When a party is on the wrong side of public opinion on a major policy fight, its leaders and members have a choice. They can (a) acknowledge reality, explain why they believe the public is wrong, and take steps to persuade more of the mainstream to their point of view; or (b) pretend polling says what it does not say.
Take a wild guess which option House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) prefers.
In this case, the Republican leader is flagging a new McClatchy-Marist Poll on the fiscal debate, which includes a big quote from Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion: "Voters are not in a mood to increase taxes."
And broadly speaking, that's true. The problem for Boehner is that he refers supporters to an article that we can read, and wouldn't you know it, the poll the Speaker is excited about doesn't endorse the GOP line at all.
At the surface, a 53% majority said they prefer to reduce deficits by "mostly cutting government programs," rather than "mostly by raising taxes." (The poll did not ask about support for the Republican position: only cutting spending.) Just below the surface, however, most Americans would prefer to raise taxes than cut education, would prefer to raise taxes than cut Social Security, would prefer to raise taxes than cut Medicare, would prefer to raise taxes than cut infrastructure, and would prefer to raise taxes than cut Medicaid.
In other words, for all of Boehner's satisfaction, most Americans are simply not where he and his caucus are.
Greg Sargent added, "This gets to something interesting about the unfolding battle over the sequester. Republicans are proceeding from the assumption that the overall clash of messages favors them, because Americans like spending cuts in the abstract, as the McClatchy poll demonstrates. But one thing that's noteworthy about the politics of the sequester is that it is likely going to allow Americans to experience the impact of specific cuts in a unique way."
Yep, and as we know, Americans love the idea of cutting spending, right up until they're offered detailed choices, at which point they want to increase spending.
The sooner Boehner starts dealing with polling results as they exist, as opposed to how he wishes they exist, the better it'll be for his party.
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Puhlease, Bonehead has the lame-stream media that will regurgitate his tweet FACT CHECK free! Nothing like the corporate media to give you pablum and treat it as "truth".
Exactly! And those who vote (R) regardless of truth won't read the poll; they'll just take Boehner's word for it. Boehner et al count on this.
It's almost impossible to believe Benen is this clueless. Boehner is just participating in the normal way Republicans get the public to believe other Americans don't think like them.
Watch. Talk to people. They'll tell you what we all know, but then they'll say most Americans agree with Republicans. And Democrats will wimp out from the fight and lose the messaging battle. It's already happening.
Disgusted, I think you can talk to people and have most of them agree that there should be spending cuts. The problem is what to cut. Liberals want to cut oil subsidies, corporate welfare and the military, whereas, Conservatives want to cut entitlement programs. That is the problem. Unless there is a compromise, and yes, Republicans will have to compromise, then nothing will get done.
Duluthian,
"then nothing will get done".
Bingo!
Are we progressives really the only ones that fact check our own? Yes, I love watching Rachael... I don't take everything she says on faith. Hell, most of the topics I've already heard/read about, but enjoy hearing her angle. If she says something I didn't know, guess what.. I look it up! It's not the point that I'm simply fact checking. It's that I want ALL the facts and angles.
Is it me... or is it really starting to seem more like Repubs are more interested in faith.. and Dems are more interested in facts?
GOP is counting on people not knowing the facts. They wouldn't be able to get away with their damaging policies if people knew how damaging they were. Dems need to control the convo. And that does not mean hold a press conference and calmly say, "their offer is not where it needs to be." Come right out and say it, these guys are screwing over the country because they only care about themselves. Why not, are Dems worried the GOP won't like them and stall negotiations? Maybe threaten a shutdown? Please. Note to Obama: THEY WILL NEVER WORK WITH YOU. Press conferences and speeches aren't enough to get the public to take notice/counteract FOX noise. Hire a PR firm. A little hypberbole on the part of the Democrats could go a long way. Jeez, why is this hard?
Romney is winning!
It's true. Just look at all the lawn signs.
I saw a Romney sticker on a Subaru this morning and that's all I could think, "Romney is winning!".
Thanks for the laugh!
Yeah. funny how he had it 'all wrapped up'.... deluded RepublicanTs
The thing is, you only had to read Nate Silver's 538 blog to know who was going to win, period. The guy is a statistical guru... but it WAS sadly funny to watch... the apoplexy if you dared to doubt...
Boehner needs a twelve step program.
Make that a 24 step program.
I think he tripped on the 13th step. Well, the guy has to be sober in order to know what he's talking about. His best shot at math is: "Make it a double."
yeah but they would be two steps forward and twenty two back
I have a good name for the politics of Boehner and his House of Obstructionists:
The Kami Kazi squad.
There is no program too sacred for them to destroy. No jobs bill they won't destroy. No millionaire they will tax. In short, it is political suicide and nothing but bankruptcy for the working class and the poor. Check out that video as thing stand NOW!
If you haven't seen this, prepare for a shock. Scroll way down to the video when you reach the page. I cannot get this out of my mind. To me it says, "Hey America, It's already over."
http://ecolocalizer.com/2013/03/03/video-shows-us-wealth-gap-is-now-so-huge-that-it-soars-off-charts/
India: Wow, what a reality check. Thanks for that link.
Tony, I still can't get that video out of my head. I have never seen anything that says more about the trouble we are in in this country, and the chances against us ever getting out of it.
The ramifications of this video are nothing short of Apocalyptic. It is essentially over,
all but the shouting. It may take a revolution, as this gets worse every day. Worse!
I guess Paul Ryan either hasn't seen it or LIKES it, judging from his latest hatchet job of a budget. WTF? He needs to remove his head from ....well...you know.
The Ryan "plan" would take away all that is left of the middle class on that chart completely! And so very little is left now.
India LeCarre #3.3
Unfortunately, voters in their districts keep sending them back for more AFTER they fall on their swords. At this rate they will all look like Swiss cheese, below as well as above the neck.
on taxes, the voters have spoken:
http://www.dpcc.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=194
raise taxes on the wealthy.
This might work for them, and it's organized. The right wing misinformation patrol is already out there with stories about Bo the dog getting motorcades, expensive golf outings, and White House handwriters. Every story about people getting laid off will be met with another government spending canard, that way people will blame Obama...
In other breaking news, sun continues to rise in the east.
#5
Not in the right wingers world it doesn't.
that's because their world is only 6000 years old and flat...
oops
Seems to me the sun rises over Wall Street.
speaking of paul ryan:
http://kochwatch.org/?q=node/1223
koch's ax man. for medicare, social security, medicaid, ...
rip off the middle class, for rich tax cuts.
boehner's definition of "successful" is to get away with stealing and depriving people of their resources and productivity. as a cover story, pimped out boehner may even claim to be a christian. but the truth is, he is a deceiptful con who lies for a living. and he wants you to pay his salary.
Polls say his name is pronounced "boner" and not "bay-ner"
Everybody
Before this gets out of hand, a point of order.
If you want your opinions respected start by respecting others, starting with their name. MR. BOEHNER (that is 'bay-ner') may not be able to lead his way out of a paper bag but he is not calling the President 'Obummer' or any other such nonsense so we can refrain from such nonsense too. This way our ideas win, not our insults.
Following the rule learned in elementary school, when two vowels go awalking, the first vowel does the talking, thus Boehner is Boner.
The name is German, but lacks the umlaut on the o. I had a college roommate, last name Loebel - pronounced Label.
I'm all for cutting Boehner from Congress and I'll even personally pony up for his alcohol treatment program!
Trollop,
Too bad there aren't 12 step programs for liars. We'd clean out the congress. We could have the President say, "INTERVENTION" by executive order. Get in line.
Judging from the new Ryan budget, they have a most unusual and novel slogan for their 2016 election:
Vote Republican; We'll bankrupt you!
They seem to really believe what Janis Joplin sang in Bobby Magee, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose..."
With their policies there will be nothin left to lose for 99% of us. We'll be free!! Free from the constraints of a house, a car, nice clothes, college, health insurance, travel....Free at last!
"When a party is on the wrong side of public opinion on a major policy fight..." they push through ObamaCare anyway.
Yes. Best for everyone who can't afford health insurance to die in the streets. It's what they deserve anyway.
/sarcasm off/
Ahh, Steve.....you also forgot that "most Americans would prefer to raise taxes"......than.........cut off one of their appendages. Much easier to understand when we express it this way!
More troll speak.
*sigh*
John Boehner is delusional at best and should be impeached for mind crimes against humanity. The guy is a waste of tax dollars and is so disconnected with the American public.
Boehner needs to be impeached. He is of no use to the American people.
Look guys, it has been quite evident for some time that Boehner has significant blockages in both of his carotid arteries.Normally that would be serious, but, after all, he is a Republican.
I think a major problem is in the surveys. I can ask "which do you like more, strawberry ice cream or chocolate ice cream?. Given strawberry or chocolate, I prefer strawberry - but actually, I like vanilla drizzled with balsamic vinegar. But Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream are just lovely if I can't have that.
So let's say I give the choice of defunding education or cancer research, and you happen to be in a group that must choose one of the two.
Isn't that survey flawed?
So, when people have to answer the question "should we reduce government spending", a lot of people will say yes, because they've seen money spent on things they don't want.
But, reduce that, "would you like to have fewer police" "would you like to have fewer firefighters" "do you think you need fewer paramedics", those are NO.
Do you want your kid in a class with 50 other kids? Do you want to wait 10 minutes for a fire truck? Do you want to save money by driving on potholes all the way to work?
We seem to think these things are free: Teachers, firefighters, flight attendants, flight controllers, pothole fillers, bridge builders, weed eradication, child carseat safety, the TSA, ambassadors to other countries, county governments, traffic engineers, the Air Force, water districts, school funding, traffic lights, getting mail in a mailbox, oil drilling safety experts, sidewalks, snowplows, the Army, state police, scientific research, weather information, tsunami warning network, food safety officers, earthquake information, cruise ship safety regulators, physics research, the Coast Guard, the FBI anti-counterfeiting group, the Marines, nurses, PBS, state park police, port authority, city clerks, search and rescue, state biologists, water quality, the Navy, medical researchers, oil rig safety, national parks, interstate freeways, NTSB investigations, multinational investigations, the CIA, DoD, and your friendly energy grid.
these are the costs of being in a society. We all have to kitty into the pot. We all could need the services of one or more of the above groups, or potentially use the products. If everybody stopped paying taxes, what are the odds that your city would fill potholes on your street?
They really need to stop asking blankly "Do you wanna cut spending?" If a poll taker isn't willing to speicify what they wanna cut (and they can be vague, we're not budget experts here) then they need to be disqualified from saying they want to "cut spending".
Americans want smaller government, but more spending on education, infrastructure, scientific research, and job creation. Americans want less government spending but also want most specific forms of government spending protected.
Americans are willing, for the most part, to see cuts in defense spending. But not in the defense spending that affects their district in particular.
Funny Boehner never quotes that poll called the last national election that clearly stated Americans overwhelmingly supports Obama's stance of cutting wasteful spending AND raising additional revenue through closing loopholes and raising taxes on the mega-rich. Boehner only cares about Boehner and will tow the line for his uber-rich campaign contributors right up until he loses his seat. (which may be sooner than he thinks)
the tea baggers continue to strive to prove their lack of critical thinking, or just plain thinking. the worst part is these retards keep getting elected. how low in the iq scale do you have to be to continue endorsing these types of candidates?
So now they've cut spending. The rest is in the hands of the administration. Give them 6-12 months and they'll get the priorities sorted out. The military cuts are already getting focused on the crap that should be cut. If they close the National Parks Congress will be forced to put some money back. The Republicans think they've won this round but they are so wrong.
Instead of putting his Androgel patch under his arm like the other sissy boys, Boehner needs to stick his right on his nutsack.
I thought the majority of the country were quite clear in which path they want to follow by voting for Obama and his plan. The Republicans still don't get that do they?
How does a man who chooses not to read entire documents or comprehend what he does read get elected and become Speaker: