuts in government spending set to be signed into law, according to a new, one-day CNN/ORC International poll released Tuesday.

Just 44 percent of Americans approve of the agreement between Democrats and Republicans to "raise the federal government's debt ceiling through the year 2013 and make major cuts in government spending over the next few years," while 52 percent disapprove.

Republicans and independents are driving this disapproval. Democrats approve of the agreement, 63 percent to 32 percent. But only 35 percent of Republicans and independents approve of the agreement. More than three-in-five independents disapprove.

Specific elements of the agreement are more popular than the agreement overall, however, suggesting the tumultuous and often times messy process had a negative impact on Americans and their perception of Washington. One measure of that: the percentage of Americans who approve of the way Congress is handling its job has shrunk to an abysmal 14 percent, easily the lowest measure in five years of CNN polling.

<SNIP>

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/08/majority-disapp.php

[MannyGoldstein]

1. So we Democrats deserve what we get nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. A wide majority of Democrats approve of the deal?

:wtf:

Well, I guess that means that we should....um....primary Obama because he "caved"...or something?
:eyes:

[Heading North]

9. I think the headline is messed up

Probably the other way around.

[bigwillq]

14. Hello.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Tarheel_Dem]

10. >>>>>

:thumbsup:

[Life Long Dem]

19. Could be the Republicans are upset with the Republicans over the Whole hostage taking thing.

:shrug:

[TwilightGardener]

3. Repubs and independents still think the debt ceiling shouldn't be raised.

Ignorant fools who think the debt ceiling is a vote to spend more money in the future.

[Imajika]

5. You are exactly correct...

That is exactly what is going on. And that is a terrible omen. It tells you just how both ignorant and increasingly radical Republicans and some segment of independents have become.

Polls were basically always showing the public opposed raising the debt ceiling. Of course the public has no idea what that would actually mean, but this is why it was such an easy issue for Republicans to hold hostage.

Bottom line, the teabaggers could have actually gotten an even more radically irresponsible deal for themselves. It's thanks to the President that we got was not nearly as terrible as people here are making it out to be.

[Armstead]

13. The President should have exposed that stupidity, and educated instead of saying...

"They are basically in agreement with Democrats, and we just need to work out a Compromise" on the details.

[RBInMaine]

17. Over and over and over again he went on national TV explaining the debt ceiling. WTF??

[ProSense]

4. Hmmm?

Asked specifically about raising the debt ceiling, Americans are more mixed, with 48 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving. But here too, independents are squarely against raising the debt limit, 37 percent to 61 percent.

A strong majority supports cutting about a trillion dollars in spending over the next ten years, with provisions to cut more in the future. Democrats (68 percent), Republicans (72 percent) and independents (60 percent) all approve of the spending cuts.

But Americans disapprove of the lack of tax increases on businesses and higher-income Americans in the final agreement. Just 40 percent approve of the fact that the agreement does not contain tax increases. A majority, 60 percent, disapprove of the final package not containing those increases.

<...>

Are these right-leaning independents: they're "squarely against raising the debt limit" and 60 percent of them support "cutting about a trillion dollars in spending over the next ten years, with provisions to cut more in the future"?

Still, this is encouraging related to tax increases: "A majority, 60 percent, disapprove of the final package not containing those increases."

[Inuca]

6. I doubt polls right now mean much

People that payed attention (a majority? I hope, but I ma not sure) are still too frustrated, disgusted, cheerful, whatever... depending on where they stand. In other words, emotions are still running too strong. Give it a few weeks, and then the poll results may be more meanigful. Just my 2c....

[Robbins]

7. So

Republicans get most of what they want and still disapprove.

The effort to appeal to Independents Is failing.

Democrats approve even though we got nothing that we wanted,and the door Is left open for Medicare cuts If the trigger Is launced.
And the super congress could recommend cuts to Social Security,Medicare,and Medicaid.

There Is nothing to get excited about In this deal.

[treestar]

8. do those polled even know what the agreement is?

and what do they disapprove of? The party breakdown would tend to show that it is the insane right wingers and shows independents are not all that centrist.

[bhikkhu]

11. I highly doubt it

...even here very few seem to have looked into it much.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheet-victory-bipartisan-compromise-economy-american-people

is a good summary.

Two big changes coming down the road are universal health care and the expiration of the bush tax cuts - both of which are facilitated by the debt agreement, though not so clearly explained, as two big goals of the repugs were to eliminate one and make the other permanent. Needless to say, they got nothing there.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. "shows independents are not all that centrist."

Yup. The same crowd that gave us this gang of clowns in the first place. Couple that with progressive "disenchantment" and it was a formula for disaster. I mean, what the hell did people expect? That turning out Democrats would make Congress more progressive? :shrug:

[Azathoth]

15. Should the debt ceiling be raised? 51% of all respondents say no

Over half of the country apparently thinks default is the way to go. This is the kind of electorate the Dems and Obama have to deal with.

[RBInMaine]

18. These ignorant fuckers don't pay attention. They don't know what it means.

This is the NUMB-MINDED population you have to deal with today. These ignorant numbskulls, no matter how many fucking times it is explained,
still think raising the debt ceiling means adding new spending, not covering bills ALREADY accrued. And then in the very same breath, these numbskulls will say they don't want the economy to crash in default, and MOST of the Indies will say they want COMPROMISE COMPROMISE COMPROMISE. You are dealing with MASS ignorance today. Amazing too after how many times the fucking issue was explained.

[Supersedeas]

16. you can bet that a majority of American's who WILL NOT have representation

on the Super Committee will be thrilled about the legislation to come

[karynnj]

20. This shows that the country as a whole is polarized - as the Congress is

The most disheartening thing is that such a high percent of the independents were against raising the debt ceiling. This means the Republicans likely "won" that issue and the issue that we need to cut spending now. They are related and the simplistic, but wrong, equivalence to a household paying its bills seems to have moved many.

The best news is that, in spite of this, Obama's numbers vs the Republicans are better than can be expected - and best of all,, they buy that there should have been revenue increases. (This suggests that if they polled the Democratic frame of "shared sacrifice", it would have polled well.