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As Republicans and the White House continue to jostle over the "fiscal cliff," the public remains pessimistic about a solution and is largely prepared to blame the GOP if no agreement is reached.
A new poll from the Pew Research Center and the Washington Post shows that only four in 10 adults believe that the two sides will hammer out an agreement to dodge the fiscal cliff by its Jan. 1 deadline, while nearly half (49 percent) believe no deal will get done in time.
The $2.2 trillion proposal floated by House Speaker John Boehner was shot down by the White House, which said Republicans' rejection of tax hikes for the wealthy and sweeping cuts to popular social programs are unacceptable. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
What's more -- in a trend surely being eyed by the Obama administration -- the public still appears ready to place blame for the impasse on congressional Republicans over the White House by a nearly 2-1 margin.
With a divide similar to public perceptions earlier in November, 53 percent of those surveyed said they would point the finger at the GOP for the failure of the negotiations, while just 27 percent say the president would be at fault.
The fiscal cliff counter-offer issued by House Republicans has one thing in common with last week's White House proposal – neither was designed to win any bipartisan support. The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports.
While Democrats surveyed are far more optimistic than Republicans about an agreement (by 55 to 22 percent), all partisan groups appear uncertain about exactly what the consequences of the cliff's automatic spending cuts and tax increases could be. Only about a third of adults overall say they understand the effects of the fiscal cliff "very well," but over 60 percent say those effects will have a "major effect" on the US economy. But not as many respondents think that a tumble over the cliff will dramatically affect their own lives, with 43 percent saying the cuts and taxes would have a "major effect" on their personal finances and 35 percent labeling the consequences "minor" in their own lives.
Yuri Gripas / Reuters
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) speaks during a GOP news conference on the "fiscal cliff", on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 28, 2012.
The survey was conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 2 among 1,003 adults. It has a 3.7 percent margin of error among its overall sample of adults.
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Not surprising at all considering how the USA has become a nation of blame-storming finger-pointers.
The first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging - Will Rogers.
The government, while they cannot completely stop digging must slow down the digging to allow the hole to be filled back in.
Currently the US is digging with a standard shovel while attempting to fill the hole back in with a serving spoon.
The current administration suggests that we instead use that same digging shovel to fill the hole back in, but in the next breath recommends that a backhoe should be used to do more digging.
Republican caused the deficit. Republicans had a balanced budget, a budget surplus and a thriving economy which they turned into the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression.
The Republican "jobs, jobs, jobs" Congress then produced zero jobs creation bills. Then Republicans announced their single most important task was to make President Obama a one term President. So far Republican have failed at everything.
Every time Republican economic policies have been implemented they have caused a recession. The Republican base is a right wing minority that is completely detached from reality.
Why would anyone listen to a group who has such a disasterous record?
Who caused the housing mess?? DEMS! Who voted yes for the wars? DEMS! Yet they still blame someone else? Dems are children with mom's check book.
There is no way to convince the left wing nuts of what is happening with your re election of Obama and the Democrats. The answer, it has to happen before you wake up. Country goes down as well as all of us.
It took a lot more than "left wing nuts" to re-elect Obama.
No, the Dems just created more left wing nuts by promising more from the pockets of others, not realizing that their pockets will also be picked down the road by the policies of this administration. I voted for Obama the first time, but realized shortly into his first term that he was more concerned with his dreams than the reality the disappearing spirit this nation was built upon.
GRAND OLD PARTY IS DEAD!!!!!
The results of this poll is more a reflection of a misinformed public than of what is really happening in D.C. I agree that the system is more screwed up now than ever before, but the Democrats have fooled the masses into thinking they have compromised and the Republicans have not. Since the beginning of the Obama Presidency, the Dems have steamrolled their agenda with no regard for the other side. When Obama and the Democrats closed their doors and crammed Obamacare through, that was the beginning of this mess. Now, they have convinced a majority of the country that it is the top 2% that has any responsibility to fix this nation's economic problems. I'm not a rich guy, but I recognize when the masses are being led by the nose. Like Bush, Obama will leave office and go on to live a wonderful life, unaffected by the mess he leaves behind.
Nice theory, underestimating the electorate's understanding of what's happening in D.C. Sometimes it's enough to know that the Republicans have been hanging on to preserving tax breaks for the wealthy like a dog with a bone. It doesn't take a genius to understand that the growing disparity income that has led to a historic maldistribution of wealth didn't happen by accident, or that it's not due to 47% of the populace being slackers. The Republicans stated their agenda and dug their own grave. It's not the fault of the Democrats.
Windy, if a poll was put out there asking whether Windy City should have his taxes raised or should all citizens have their taxes raised, you'd find that the majority would have you being the only person paying increased taxes. No theory there. The votes were bought by the Democrats at the expense of the nation. Let's just see where we are at the end of Obama's last term in office. At some point, you will wake up to the fact that you can't just blame the other side anymore.
You are absolutely correct, the president and the democrats will not say that the 47% who would not vote for them do not matter, but to them we really do not matter. Romney was honest, the president is a liar.
Ron: You can make all sorts of suppositions about who's buying votes. Certainly both sides spent astronomical sums on advertising. But the whole argument immediately offered by the Republicans when Romney loss that people who wanted stuff voted for Obama is just the same old rhetoric. Of course those who want a strong safety net were likely to vote for Obama and the Democrats. Republicans made enough noise about cutting or privatizing entitlements, so we knew where they stood. But Obama won lots of votes from employed middle class people, or he couldn't have won. And the argument is also hollow rhetoric because the wealthy also want stuff from the government in the form of tax breaks, corporate subsidies, and a regulatory climate that allows them to accumulate more wealth. Corporations and industries and the interests of wealth have well paid lobbyists and lawyers to protect the "stuff" of the owners. It's insulting, cynical, and mean-spirited to watch the Republican spokespeople continue to blame the poor just because they need help from the government. That's class warfare.
Unfortunately, obama was elected by the walmart crowd. The people who kill each other over a tv on Black Friday. Take a look at them and they reflect the intelligence level and knowledge or lack thereof of the American voter. This poll reflects that. Very sad state of affairs.
It's the clueless walmart crowd that we saw videos of on Black Friday. That's Obama's base
You're wrong, rhcrest. Lots of Walmarts in red states and blue states. We are all one nation of consumers under God.
Astounding to learn that the majority of those polled will blame the republicans.
Let's see..... 98% of americans will receive a tax cut under the dem plan AND they'll get to take more from the people who already pay the most. Duh....of course the majority will lean that way.
Time for everyone to pay their fair share. Let's just raise everyone to 39% income tax rate - that way everyone is paying their fair share. Those who earn more continue to pay more. Those who earn less, pay less.
"oh but what about those horrible dividend and capital gains tax rates?" Beside the fact that those initial investments were already taxed once (I earn $100, pay 30% in taxes, invest the remaining 70% and get a gain for my risk....) go ahead and raise those rates too and we can monitor how investing in new or growing businesses shrinks or rises.
The Republicans in Washington answer ONLY to their constituents, NOT some BS-NBC poll !! They MUST do the job they were sent to Washington to do - stop Obama and the Democrats and our Nation's downhill slide into a Socialistic pig sty.
I hope the GOP does the right thing, stands firm against all pressure and does NOT cave - regardless of any consequences in the future. In spite of Liberals' unwarranted feeling of being drunk with power, little Obulls*it does NOT have a mandate for anything !
If we go off the "cliff", then so be it !!
Republican caused these problems through their stupidity and greed. They are supported by people who are detached from reality, like you.
The policies they advocate have failed every time they have been implemented. When, in 2000 they had the opportunity to pay down the deficit, what did they do? They squandered the surplus, started two wars on credit and destroyed the economy.
Anyone who supports these incompetent, greedy criminals is and idiot.
Who started the wars?? I believe the DEMS voted YES to go to war! Who caused the housing mess, DEMS!
Don't forget that the Dems played a major roll in creating the housing crisis. Don't forget that before the economy started to tank and 2-years prior to the end of the Bush Administration, the Democrats took control of Congress. Don't forget that Congress controls the purse strings. Many of us are sick and tired of the libs who only believe what they heard the Democrats tell them.
I agree that the housing crisis was a bi-partisan mess. Mostly it was about a poorly regulated and overgrown financial sector. Everyone seemed to be avoiding the reality of the bubble until it burst. The causes and conditions ran through both Republican and Democratic administrations. What the Republicans fail to do, however, is to credit Obama for keeping things from getting even worse, which easily could have happened if the banks and the auto industry failed.
Windy, it mattered not whether a Democrat or Republican had been voted president in 08'. I voted for Obama. It's a fact that a large part of his stimulus package was an economic failure. A D or an R President would have had to react to the emergency and I know a Republican would have done something similar instead of watching the bottom fall out. Obama has already gotten taxes raised on singles making over $200K a year and couples making over $250K a year starting January 1st through his Obamacare legislation. .9% on income from salary and 3.8% on investment income. The vast majority of those railing for more from others so they can keep theirs in their pockets don't even know that and worse yet could care less. Obamacare is the biggest tax increase on the masses in a very, very long time. The majority of rules for Obamacare have not even been written yet and like Nancy said, "we have to pass it to see what is in it." You sound like a reasonable person and I would hope you would admit this is no way to govern.
Don't make deals with terrorists (re-pube-lickins').
Republicans caused our problems and intentionally exacerbated them for political gain. They are obstructionists who put their minority right wing base above the well being of the majority. They are puppets of the wealthy.
We have to vote these anti-American Republican out of office before the destroy the country
admit it everyoneboth sides are equally at fault. This bull has been going on for decades. dems want the rich who pay more than 50% of the taxes to pay more while 40% pay no taxes. Repubs need to get off the high horse and admit as tough as it will be, we all are going to have to pay more. Dems need to agree to major spending cut, closer oversight on entitlement fraud, as well as immigration reform that works. the fricking merry-go-round must stop.
I just don't get it. Supply-side DOES NOT WORK. Never has, never will. Cut the @!$%#ing crap republicans. Democrats are prepared to accept deep cuts to everything but social security. Do the right thing.
What irks me the most and has for some time is a politician signing a pledge.Then if they don't follow that pledge some iffing genius will try to knock them out of the political arena,and find another dolt who will sign the pledge.It has always sounded to me that they couldn't run on thier own and uphold the major values of the majority of society.I've lived in countries that don't even have anything close to our system.People die before thier time, live in proverty,no eviromental standards.The GOP would have that happen to our Country turning back time just for the few.Can you say Bhopal.See our country was a pollutant dumping site,and we to this day are paying the price for the few.
We need a Constitutional amendment allowing the American public to cast a vote of no confidence in an elected official in order the have the bum(s) thrown immediately out of office with a new election held immediately in order to replace the politician kicked out of office. Other countries have it, why shouldn't the US? We would never be able to get something like it past the career-not-worth-it-deadhead-politicans now sitting in DC but if anything shows the need for it, it's this Congress and the lack of representation displayed by the GOP. The GOP seems to think they are going to come out of this fiscal battle smelling like a rose; guess again, you smell all right but it's more like a dead fish than a rose.
I don't think Obama is worried because no matter what happens he gets his way....Republicans fold and Obama gets his tax hikes on the rich (not likely) or if there is no agreement the Republicans get blamed for it, all tax cuts expire and then they have to pass a tax cut for the middle and lower class in January anyway to avoid sending us back into a recession and making the middle and lower classes mad, which as the polls are showing, will probably cost Republicans votes in 2014. Personally, I think the Republicans would be wise to give Obama his tax cuts, because they take a much bigger credibility hit with the voters if they don't.
Is there even an Obamabot who thinks that raising 87 billion a year will make a difference in the country's problems? Even President Stinky (BO) Hisself knows it won't. It's all about class warfare, and Stinky knowing better how to handle the money earned by others. Stinks has never done anything "productive" in His entire life!! Never EARNED a dime! Shortly after Stinks "gets" those over 200k, 150k will be rich, then 100, then 50, then everybody's rich! Stinks makes his comparison to the WORLD, and thinks it "stinks" that "poor" people in the US have cars, TVs, computers, and food. He wants to change that!
They don't call Him Stinky for nothing. It's because of the BO.
No... it's not. The middle class drives the economy, not the rich, despite what Rush likes to tell you. And the democrats are putting deep spending cuts in the discretionary and pentagon arena on the table as well. There's one group who will not compromise because doing so would be admitting that their entire skewed economic ideology is wrong, has been proven wrong, and will always be wrong.
Since MSNBC has a political agenda of course they will do what they can to make sure the dupes and lemmings follow their orders to think as told, not independently.
We are in the fight of our lives for this Nation and this pile of crap site is finger pointing.
Wake up people.
The polling data was from Pew and the Washington Post, not MSNBC.
Polling Data from Pew and the Washington Post? Oh dear god Windy - that's mother load of crap for MSNBC to toss at their faithful followers. LOL.
On what basis do you call the polls a "mother load of crap"? If they indicated that the majority of people think the Republicans are right, would you still call it a "mother load of crap"? Just asking.
Its -- you are an absolute idiot. Troll elsewhere.
if you keep telling sheeple the same thing over and over, regardless of the facts, they will believe and parrot it as if it were true.
Brenda - We have President Stinky (BO) holding a gun to the heads of the middle class, and will blame the Republicans if he's "forced" to shoot them??? Really????? I guess what we really need are hostage negotiators to deal with our Terrorist in Chief.
If I remember correctly, both sides agreed to the legislation that created the "cliff". The legislation is designed to get our credit rating back...and avert long term finacial disaster. Now neither side wants to take the credit or the blame. What a bunch of wusses. Why not go over the cliff and find out 6 months from now it was nothing but a speed bump.....as 45% of us suspect. The fact is, the public is being lead by our elected officials, rather than a credible source of opinion...like a well respected financial experts...not related or appointed by either side. I would like to see the media publish their opinions...somewhere on the 6:00 pm news.
PTI,
If it has not been posted already, the biggest insult is boehner standing behind a sign displaying 'Focused on American Jobs'. Are you flipping kidding me!!!
I— Wonder - you are so right - we all know that President Obama and the Democrats care more about Americans and jobs then Republicans. After all Mr Obama and the Dems proved it when they gave 23 million unemployed and under-employed Americans the finger by offering millions of illegal aliens deferred status and work permits so they could compete for jobs with citizens.
The first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging - Will Rogers.
The government, while they cannot completely stop digging must slow down the digging to allow the hole to be filled back in.
Currently the US is digging with a standard shovel while attempting to fill the hole back in with a serving spoon.
The current administration suggests that we instead use that same digging shovel to fill the hole back in, but in the next breath recommends that a backhoe should be used to do more digging.
From my perspective ( as an independent) I placed a lot of the blame for this issue on the Republicans until recently. I read the outline on what was proposed by the white house and it makes me start to lean right at this point. Much of the savings in medicare and SS was a means test. Which basically translates into a tax. Also the prevision to wave the debt ceiling can't be done. If fear what the White house has proposed is what the Republicans always talk about is that it is always just raise taxes and collect more money and everything will be ok. We have to cut spending too, not just tax more, but we are moving in this country of people who want to be taken care of.
Who are these "people who want to be taken care of" and how much are they costing us? Are you including the disabled, the elderly, and poor children? More to the point, are you including the wealthy who want to keep the Bush "temporary" tax breaks put in effect at the time of a budget surplus, because they they want the government to take care of their privileged position?
I am sorry Independent but I guess you missed the stance from the WH concerning letting the Reps. come up with the cuts. It is a mix of revenue and cuts the WH wants and I am sorry but that is very sensible.
sure it is a nice move by the WH , make the Republican do the dirty work. Make them come up with the cuts and then the next election they can tell everyone how they cut money out of the programs and use that to guy votes again.
and windy, you know some rich people actually earn their money and some poor people do nothing but live of everyone else. Also some rich people take from things and some poor people really need help. I am all about helping people who really need help.
Fine, Independent. Then why do you call this a country of people who want to be taken care of?
I always felt it was possible to have one or two corrupted politicians. It's almost unreal that most of the republicans in the house have signed on a pledge with a lobbyist.(Grover Norquist) Instead of a pledge to the people of that republican state and the American people. When one republican states he's no longer supporting the Grover Norquist pledge and going to do the right thing for the America people. He get's a phone call from Grover Norquist. Immediately afterwards the republican backs off with the American people and again supports this one man Grover Norquist. This is crazy folks, it's happening in front of our eyes. It's got to be some sort of black mail, what else can it be?
bgazer.
Both parties are NOT responsible. WE NEVER had deficit/debt problems before Raygun!! The last 3 GOP presidents signed TWENTY deficit riddled budgets AND saddled Obama with a $1.3T deficit even before he took office!This was a deliberately plan to cause a debt crisis so they could force the privatizing of SS and Medicare. They called the plan "starve the beast" and it was invented by Grover Norquist in the late 70s. When the President offered $4T in budget cuts a year ago August, the GOP walked away----to protect the bush tax cuts for the rich and the corporate loopholes. This is what they're doing right now. That is ALL a matter of history!! Republicans worship at the altar of the moneyed and corporate elite---- and give Joe America the finger!!
We need to DESTROY this version of the GOP because they are a danger to the survival of this country as we know it! We want our country back!!
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
(Bruce
Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush
administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron
Paul. )
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/tax-cuts-republicans-starve-the-beast-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/the-fiscal-legacy-of-george-w-bush/
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/blaming-obama-for-george-w-bushs-policies/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/04/07/paul-ryan-and-the-republican-effort-to-finally-starve-the-beast/?utm_source=allactivity&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=20110408
"Tax cuts. The idea is simple: if we keep cutting taxes, eventually there won’t be enough money to spend on these programs and they will have to be reduced."
http://www.governmentisgood.com/articles.php?aid=14
Not aware of anyone mentioning that Obama going out to talk to "us" is, according to GOP, playing "rope a dope". That to me says "we" are dopes per GOP.
(Memory says it's an old sales term for finding a buyer that's a sucker...could even be from a movie. Mr. McConnell knows what it means...he's old like me)
Cheese:
The first time I heard the term "rope-a-dope" was when Muhammed Ali Fought Joe Frazier and his strategy was dance around then to go to the ropes often, protect himself and wear out Frazier by letting him punch away. Frazier got tired punching Ali's forearms, then Ali finished him off.