Just 20% of people want to address the debt only by cutting spending

[memphis]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/148472/Deficit-Americans-Prefer-Spending-Cuts-Open-Tax-Hikes.aspx

[NVGonzalez]

Both need to be done. At least Obama was serious at such attempt even if I didn't like some of it.

[Gustaf]

That's a bit disingenous way to title it. But I'd say the median opinion here is probably pretty reasonable.

[Bull Moose Base]

And I'm guessing that's skewed by people not even understand spending cuts would affect them.

[memphis]

That's a bit disingenous way to title it. But I'd say the median opinion here is probably pretty reasonable.

Why is it disingenuous? That's exactly the GOP position. And only 20% support it.

[Gustaf]

That's a bit disingenous way to title it. But I'd say the median opinion here is probably pretty reasonable.

Why is it disingenuous? That's exactly the GOP position. And only 20% support it.

Because even fewer people want to do it only by raising taxes. 50% wants to do it with only or mostly spending cuts, so the line that the main thing to do here is to cut spending does have considerable support.

[memphis]

That's a bit disingenous way to title it. But I'd say the median opinion here is probably pretty reasonable.

Why is it disingenuous? That's exactly the GOP position. And only 20% support it.

Because even fewer people want to do it only by raising taxes. 50% wants to do it with only or mostly spending cuts, so the line that the main thing to do here is to cut spending does have considerable support.

And which Democrats think the best way to balance the budget is only tax hikes? The standard Dem line is a 3:1 ratio of spending cuts to tax hikes.

[Gustaf]

That's a bit disingenous way to title it. But I'd say the median opinion here is probably pretty reasonable.

Why is it disingenuous? That's exactly the GOP position. And only 20% support it.

Because even fewer people want to do it only by raising taxes. 50% wants to do it with only or mostly spending cuts, so the line that the main thing to do here is to cut spending does have considerable support.

And which Democrats think the best way to balance the budget is only tax hikes? The standard Dem line is a 3:1 ratio of spending cuts to tax hikes.

If the point was to differnetiate between the parties that's another issue. I thought it was the general attitude.

[tpfkaw]

Well, I can't possibly imagine why the Republicans would possibly have that TOTALLY EXTREME position after the Democrats totally gave Reagan a 3-1 ratio of spending cuts to tax increases, and (H.W.) Bush a 4-1, exactly like they totally honestly promised.

[specific_name]

In other news Americans don't understand elementary math and want to have their cake and eat it too. The idea that polls should ever dictate policy is scary to me. Even if a poll result agrees with my opinion, that doesn't matter. It could just easily change in the other direction tomorrow. The fact is the majority wants low taxes, the best services and no problems or gray areas to deal with. The intellectual battle cry of the last midterm was "gov't get yer hands off my medicare," now that's a special kind of stupid.  

[Frodo]

Spending cuts are more popular among Americans than tax increases for the wealthy, but I suspect only in the abstract.  

[RIP Robert H Bork]

And only 4% want to fix the debt only by raising taxes. Your point?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

And only 4% want to fix the debt only by raising taxes. Your point?

You know that the difference is that nobody has actually suggested doing that, right?

[opebo]

And only 4% want to fix the debt only by raising taxes. Your point?

You know that the difference is that nobody has actually suggested doing that, right?

Well I did, but of course no one in power did, because we only have the two right-wing parties.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

And only 4% want to fix the debt only by raising taxes. Your point?

You know that the difference is that nobody has actually suggested doing that, right?

Well I did, but of course no one in power did, because we only have the two right-wing parties.

All right, valid point, but by 'nobody' I meant 'nobody with the power to effect such policy'. I might be confusing you with somebody else, but you live in Southeast Asia and therefore presumably are not a US Congressperson, correct? (Not that any US Congressperson would spend his or her time on a forum like this anyway.)

[opebo]

All right, valid point, but by 'nobody' I meant 'nobody with the power to effect such policy'. I might be confusing you with somebody else, but you live in Southeast Asia and therefore presumably are not a US Congressperson, correct? (Not that any US Congressperson would spend his or her time on a forum like this anyway.)

US congress villains have only lowered and never raised taxes upon the thieving class in the lifetimes of most of the members of this forum.

[The Mikado]

So, Barry Hussein's plan can be categorized as "mostly spending cuts," right?  (85% is mostly in my view).  So we see the argument be between 85% and 100%.  And these people can't come to a deal.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

All right, valid point, but by 'nobody' I meant 'nobody with the power to effect such policy'. I might be confusing you with somebody else, but you live in Southeast Asia and therefore presumably are not a US Congressperson, correct? (Not that any US Congressperson would spend his or her time on a forum like this anyway.)

US congress villains have only lowered and never raised taxes upon the thieving class in the lifetimes of most of the members of this forum.

I actually agree with you on this. I think it's a bad thing that nobody's suggested larger tax hikes, and that everybody seems to have bought into this bullsh**t, dishonest rightist trope that it's somehow better for the economy to allow truly obscene amounts of money to be laundered through corporations than to allow it to be laundered through the state, which if nothing else is theoretically answerable to the public.

[Mercenary]

So 20% of people take the Republican position.
30% take the Democratic position.
50% take a position to the left of the R or D positions.

[memphis]

So 20% of people take the Republican position.
30% take the Democratic position.
50% take a position to the left of the R or D positions.

Just like the healthcare debate.