A bit earlier today, I posted about the Pew polls showing a split in concern about the debt ceiling (Republicans less likely to care) and Obama getting better numbers (but not great numbers) on handling it.
CBS poll
CBS now has a couple of polls of their own out, and guess what? Americans are educable (thank goodness!):
Americans are now roughly split on raising the debt ceiling, a new CBS News poll shows, with support for an increase nearly doubling since last month.
The spike in support for an increase follows dire warnings from the Obama administration and many economists concerning the consequences of lack of action. They have warned of a possible U.S. default on its obligations, a stock market crash, an increase in interest rates and a halt in Social Security payments and other obligations.
Some Republicans, among them presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, have deemed such warnings "scare tactics." But the warnings -- and the increased media coverage of the issue -- seem to have prompted many Americans to move from opposing an increase to backing one.
CBS poll
In a second poll, tax increases are shown to be acceptable to a vast majority of Americans:
The survey, conducted from July 15-17, suggests that Americans side with President Obama on what a deal to raise the debt ceiling should include: the president has repeatedly called for tax increases for wealthy Americans, as well the elimination of tax loopholes that benefit corporate interests, to go along with spending cuts as part of a "balanced approach" to lower the government's deficit.
According to the poll, 66 percent of Americans believe that the deal to raise the debt ceiling should include both spending cuts and tax increases. Only 28 percent said they thought the deal should contain spending cuts exclusively, and a mere three percent wanted it to include tax increases only.
Taken together with the Pew polls, they make a case that Obama's position is holding his own with the public and puts added pressure on the GOP to compromise, which they still show no intention of doing. It is interesting that only 3% want tax increases alone. Some spending cuts are going to be as inevitable as the sun coming up. From the
full poll:
But three in four Americans would prefer to see an agreement they do not fully support than for the U.S. to go into default (14%)
But the final package, whatever it is, will have to pass the House with D and R votes, since Republicans are incapable of governance by themselves. That's something we've known since the election.
The full CBS poll can be found here.