To varying degrees, the question of whether congressional Republicans are hurting the economy on purpose has been bandied about for a couple of years now, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) bringing it back to the fore last week. But what do voters think?
There aren't many polls on this, but there's some evidence to suggest much of the public finds the "sabotage question" argument credible.
Nearly half of voters believe that Republicans are deliberately hamstringing efforts to resuscitate the economy in order to bolster their chances of defeating President Barack Obama, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
The latest survey from Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling (PPP), conducted in conjunction with Daily Kos and SEIU, shows that 49 percent of registered voters nationwide think Republicans are "intentionally stalling efforts to jumpstart the economy" to ensure Obama's defeat in November. Half of all independents surveyed feel the same way.
This is largely in line with a Washington Post/ABC News poll released in November that found 50% of Americans nationwide agree with the statement that President Obama is "making a good faith effort to deal with the country's economic problems, but the Republicans in Congress are playing politics by blocking his proposals." That's not exactly the sabotage question, but it's close.
At first blush, this seems like a pretty big deal. If the polls accurately reflect public attitudes, nearly half the country believes Republicans are so craven, so devoid of a sense of duty to their own country, that they're holding back the economy on purpose because they hate Obama more than the care about the rest of us. This should, in theory, give the president a significant boost.
But I'm not sure it will.
The level of national cynicism is so intense, many Americans may simply assume Republicans are undermining the national economy deliberately, but take their frustrations out on the president anyway.
Voters' understanding of the political process is quite limited, and many Americans may very well fail to appreciate the role Congress must play in policymaking -- no matter how hard the president fights for job-creation proposals, he needs the approval of lawmakers who are eager, if not desperate, to see him fail.
As a result, there are no doubt plenty of voters thinking, "Sure, Republicans are sabotaging the economy, but why can't Obama just go around them?" unaware of the fact that, on a grand scale, this isn't an option.
On a related note, Michael Cohen has a good piece on the sabotage question this week.
In recent days, Democrats have started coming out and saying publicly what many have been mumbling privately for years -- Republicans are so intent on defeating President Obama for re-election that they are purposely sabotaging the country's economic recovery. These charges are now being levied by Democrats such as Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Obama's key political adviser, David Axelrod.
For Democrats, perhaps the most obvious piece of evidence of GOP premeditated malice is the 2010 quote from Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
Such words lead some to the conclusion that Republicans will do anything, including short-circuiting the economy, in order to hurt Obama politically. Considering that presidents -- and rarely opposition parties -- are held electorally responsible for economic calamity, it's not a bad political strategy.
Then again, it's a hard accusation to prove: after all, one person's economic sabotage is another person's principled anti-government conservatism.
That's true; it is hard to prove. In fact, after last week's item on the subject, I talked to a learned friend of mine who balked -- even if he were sympathetic to the idea, he said, there's no way to demonstrate definitively if it's true.
Folks can obviously come to their own conclusions about this, but I'd encourage those pondering the question to consider three distinct categories.
1. Republicans oppose Democratic ideas to improve the economy: Every meaningful idea Democrats have proposed to boost job creation or economic growth has been met with fierce GOP opposition, even when overwhelming evidence shows the ideas help the country, and even when Republicans have supported similar ideas in the past.
2. Republicans oppose Republican ideas to improve the economy: GOP policymakers have traditionally supported monetary policy to boost the economy during downturns, as well as some fiscal measures, such as the payroll tax break. Under Obama, Republicans not only oppose Democratic measures, they've also begun opposing their own measures.
3. Republicans have taken deliberate steps that have made the economy worse: Literally every GOP policymaker on Capitol Hill last year said they would crash the economy, on purpose, unless Democrats met Republican demands to take money out of the economy through deep spending cuts. The stunt, without precedent in American history, did significant damage to the U.S. economy.
To say that the first point isn't necessarily evidence of "sabotage" is fair -- Republicans and Democrats disagree. But what about the other two points?
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(R)emember...(R)emember...(R)emove them this November!!!!!
And replace them with morons like you? I think not.
Better him than a drooling idiot like you, ignorant enough to flunk the IQ test low enough to be a Republican, you scum.
Owen, If your best argument is invective, you probably don't have an argument.
EDIT: That probably goes for both sides...
That was something this morning on Morning Joe and talk about excuses to again blame people who have been just general people who want fairness for all people and have finally been speaking up and expressing their outrage. Joe you have just outdone yourself again. Let’s not forget how it has been a pre-arranged plan by the GOP/Republican party, certain rich people and Bush Junior that assembled these people and were instrumental in picking these people that were voted into Congress in 2010. If you need an example look at Romney, where has that ever been a Democratic choice there, since Romney was pre-selected by certain rich people and anybody who voted in the primaries was a waste of time. And now certain Politicians, especially yourself want to deflect the very fact that it was people like you that made sure these people were voted in with Republican deception and now want to make excuses, justifications or try to passive the people with more lies. You wouldn’t be having these problems if the right things were being done that the people believed and had faith in. And if everyone looked to do the things that benefited everybody, except a select few like yourself and others, this would have never happened. It is a little late in the game to try to put blame again on the average American and again use the average American as an excuse for what you and your little buddies has caused. And if you are really foolish to say you don’t understand why all this has happened, well one of those reasons is Big Oil vs. Global Warming. And no I will not be changing my words just to justify more of the GOP/Republican crap. Plus people don’t need to be hearing about the so-called nice Bush family which is a bunch of crap, because every time a Bush is in the White House they cause a war with just more misery, despair, and death.
Indeed they are sabotaging the country. You can disagree with the opposing party and your president, but it is blantly obvious the GOP would rather watch everything crash and burn than to give President Obama any support or props. Not the republican voters per se, but those in office. They need to make things bad so they can keep pointing the finger at democrats and say "look! see! they haven't done anything". Yet they are the ones who are hindering the process.
Lots of people know that.
DAVID GREGORY: Do you think that there is a modern, right-wing conspiracy that has aligned against this president?
That a major news media figure would ask the Vice President such a question straight out shows it is no a secret.
The orchestrated business tactics - especially in the banking industry - even in small towns: if you're shown as voting Democrat, you are NOT getting that business loan... period. Or if you've made a donation to Progressive causes or to a Dem. candidate - no deal. (Yes, your voting record is PUBLIC; and all the databases are fairly easy to obtain) I emailed the Maddow site over two years ago on this. Problem is - the businessmen who could bring this to light - WILL NOT, for fear of retaliation.
The "sabotage" question implies that once back in power, the Right will change somehow, and implement policies that are not sabotage, because they don't want to sabotage themselves, of course...I'm not sure that is the case.
I believe they will pursue austerity-like cuts, continue to cut jobs from the public sector, limit the dollars that flow from D.C., and give even more money to the wealthy. The result will be dark days, unemployment and widespread disenfranchisement, where we will be free...To twiddle our thumbs while the 1% milk every ounce of value out of us.
The Right during wartime is fond of saying that Freedom Isn't Free, that we must accept sacrifices, the sacrifices of our soldiers lives and bodies.
Freedom isn't free. It takes not only sacrifice, but also real money to maintain the depth and breadth of what America has to offer in material goods and ideas, and make those available not only to ourselves, but to the rest of the world. It takes roads and bridges....And an educated populace who feels safe walking down the street, who can spend their time advancing products, not wondering whether or not their products could ever get to market. That is freedom.
Infrastructure and education are burdensome costs if looked at in isolation, but in the long run, they are investments, investments with payback in tax dollars and a prestige that draws the world closer to us.
But it's not free.
Freedom isn't free, but stupidity dressed up like freedom is even more expensive.
A good description of you Republicans. Stupidity dressed up like freedom.
@largenose, - Freedom isn't free, but hey if you've got enough money courtesy of taxpayer welfare - then your children can get exemptions from these wars of empire!
As for education the GOP don't really want people that think for themselves, it's sooooo much easier leading the sheeple to the slaughter that way....
"Stupidity dressed up like freedom" is a very nice concise description of teabaggers.
All progress is stymied by the willful ignorance of the populace. You said it yourself: "Voters' understanding of the political process is quite limited, and many Americans may very well fail to appreciate the role Congress must play in policymaking..."
Ask the average person on the street who makes the laws we live by, who determines how our tax dollars are spent, or who is in control of US domestic policy. Most of them will be wrong.
Most experts agree that Pres. Obama's economic policies would work. With this in mind, what will romney and the gop do if they win? Simple. They will implement all of the programs the pres. wants and dare the democrats to oppose them. The economy will improve and then the Evil Doers can impose their real agenda. War without end. Against everyone on the planet.
I have a friend who owns a lawn care business here in Phoenix. He has clients who are some of the wealthiest people living here. One of those (who is, of course, a Republican) told Luis that it is understood among Republicans and business owners that they must do no hiring or business expansion until after this 2012 presidential election in order to suppress the economy and force President Obama out of office. So, it's not just our elected Republican officials, it's also Republicans out here in America who have jumped on the hate band wagon!
What happens when Obama gets re-elected? That is just here-say, and I wouldn't put much stock in it. I always am leery of an argument that starts "I have a friend who had someone tell him..." While it might actually be happening, I think the fact that we have a stagnated market is a bigger reason why businesses aren't hiring.
Yes, the horrible economy gives some larger corporations the ability to tell all their workers "do more or else", and keep profits up and productivity up (the business term for you working harder for their benefit); since the job market is so horrible, anyone with a job is almost forced to just bite their tongue and keep doing what they are told.
I agree that some Republican voters have jumped on the hate bandwagon, but I don't think that there is a concerted effort by businessmen to not hire just to put a Republican back into the job of President. The elected Republicans, you can make a good argument for, but business makes decisions solely on a profit and loss basis. What that guy said is probably him just trying to "out conservative" other people. If he needed to hire someone because his business was growing and his current staff couldn't handle the workload, the last thing on his mind would be Obama getting to keep his job.
Nancy Pelosi was interviewed for a KQED program that was re-broadcast over the weekend. Her summary -- '...Republicans aren't interested in participative Democracy' (words to that effect). I believe that's accurate. "Kevin O'Connor" (above) offers the best solution -- get the word out, vote against their policies, vote them out of office, at every opportunity.
Absolutely! Bill Clinton said the reason the government isn't working now is because of this very thing, and he was right.
Another issue that goes to Republicans' basic thought patterns is that they somehow actually believe that our elected Republicans care about these Republicans' ability to keep and make more of their own money. I believe that is a misconception that is broadly believed, and the most likely reason is greed. Not an "entrepreneurial spirit". That is a discussion that needs to be soon before the middle class disappears and all those semi rich Republicans realize that in the view of the very wealthiest among us, they are simply middle class.
Excellent piece, Benen - nothing to add - well, except maybe -- imagine how Fox News would have excoriated Democrats if on Day 1 of a McCain presidency, Harry Reid had announced his one and only goal was to make McCain a one-term president; if, in the middle of two major conflicts with our troops in harm's way, Nancy Pelosi had threatened to cut off their salaries (shut down the government; default on our debt); if, with the economy as fragile as an eggshell, Harry Reid had sent a letter to McCain declaring that NONE of the nation's business would go forward unless McCain agreed to immediately balloon the nation's deficit (permanently extend the unfunded Bush tax cuts); if unemployment were at a peak, and Nancy Pelosi exhorted Democrats to vote against a jobs bill that would not only create millions of jobs, but would also start to upgrade our infrastructure.
"Sabotage" is too kind a word for what the GOP is doing. They have systematically undermined a sitting president every step of the way -- which is a bizarre strategy, were it not for the cover that Fox News and right-wing hate radio provide to them. "Vote for us - we created the mess - we sabotaged the president's efforts to properly address it - we want to double down on the same strategies that created the mess - what's not to like?"
This IS the issue that must be emphasized again and again. The GOP has blocked all very reasonable measures to improve the economy (and even so, Obama created more jobs in 3 years --4.4 million -- than W did in eight years -- 3 million, so Obama is obviously doing things correctly.)
so exactly how did President Obama create 4.4 million jobs- in my own business we have added over the past two years 15 new employees. President Obama had nothing to do with our decision to hire new employees. I support in a general sense a strong fiscal policy when there is a recession, but fiscal spending can only take you so far. That said, again how is it that President Obama created all of the jobs you reference.
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Only political cowardice and incompetence would keep Democrats from not making this a deafeningly loud refrain during this campaign.
So we'll hear little about it.
Dems are bad at messaging. If they, the President and his cabinet had started using the words obstruction with every press conference and speech, the theme would be a natural lead in to the elections. It should be the major theme for Dems along with the Ryan budget. A majority of voters need one or two simple messages rather than many messages on different topics. I think Dems could also weave a theme of Republicans being unpatriotic with the obstruction theme.
Yep, absolutely no doubt about it. They have the power to define the issues just by repeating words -- TRUE words -- over and over. They won't. Democrats are politically incompetent and impotent. They don't "feel" things in addition to analyzing and thinking things. There is a hormone deficiency and it makes them impotent.
Republicans no longer can be said to have a political philosophy, they have smokescreens for greed, and wedge issues to cleave the 99% down to 49% of cast and counted ballots.
I go further. I believe that the elected Republican officials are actually committing treason. They are elected to work on behalf of the people, not just on behalf of republicans. Their failure to do so reflects their inability to functions as representatives. Treason I say, sabotage is an act of treason for sure. And what do we do to people who commit treason?........
The treason began when it obvious to the Repugnitives that President Obama was going to win. (Bush, Cheney, et.al. should be charged with treason for their antics, btw) Virtually all policy put forward from them has been either undermining or obstuctionist in nature. They even changed the Constitution to suit their needs with that stupid 'super majority' nonsense. As long as Rove and the Super PACs control policy, nothing will change. I'm tired of hearing about the 1%ers, but unfortunately it far too true.
the scary thing about this is whether a majority of the voters really believe that if the republicans are given back the keys to the country they will suddenly come to their senses and govern for the common good. anyone who believes that hasn't been paying attention. an even scarier thought. what about the election after that, after we've had four more years of bush/rove/romney incompetence, and another democrat is elected? at the rate the g.o.p. has been going crazy, is it not possible that they may conclude that no democrat is fit to govern and declare the election a nullity? they would have the levers of power at their disposal to do it. this is really getting serious. if you think this absurd, i suggest you start listening to the demints, inhofes, lees, and bachmanns. they are truly deluded and dangerous.
Iran-Contra, libelous wars, stolen and bought and paid for elections, torture, intentional policy blocking, and the democrats sit by and let it happen. I'm surprised they did anything about Watergate, or did the republicans help them with that. We had never seen the like of 4 dollar a gallon gas prices until the Bush administration, but somehow the democrats are blamed and they sit on that too. I've seen more guts out of Rachel standing up to these greedy creeps that the entire democratic party in Washington. Hopefully someday she will run for an elected office.
Ahhh yes, obama the master of comprimise. I have yet to see this so-called president comprimise on anything. The way it is with Komrade obama, is: my-way-or-the-highway!
@Samhandwich
What a wierd world you inhabit! It is not without reason that I have (over and over again) labeled The Obomination as The Capitulator-In-Chief.
Starting with ordering the DOJ to not pursue investigations of the Bush Criminal Enterprise. Followed by his stimulus compromises with co-presidents Snowe and Collins which made half of the stimulus tax cuts which have been proven of little relative effective in stimulating the economy. Turning health care reform into a republican plan which the repukes then voted against. Ceding continued tax cuts for the wealth for two years to get a one year extension of unemployment benefits. And over and over and over again, The Capitulator-In-Chief has compromised unnecessarilly and weakly with the repukes.
What a wierd upsidedown world you samHandWitches live in...
I grew up republican......the people I knew were wonderful kind and caring. I know that they must be "turning over". I am now a Democrat..a big one...and I consider this behavior by the I guess you could call them Republicans , to not only be NUTS but treasonous. Yar the gang planks
Always nice to see another drooler who lacks frontal lobes and opposable thumbs demonstrate what a Republican is. By the way, what private little home-schooling operation taught you to spell, moron?
You MUST be a 1%er that will have no need for SS or un-employment benefits, have no need for teachers, public schools, police or fire departments, since they will not be funded. You must not drive since the Republican-Tea Party stallers see no need for infrastructure repair funding. Fully support a pipline from Canada so the 'energy' conglomerates can send all the shale oil overseas to make HUGE profits. Let Rove and the Super PACs make every decision for you, including ALL life choices and your religious beliefs since you will probably be stricken from the voter rolls because you didn't answer a letter you never got. Oh well.
As always with the wingnuts: fact-free assertions simply repeated ad nauseam like ham sandwich up there.
I haven't had a belly laugh in a long time...."ham sandwich"..thanks for the laugh.
Thank you for writing about this. It's something that needs to go from nagging question to full inquiry. It takes nothing for the Right to deem anything not to their liking as "unAmerican." I've long felt it's an action of deflection to take the attention away from their own very destructive behaviors.
of course the republicans are sabotaaging the economy; it's obvious; not only the sabotaging the economy, they are trying to sabotage the vote, to their own advantage.
This is obviously not true. The Republican House has passed and sent to the Senate numerous bills to grow the economy and create jobs. The Democratic Senate has blocked them on ideological grounds. There is simply too wide an ideological split between the two parties in Congress.
When there is such a split. effective Presidents of both parties have assumed leadership roles and overcome opposition. Reagan worked with Democratic congresses and Clinton worked with Republican ones. Obama simply doesn't have the leadership skills or talent of these former leaders.
What bills are you referring to? While there may have been a few bills called jobs bills, they were mainly just tax cuts to big business (sorry, but tax cuts don't create jobs no matter how many times you say it). Furthermore, almost all of the bills they passed had riders (or payfors(sp?)) saying no more funding for women's health care, or food stamps for the poor, or bills to repeal the health care bill (which is not job killing like they claim), or other cuts to the safety net. Conversely, look at how many great bills have passed the Senate that have died in the house - bills that would have actually helped fix some of our problems (granted, all of the fixes either party proposes are bandaids on gushing wounds, but that is an argument for another day).
Yes, the Republican house has passed a ton of bills; a ton of bills banning abortion, a ton of bills supporting conservative ideals, but nothing that ever had a chance of bi-partisan support. Yes, you are correct in saying that there is simply too wide an ideological split between the two parties - that happened when the GOP decided to lurch to the far right after Obama was elected. Obama has leaned so far to the GOP side, that he has actually proposed their own ideas and been shot down. Saying Obama doesn't have the leadership skills is like saying Boehner doesn't go to a tanning salon - all evidence points to the contrary.
Don't forget all the abortion bills. Think of how stimulative those would be to the coat-hanger industry if they were passed into law.
Just believe any lie, why not. Democrats really love a weak economy and high unemployment so Republicans will kick them out of office.
If you haven't read this article in Huffington Post or read the book "Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives" by Robert Draper, I would highly recommend it. It is so sad that their plan worked and they will pay no price for their treachery and the total disregard for the suffering of the American people.
"As President Barack Obama was celebrating his inauguration at various balls, top Republican lawmakers and strategists were conjuring up ways to submarine his presidency at a private dinner in Washington."
Robert Draper Book: GOP's Anti-Obama Campaign Started Night of Inauguration http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/robert-draper-anti-obama-campaign_n_1452899.html
Are Republicans sabotaging economy? I have noticed in recent weeks an increasing number of op-eds online concluding that yes, Republicans are sabotaging the economy.
But even if many in the media have come to this conclusion and a majority of Americans believe that Republicans are sabotaging the economy in their cynical attempt to make President Obama a one-term president, the question remains; What political price are Republicans paying for sabotaging the economy?
Despite the consensus of Republican sabotage, President Obama continues to bear the blame for the economy. And despite many in the media acknowledging that Republicans are deliberately crashing the economy, it hasn't yet changed the media meme that Obama is entirely responsible.
The reward, not the price, is their own country. After they provoke civil unrest with national bankruptcy and overthrow the hated constitutional republic the country will break up and the Republicans will have the "South" that they already have, a new country stretching east from Texas around the Gulf and north from Texas to Canada. And they can have it.
stillkicken - I don't dispute that Republicans wanted to make Obama a one term president from day 1. Reagan and Clinton also had opposition parties that wanted the same thing. The difference today is that President Obama does not have the leadership skills those two previous leaders had. Neither of them spent all of their time blaming someone else as Obama does. Whining does not make a President look good, especially when you consider that none of them are forced to take the job. They all go into it knowing they are going to get intense opposition.
Reagan and Clinton were able to fix the problems because at the time they were able to....wait for it...raise taxes to increase revenues. Now that the GOP is owned by Grover Norquist, and it is considered treasonous to raise taxes or cut subsidies, there is no way to honestly bargain with the GOP. Obama has accomplished a TON of things in his first term, even with the constant obstruction.
The fact that government spending has grown less in Obama's term than any other President in the recent era is proof enough that he has the leadership skills to deal with the cards he was dealt. Health care reform - passed without adding to the deficit and debt of the country (I guess that passing something that Presidents have been trying to pass since Nixon = no leadership), recovery of nuclear weapons throughout the world, killing of Osama bin Laden (yeah, that was definitely proof he had no leadership skills), a stimulus bill that stopped us from falling off an economic cliff, and repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Obama has been the definition of a leader, and you want us to replace him with Mitt Romney - a guy who can't even stand up to the wacko's in his own party? This Congress has been a different level of opposition than has ever been seen before in the history of Congress.
tsmalletz - Your reply indicates that you didn't read the article on Robert Draper's book and that you believe the propaganda that is being pushed daily. Reading articles from many sites, following up with research on information read and checking out empirical evidence is vitally important for the survival of our democracy and the defeat of an oncoming fascism.
blaming someone else as Obama does.
Bush denial syndrome in action.