Gallup poll
There was a slew of polls yesterday (five separate releases from CBS and Pew) summarized here:
• CBS: 71% shun GOP handling of debt crisis
• CBS: Support for debt ceiling increase doubles
• CBS: Compromise should include tax increases (66%)
• CBS: Only 3% want tax increases alone
• CBS: 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%)
• Pew: Republicans see no crisis
• Pew: The public expresses far more confidence in President Obama than it does in congressional leaders of both parties
Add to this Gallup, who concludes:
Two-thirds of Americans would like government officials to agree to a compromise plan on the debt and budget deficit negotiations now underway. Fewer than 3 in 10 want lawmakers who share their views on the debt and budget deficit to hold out for their desired plan. A majority of Republicans, independents, and Democrats favor reaching a compromise.
Take a look at the very revealing table: By 57-35, Republicans want a compromise. And indies (72-23) are even more adamant than Democrats (69-26) about a compromise.
What does it mean? It means that the message the WH has put out is sticking with the public - "just say no", the GOP House position, is asinine and unacceptable. They have lost this communications battle.
On the other hand:
Americans continue to express a strong desire that any agreement that is reached include plans for major cuts in future spending. Americans now by a 20-point margin -- 55% vs. 35% -- say they worry more that the government would raise the debt ceiling without plans for major spending cuts, than that the government would not raise the ceiling and an economic crisis would ensue.
That part of the GOP message sticks with the public. It is for that reason it will be hard to get a clean bill, at least without promises for savings to come (which everyone will be skeptical about.)
Oh, and for one other reason: not only does the public want some kind of reduced spending, it would have trouble passing the House even with D votes. That's because everyone in Congress knows what these polls show, and the idea that a debt limit increase is for paying past bills, not committing to spending more, has not been explained to people (and don't expect Republicans to.)
Then again, neither has Keynesian economics.