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Subscribe to RSSPresident Obama said he's willing to compromise, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will reject House Speaker John Boehner's back-up plan which would prevent tax hikes on those making less than $1 million. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
An overwhelming majority of Americans want Congress and the Obama White House to reach a deal featuring both tax increases and spending cuts to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, according to the latest national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Click here for full results from the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll (pdf)
In fact, majorities of Democrats, Republicans and political independents each support such a deal.
Yet respondents are split over whether any kind of agreement can be reached, and nearly seven in 10 believe that the coming year will feature Democrats and Republicans in Congress showing little willingness to come to an agreement on important matters.
Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff, says the public is sending this one-word message to Washington: compromise.
“Doing something trumps doing nothing,” Hart said.
Related: Boehner: 'Serious differences' separate GOP from Obama
The survey – conducted a month after November’s election – also shows a positive uptick in opinion toward President Barack Obama, and more negative views about defeated GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. The poll also finds that a majority of Americans now support gay marriage.
Fiscal cliff talks have stalled as 'serious differences' remain between both parties – and according to the latest NBC/WSJ poll the public wants an agreement, soon. Although both sides are still discussing ways to avoid the fiscal cliff, neither side is optimistic that they'll come to a resolution before Christmas. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
‘Hints of a thaw’
According to the poll, a combined 68 percent of Americans say that the fiscal cliff – the looming combination of tax increases and spending cuts set to take place at the beginning of next year if nothing is done – is either a “very serious” or “fairly serious” problem.
A similar two-thirds of respondents are willing to accept an increase in taxes or cuts in federal government programs they care about to reach an agreement to avoid the problem.
Asked another way, 65 percent say leaders in Congress should find a compromise to reduce the budget deficit, even if that means Democrats would need to accept targeted spending cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and that Republicans would need to accept targeted increases in tax rates.
NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro discuss the latest developments in the fiscal negotiations between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
By comparison, just 28 percent believe that leaders should stick to their traditional positions on the deficit – even if that means Congress goes over the fiscal cliff, triggering those automatic spending cuts and tax increases.
“There are hints of a thaw here, compared to previous data we’ve seen,” McInturff says.
Indeed, for the first time in the poll, a majority of Republicans (59 percent) want GOP leaders in the House and Senate to make compromises in order to gain consensus in the current budget debate.
Previously, in 2011, majorities of Republicans said they preferred GOP leaders to stick to their positions rather than make compromises.
And the percentage of Democrats who favor compromise on this question (70 percent) is now at an all-time high in the survey.
With Christmas less than two weeks away, the White House is faced with the same key question – Can House Speaker John Boehner deliver enough Republican votes for whatever debt deal he and President Barack Obama agree on. The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports.
Who’s to blame if there isn’t a deal? Everyone
Yet the public is split – 48 percent of respondents are optimistic, and 48 percent are pessimistic – over whether Congress will be able to reach consensus to avoid the fiscal cliff. And another 69 percent believe that the next year on Capitol Hill will be marked by division and little willingness to compromise.
If there is no compromise on the fiscal cliff and the automatic tax increases and spending cuts go into effect at the beginning of next year, 24 percent say they will blame congressional Republicans more, while 19 percent will point the finger at Obama and congressional Democrats.
But a majority of respondents (56 percent) say they’ll blame both sides equally.
Still, twice as many Americans say they trust the president more in handling this fiscal situation (38 percent) than House Speaker John Boehner and the congressional Republicans (19 percent).
And significant majorities believe Obama holds a clear mandate from the election on issues related to this subject:
- 68 percent say he has a mandate on cutting taxes for families earning less than $250,000 per year
- 65 percent say he has a mandate on reducing the deficit by both increasing taxes on the wealthy and reducing federal spending
- And 59 percent say he has a mandate on eliminating the Bush-era tax cuts for household income over $250,000 a year.
Obama’s lift vs. the GOP’s decline
Speaking of Obama, the poll shows an uptick in his numbers after his victory in last month’s presidential election.
Fifty-three percent of adults approve of his overall job performance, and 49 percent approve of his handling of the economy – higher marks on these questions than at any time during the 2012 campaign.
Another 53 percent say they feel either “optimistic and confident” or “satisfied and hopeful” Obama will do a good job as president, which is up three points from Oct. 2012.
“Any president has a little bit of a lift heading into the first few months of any new term in office,” McInturff, the GOP pollster, says.
Thursday's "Gaggle" which includes Jackie Kucinich, Margie Omero, Perry Bacon and Bob Costa talk about the fiscal cliff negotiations.
But if Obama is getting a lift after the election, the Republican Party is seeing a further decline.
The GOP’s favorable/unfavorable rating in the poll now stands at 30 percent/45 percent (minus-15 points), which is down from 36 percent/43 percent (minus-7) right before the election.
That’s compared with the Democratic Party’s 44 percent/35 percent rating (plus-9 points).
What’s more, asked to give a word or short phrase to describe the Republican Party, 65 percent offered a negative comment, including more than half of Republicans.
Some of the responses: “Bad,” “weak,” “negative,” “uncompromising,” “need to work together,” “broken,” “disorganized” and “lost.”
By contrast, 37 percent gave negative descriptions of the Democratic Party, while 35 percent were positive.
“Republicans have gone off the image cliff,” says Hart, the Democratic pollster.
“Elections have consequences,” McInturff adds about the GOP. “And among those consequences is the cost of losing.”
The consequences of losing also exist for Romney, whom Obama defeated in November.
Romney’s favorable/unfavorable rating in the poll is 35 percent/44 percent (minus-9 points), down from his 43 percent/44 percent score (minus-1) before the election. Much of that drop comes from Republicans and conservatives.
Majority supports same-sex marriage
Finally, for the first time ever in the NBC/WSJ poll, a majority of respondents – 51 percent – support same-sex marriage.
That percentage in support is up from 30 percent in 2004, 41 percent in 2009 and 49 percent in March 2012, demonstrating how quickly public opinion on this issue has changed in just eight years.
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted Dec. 6-9 of 1,000 adults (including 300 cell phone-only respondents), and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.
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The constant Party Chalk Quackers are a sad lot. Got to be more to life than that.
They need an enemy to blame
Boehner will not do anything until after he is re-elected Speaker by the newly elected House of Representatives. The new Congress convenes on January 3.
Tough to lead a caucus that has no grasp of reality.
...
The man in charge is the one to hold responsible. The fact is we elected Obama and gave him the power to be president and now he needs to be president and get the job done. He talks a good game with no action. I have the feeling of falling...
He'll get the job done or let Bonehead drive it off the cliff, he won't budge and I'm willing to pay a bit more in taxes to allow it to happen. If Boehner would get his teaparty children in line it would be done. I'm willing to put off retirement a year, I don't care if there's an interim step to the highest taxes on people making a million, but to simply say, nope, we want the rich to not pay more, drive it off the cliff and let the Democrats sweep the house and senate in '14.
Compromise?
President Obama: Here is my plan what do you think?
Republicans: We like many parts of your plan but we would like to incorporate these ideas.
President Obama: So you don't want to compromise?
This is how it has been for almost 4 years. I don't think President Obama knows the definition of compromise
Exactly how many votes does a President have?
Tracy, Obama asked Congress for an extension of unemployment benefits in 2009. The Republicans said only if you sign into law an extension of the Bush tax cuts. Obama yielded to the blackmail. He won't this time around.
You do remember they had control of the house and the senate, so they could have done what they wanted without republican support like they did with Obama care.
Tracy --- Wrong , they 'the Dems' only had control for 44 days.
Yes it is time to get rid off the old bunch off old f--ks. and get new people in office.some are dying in office.all they care is about themselves not the people. time for new blood. people that care about the people.they want more taxes .don't they know the money belongs to the people not the goverment.they need to get there act together
go home gomez
What a BONER!
you sound like you have seen a few
Why has the mainstream media been conveniently ignoring that the American public has been screaming at both sides of Congress to stop arguing and accomplish something since the end of the American Revolution? Congress still just does as it pleases, but Americans are only now getting fed up with their inaction on important issues and their dabbling in people's personal affairs -- like intervening in the affairs of the Ernest Hemingway Museum and how many six-toed cats it has!
The problem is'nt the Republicans are beholden to the top 2%, the problem is that they are intelligent enough to know that the taxes raised will do NOTHING to reduce our debt as the "Great One" has stated. The amount of spending is increasing while the trickle of income goes up very little. Also the fact that Obama has stated he might veto the bill, even with the tax increases if he does'nt recieve MORE power, mainly the ability to raise our debt ceiling without congress. You know, the ones that are supposed to control how money is spent. Obama also stated that thay just need to do what he wants know and then talk spending cuts later, even though NONE of the spending cuts have happened from the last time this happened. I say allow the taxes to go up on the 2%, and when it is shown that the deficit is not shrinking, like the CBO has stated it would not without large spending cuts, we will all know what the score is. Or Obama will veto it and then people will know what he really wants is the taxes to go up everyone.
Well the democrats re-nigged on November 6 and now they want to renege on their earlier promiss. Earlier this year when the democrats wanted to surpass our countries debt limit the republicans said "ok, but this is the last time, and when you ask us again we will demand you make spending cuts". The democrats cheered with joy and said "ok, we will make cuts in spending come December". So now it's December and the democrats don't want to honor the spending cuts they said they would make. Instead they want to paint the republicans as being uncooperative.
Your name is befitting, as you spell and phrase like a 14 year old from Texas or another of those red states where the chief export is tobacco. You and the 20 million like you, combined with the overall religious fanatics and partisan fools have crushed this country with idiocy. There's a reason the smart ones are leaving, you're all high on political heroine and you can't be helped until you reach rock bottom.
Moron, the reason the debt limit was raised was to ensure the government could pay for expenditures already made. If the limit is not raised, Uncle Sam's checks will bounce. If spending was reduced significantly, there would be no reason to raise the limit. Sadly, we are still paying for two unfunded wars and an unfunded Part D Medicare Drug program that pays exorbitant rates for drugs (probably because the drug lobbyists wrote the Part D law).
Sad that these idiots are our government they should be stripped of citizenship and kick out of the country!
Does this mean the President should ALSO prepare to negotiate?
Here's how to achieve compromise. Send Stallone and Carl Weathers to talk to Boehner and Norquist. America wins. Watch the trailer:
Who gets to visit the big chief and enforce his campaign rhetoric?
John Boehner should stand in front of Congress as well as the American People and explain the chart on the linked page below: WHO are the real conservatives and WHO are the ones that got us in this fiscal mess?
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
The Dems need to get off their lazy duffs and come up with a plan that is not laughable,that has not happened. If we go off the cliff it is 1000% the dems fault.
I realize the lack of intelligence with the obama.pelosi,ried,gietner,ect.ect this foursome make B. Madoff look like an Eagle Scout!!!!
Dave, haul out your copy of the US Constitution and look at Article I, Sections 7 & 8. Those sections require the House of Representatives to initiate all revenue (7) and spending (8) bills. It just so happens that the R's are the majority party in the House.
NBC poll... LOL. They must be the same ones who counted the Nov. votes in the same precincts that Romney didn't get one vote.. Lopsided LibTards at it again. The Anointed one is the reason for the cliff stupid.. It's not a tax issue it's a SPENDING issue. - Please use your common sense, were heading towards 17 trillion in debt. Taxing the rich may get rid of 1 Trillion if the Dems don't spend it first. But hey, Just as long as you FEEL all fuzzy and happy that's all that matters Right?
Wow! There were precincts where Romney didn't get a single vote? Where? Got a link?
Bob, still waiting.
Posted two separate links but for some reason afterwards there not there..Hmmmmmm. Not sure if I'm not doing something right.. Or MSN doesn't won't anybody to see them and is deleting them??? LOL
Bob there were precincts that smart?
The Republicans need to wake the freak up. I am sick to death of them and their attachment to the religious right and the uber rich. Oh, wait, that is who they are!
Odumbo is just a puppet on a string.
He has no respect even from his own cabinet. He will allow America to fail and that is what is what it will take to wake people up.
Dictator Obama did not get a clear mandate from the people--65.2 million votes vs 60.6 million votes is not a clear mandate. Even if Obama gets everything he wants, the deficit will continue to rise because he is bound and determined to ruin this country by the time he (thankfully) leaves office. And when the deficit continues to skyrocket, we can all be reassured that Obama will have others to blame.
Taxes were highest under Clinton.. then Republican tax cuts for the wealthy really messed up an allready screwed up mess.. there is now way out only death.
In 1944, the top income tax rate was 94%; in 1952 under Ike it went all the way down to 92%. In the good old days when we went to war we paid for it ourselves. Today we borrow from China and India.
John Boehner should stand in front of Congress as well as the American People and explain the chart on the linked page below: WHO are the real conservatives and WHO are the ones that got us in this fiscal mess ?
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
Boehner needs to keep his big mouth shut. You can't reach a deal when you publicly blame the other side every day instead of negotiating in private. He can continue to state his position without saying the President won't compromise because that is an outright lie. Obama has made quite a few offers and they've been rejected because the bottom line is the repubs insist on keeping the tax breaks for the rich instead of giving the middle class the tax breaks now and negotiating the tax breaks for the rich later with the rest of the issues.
Cat, Boehner is not talking to America, he is trying to keep the wackos in his own caucus under control. "Look at me, I'm putting up a fight with the President!"
I've been saying this for some time now, but my bet is that Boehner will not reach a deal until after the new House convenes on January 3 and re-elects him Speaker.
The truth is, the middle class is crash. It get worst everyday. I don't thing our Country is heading to the right
direction. The Propaganda that the Media and the Government "Taxing the Rich", actually the Tax will go up for everybody. Just tell the whole truth. People are misinformed. The Republican oppose the massive spending. But the media don't talk about the massive spending. All you hear is Taxing the Rich. Have you notice the dwindling of jobs? If we keep our ignorance, they will continue to feed us wrong message.
There is no fiscal cliff. This is just another Obama distraction. He doesn't want the public to continue questioning what happened in Bengazi, the massive voting fraud that got him illegality re-elected, his ineligibility to be president, his stolen Social Security number, his forgeries, etc. etc. etc. It is all a very well elaborated plan to finally turn the United States of America into a communist country.
Nice to see someone else SEE's the Truth...
Bob, still waiting for where those precincts are that you said in post #117 that not one vote was cast for Romney.
Melissa, Rush called. He wants his cerebellum returned.
Neither Nobummer or Bonehed realise listining to people who destroyed the US economy can find thier way out of a garbage can.It's time to clean house in the IRS and remove all the loop hole created by the Leaders in the IRS.Why is it the entitlement people along with the rich pay no taxes while the middle class pays the most ??????
Did you see the poll questions offered?
The last poll I was called on from NBC/WSJ was like this -
Do you like red?
or
If nothing else was available, would you like red?