SurveyUSA conducted a poll for Democracy for America on election day, finding like every pollster has done for the past forever, that cuts to Social Security would be political suicide. Top line findings:
85% of voters polled are opposed to cutting Social Security.
2010 Midterm Voters support changing the Social Security tax cap over cutting benefits by 55% to 4%
Republicans, by a margin of 2 to 1, support changing the Social Security tax cap over raising the retirement age.
There's a reason it's always been called the third rail of politics. It should be, because it is so integral to our society and so critical to the well-being of older and disabled Americans. It's really telling that despite the years and years of Pete Peterson sponsored assaults on the program, happily parroted by deficit peacocks like Kent Conrad, the program remains so popular.
The catfood commission was a ridiculous idea from the outset, and now a major marketing failure. But members of Congress from both parties know precisely what this poll tells us: cutting Social Security is political suicide.