Gallup/USA Today: Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight

[Democratic Hawk]

Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight [Feb 9, 2008]

Obama's 67% approval rating on stimulus is more than twice that of Republicans

http://www.gallup.com/poll/114202/Obama-Upper-Hand-Stimulus-Fight.aspx

Do you approve or disapprove of the way each of the following has handled the government's efforts to pass an economic stimulus package?

President Barack Obama: 67% approve; 25% disapprove; 8% no opinion (net +42)
The Democrats in Congress: 48% approve; 42% disapprove; 10% no opinion (net +6)
The Republicans in Congress: 31% approve; 58% disapprove; 11% no opinion (net -27)

Thinking back to the way you felt before Barack Obama took office:

1. 55% have more confidence in the Obama administration's ability to improve the economy; 17% have less
2. 51% have more confidence in the Obama administration's ability to manage the federal government; 18% have less

In terms of improving the economy:

1. 51% think it is critically important that the government pass an economic stimulus plan (29% Republican; 51% Independent; 65% Democrat)
2. 29% think it important but not that critical (37% Republican; 27% Independent; 28% Democrats)
3. 16% think it not that important (31% Republican; 17% Independent; 5% Democrat)
4. 4% have no opinion

Gallup/USA Today, Feb. 6-7, 2009

More to follow ...

Dave

[Landslide Lyndon]

Cue Sam Donaldson: "Is the Obama presidency over?"

[Democratic Hawk]

Gov't Programs Seen as Better for Job Creation Than Tax Cuts

Public thinks government funding better approach by 50% to 42%

http://www.gallup.com/poll/114256/Gov-Projects-Seen-Better-Job-Creation-Tax-Cuts.aspx

Preference by Party

Tax cuts for individuals/businesses % / Increased government funding of projects %

Democrats: 30% / 63%
Independents: 36% / 50%
Republicans: 66% / 30%

In terms of importance:

Spending related / Tax related

1. Money for education: 56% one of the most important (Dem 65%, Ind 54%; Rep 43%); 32% important; 11% not important

2. Tax cuts for individuals and families: 51% one of the most important (Dem 53%, Ind 45%, Rep 58%); 36% important; 11% not important

3. Money for expanded unemployment benefit: 45% one of the most important (Dem 54%, Ind 45%, Rep 30%); 39% important; 14% not important

4. Money for infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and electric grids: 42% one of the most important (Dem 50%; Ind 41%; Rep 35%)

5. Money for renewable energy projects: 40% one of the most important (Dem 47%, Ind 42%, Rep 27%); 41% important; 15% not important

6. Tax credits for home buyers: 35% one of the most important (Dem 39%, Ind 33%, Rep 31%); 46% important; 16% not important

7. Tax cuts for business: 30% one of the most important (Dem 23%, Ind 30%, Rep 42%); 42% important; 23% not important

8. Money for state and local governments: 29% one of the most important (Dem 35%, Ind 28%, Rep 22%); 44% important; 24% not important

[MasterJedi]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

[Holmes]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

Your crystal ball isn't working.

[Lief 🗽]

1. Money for education: 56% one of the most important (Dem 65%, Ind 54%; Rep 43%); 32% important; 11% not important

Good thing moderate heroes like Nelson, McCaskill, Snowe and Collins gutted this from the Senate bill!

[Marokai Backbeat]

2. Tax cuts for individuals and families: 51% one of the most important (Dem 53%, Ind 45%, Rep 58%); 36% important; 11% not important

Idiots.

[MasterJedi]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

Your crystal ball isn't working.

Nice try, you can be hopeful all you want but it still won't work. Just look at the New Deal, that didn't fix the Depression at all no matter what you might say.

2. Tax cuts for individuals and families: 51% one of the most important (Dem 53%, Ind 45%, Rep 58%); 36% important; 11% not important

Idiots.

Because wanting to pay less taxes is such a bad thing. Btw, nobody is stopping you from paying much more in taxes!

[Lief 🗽]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

Your crystal ball isn't working.

Nice try, you can be hopeful all you want but it still won't work. Just look at the New Deal, that didn't fix the Depression at all no matter what you might say.

Well, I'm no expert, but the vast majority of experts (economists, historians, etc.) would laugh at how ridiculous that statement is.

[Holmes]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

Your crystal ball isn't working.

Nice try, you can be hopeful all you want but it still won't work. Just look at the New Deal, that didn't fix the Depression at all no matter what you might say.

Then what fixed the Depression? World War 2? That was more goverment spending, that created more manufacturing jobs for weapons and equipment.

[MasterJedi]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

Your crystal ball isn't working.

Nice try, you can be hopeful all you want but it still won't work. Just look at the New Deal, that didn't fix the Depression at all no matter what you might say.

Well, I'm no expert, but the vast majority of experts (economists, historians, etc.) would laugh at how ridiculous that statement is.

It helped somewhat but it came nowhere near fixing the depression. The majority of experts would laugh at you on that.

[Marokai Backbeat]

2. Tax cuts for individuals and families: 51% one of the most important (Dem 53%, Ind 45%, Rep 58%); 36% important; 11% not important

Idiots.

Because wanting to pay less taxes is such a bad thing. Btw, nobody is stopping you from paying much more in taxes!

There's one thing about wanting to pay less taxes, and then there's another about thinking that tax cuts are an effective stimulus. Both are irresponsible, but the latter to a dangerous extent.

[War on Want]

And when the stimulus plan doesn't do much of anything Obama and the Democrats in Congress will be in a lot of trouble.

Your crystal ball isn't working.

Nice try, you can be hopeful all you want but it still won't work. Just look at the New Deal, that didn't fix the Depression at all no matter what you might say.

Yet most economists feel it did help the recovery of the Depression and almost all economists think that is what created the middle class of America...

[Aizen]

This is why there should be no effort for "bipartisanship". Nobody agrees with the Republican Party. Nobody likes the Republican Party. If the Republicans truly cared about America they would disband posthaste.

[Rob]

Obama's 67% approval rating on stimulus is more than twice that of Republicans

We are America; those other people are not.

[anvi]

I think two things are getting to people that makes them ambivalent about the stimmulus package. 

On the one hand, they are angered by the pork items that have been disclosed in the bill, particularly the House version, some of which are real pork, some of which were exaggerated by critics and some of which were distortions.  Still, after all the money taxpayers have already shelled out and lost, they don't want pork in a stimmulus bill, and there shouldn't be anything but very low fat pork at worst, none at best, in such a bill.  The House Democrats and the President blew that play and blew the chance at an intital effective rebuttal.

On the other, people, buisnesses and banks are seriously hurting out there, they need help, and in the short term, if they have to choose, they will choose help now and debt later rather than less debt later and no help now.  By focusing their criticisms on the prospects of long-term debt created by the massive borrowing and spending of the stimmulus rather than on the economy's need for an injection of capital in various forms to help struggling individuals, companies and states, House and Senate Republicans lose sight of the exigencies of the situation badly. 

But I think, long term, the Republicans also lose points on appearing to negotiate on the details of the bill in bad faith.  Case in point:  Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa used his position of seniority and muscle in the Republican caucus to insist that the moderate Senate Republicans negotiate  that $40 billion of the stimmulus package be devoted to AMT tax relief, which I am happy to admit is good for taxpayers accross the board but that won't inject enough money into people's pockets to incentivize consumer spending in any way that would appreciably effect economic stimmulus.  This huge provision, astronomically exceeding the puny million-dollar spending provisions Republicans have been nit-picking from the House version of the bill, took serious money out of education spending (essential to any plan for long-term economic growth) and state finance stabilization (also essential to any viable stummulus package).  Grassley got what he wanted, Senate Democrats agreed to the adjustments.  Then, wanting to have his cake and eat it too, Grassley, having singlehandedly changed about 5% of the bill's spending (a huge amount in an $800 billion package), diverting spending from education and finance into a tax cut, knowing that the bill will pass, will vote against it.  Grassley may have cleverly gotten what he wanted, but the bad faith of the negotiating tactics on his part stink to high heaven, especially in Iowa where they still have some fresh air left.  I do think that Senate Democrats were boneheaded and irresponsible to concede to this adjustment just to avoid threat of a fillibuster.  However, tactics like those of Senator Grassley are going to hurt the Republican party in the long run, especially against this President who is very capable of either actually taking the moral high ground or appearing as if he is taking the moral high ground.  When push comes to shove, you can argue about how much this stimmulus plan is like the New Deal and about whether either did or will help the economy, but what you can't argue with is that FDR always appeared to the American people like he was working for them, and he therefore won four overwhelming victories.  That's something that, at least politically, you can take to the bank.         

[MasterJedi]

Most Democrats are getting arrogant about their position in power a lot faster than the Republicans did. And they came in at a bad point for it (with the recession), they pretty much have to fix this or lose power a lot faster. Maybe now Obama, but the party in general will.

[Democratic Hawk]

Stimulus Support Edges Higher, Now 59% [Feb. 11, 2009]

Support up mainly among Democrats; flat among Independents

http://www.gallup.com/poll/114577/Stimulus-Support-Edges-Higher.aspx

As you may know, Congress is considering a new economic stimulus package of, at least, $800bn. Do you favor or oppose Congress passing this legislation? [change on previous poll]

Favor: 59% (+7)
Oppose: 33% (-5)
No opinion: 8% (-2)

Support by Party ID:

Democrats: 82% (+12)
Independents: 56% (+1)
Republicans: 28% (+4)

Support by Rating of Current Economic Conditions:

Economy is "excellent" or "good" (11%): Favor 54%; Oppose 42%
Economy is "only fair" (29%): Favor 59%; Oppose 37%
Economy is "poor" (59%): Favor 61%; Oppose 30%

Similarly, there is little difference in support for the plan according to Americans personal financial situation:

Worried about money yesterday (c.33%): Favor 63%; Oppose 29%
Didn't worry about money yesterday (58%): Favor 58%; Oppose 35%

USA Today/Gallup, Feb. 10, 2009

[justfollowingtheelections]

I made a map of how the Senators and Representatives from each state voted on the stimulus: