President Obama and the Democrats have succeeded at convincing voters that Republicans are trying to delay economic recovery, according to a series of recent polls.
The new data suggests that about half the country, including a majority of self-identified independents, believe that congressional Republicans are using their political power to thwart Obama’s efforts to reduce unemployment, presenting Democrats an opportunity to make this argument more explicitly as the 2012 campaign moves forward — to undercut Republicans’ claims that Obama and the Dems bear full responsibility for the economy, and to make their pattern of obstruction a real liability for them.
Suffolk University polled registered voters in Florida and found that nearly half of voters, including large minorities of conservatives and Republicans, believed “Republicans are intentionally stalling efforts to jump-start the economy to insure that Barack Obama is not re-elected?”
On Monday, a nation-wide Washington Post/ABC News poll yielded similar results. The question in the Post/ABC poll was different — it asked respondents to choose between “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 and programs,” and “President Obama has not provided leadership on the economy, and he is just blaming the Republicans in Congress as an excuse for not doing his job.”
Once again, half of their respondents went with option one. But as Greg Sargent noted, that’s because Republican voters overwhelmingly disagreed. By contrast, a healthy majority of moderates and independents agree with the economic sabotage premise.
Also on Monday, liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas publicized the top lines of a PPP poll he commissioned, which closely mimic the the Post/ABC survey: “50% think GOP intentionally stalling economy, incl 51% of Indies, & 15% of GOPers. Details Tuesday.”
It’s not all good news for the Democrats. Polls still suggest Obama hasn’t opened a big gap between himself and the GOP on the question of who’s a better steward of the economy. But if the notion that elected Republicans are blocking economic recovery for political gain becomes a mainstream proposition, they’ve got big trouble — particularly if small but substantial numbers of their own voters believe this to be the case, and disapprove of the strategy.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
An Alternative to Capitalism (if the people knew about it, they would demand it)
Several decades ago, Margaret Thatcher claimed: "There is no alternative".
She was referring to capitalism. Today, this negative attitude still persists.
I would like to offer an alternative to capitalism for the American people to consider.
Please click on the following link. It will take you to an essay titled: "Home of the Brave?"
which was published by the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:
http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/steinsvold.htm
John Steinsvold
Perhaps in time the so-called dark ages will be thought of as including our own.
--Georg C. Lichtenberg
The (Confederate) South shall rise again, this time as the GOP. They are "insurgents" hellbent on toppling the United States government. They are waging war on 99% of U.S. citizens for the benefit if a small elite aristocracy. Only those peasants who have swallowed the hubris of joining the aristocracy support the GOTeaParty, thereby acting against their own self interest for the chance to win the lottery & join the 1%.
Where's the Rainbow gathering?
Ah but the Conservatives are not the old Confederacy, they are the Tories, that group who would have prevented American independence and a retention of British rule here in the "colonies." They never went away, and they are still working hard to undo what our Founding Fathers began. Sadly, many of them don't even realize they are working for this fruitless, impossible plan.
I'm not entirely against what Republicans are on paper (As a Cooperative Baptist I'm too Freedom of Religion to be in line with the Religious Right) and have voted for Republicans in the past but I've stopped voting for Republicans because for some unknown reason they, far more than Democrats, have put power and fighting Democrats ahead of principle and doing what's right for America. Of course, I've also wondered why a group as staunchly capitalist as American Conservatives aren't supporting OWS. The problems being protested are a result of undermining the market corrections that capitalist systems require to correct bad behavior.
Matthew Crockett Republicans are nothing but grifters and thieves.
Brian, Your opening salvo might be misinterpreted, it isn't Obama who is trying to convince the masses that the Republicans would crash the economy to get rid of Obama, reality itself is teaching that moment.
The media is certainly not telling that story, quite the contrary, the media is in cahoots with the Citizens United "class."but it is still so obvious to middle class survivors that they aren't falling for it.
My point is, it isn't Obama and his staff just pushing a selective political perception, it is simply REAL, and despite the fact the media ignores it, The People are getting wise to it.
Yes, the opening line is quite misleading and heavy-handed. It should read, "Americans are finally recognizing that Republicans are trying to..."
jared.parmenter Kinda seems like the author has an agenda to make it look like Obama is cooking this up, doesn't it? Let's hear it for good old "yellow journalism"!
What kind of people will intentionally sabotage the American people and economy just to get their own petty ways?
voteoutrepubs Republicans
Traitors, regardless of their supposed political affiliation.
"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." -- Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), October 25, 2010 in an interview with the National Journal.
The American people are not stupid.
musicman495 Unfortunately, too many Americans ARE stupid (and vote Republican against all their best interests.)
Polls Show Voters Much Smarter or Less Disingenuous Than Corporate Media.
Their supporters would not disapprove of ANY strategy to get rid of Obama. A significant majority of hardcore Republicans at this point probably wouldn't mind seeing the White House burn down at this point, as long as Obama was inside it.
Politicians get paid for only one thing: getting elected. Elections are won with money. Any good or bad that they do for the country is incidental, except for its influence on contributions from their supporters. Where we went wrong was with the first person to say, "I want to make my living getting elected to public office."
"There’s A Trend: Polls Show Voters Believe GOP Intentionally Stalling Economic Recovery" There is hope yet!
Bachmann, Cain, Parry, Romney, Newt, with a crowd like this, anyone can observe that there are better looking and more aromatic smelling floaters in a truck-stop shit-house.
The GOP are morally, ethically, and ideologically bankrupt.
Hmmm, this attack the GOP strategy seems to be working pretty well. We liberals might even be inclined to say we told you so. Imagine if he had been doing this around the time of the debt ceiling debate, the whole fiasco might have turned out a little differently.
ewhsolsonm You have to remember that this is after the debt ceiling debate where it was made bloody obvious to everyone that the GOP were fucking around. If the debt ceiling debate had not happened then the attacks on the GOP would not have the impact they have now.
Plus Its now clear even to Joe Public that congress is stonewalled so Obama can go out and make his case without people asking why isn't he back in DC trying to get a deal. Everyone knows that the GOP isn't interested in a deal now.
@sir t ewhsolsonm look, we will put up with the big earred idiot, but please do not make it seem like he cares about the middleclass or has any ideas for fixing the economy
lamonthewhsolsonm@sir Why is he asking for the millionaires to pay more to keep Medicare/SS intact? Why has he taken heat from Wall street for regulation efforts and consumer credit protections? Huh?
Liar!
Lamonth, I won't lie—I have been pretty disappointed in Obama in a variety of things, especially his political handling of economic issues. However, I believe his self-destructive fixation on bi-partisanship—when it was painfully obvious to anybody with a brain that the GOP was determined to plant IEDs at every step of the way—effectively painted him into a box of his own making, and made truly sensible solutions much less likely as a result. That's on him.
I don't believe he is as uncaring about the middle class as you do, but I agree that it's past time for him to take stands that he wasn't willing to earlier. Obama and the Dem Congressional "leadership" need to get past the paralyzing fear of submitting legislation that won't get passed, and instead realize that those legislative defeats are actually powerful weapons in the necessary messaging to the country, especially to Democrats. He's not an idiot, but I also believe his political skills and instincts—and those of his inner advisors—are vastly overrated.
Regardless, hardly a day goes by that the incredible sociopathic nature of today's Republican Party isn't made manifest, and I think it's a willful disregard of reality for anybody to assert that there aren't serious, fundamental differences between Obama and any Republican. To assert that Obama is no different from a Republican is as big a pile of horseshit as the notion peddled by some in 2000 that there was no meaningful difference between George Bush and Al Gore. We're still paying for the consequences of that ridiculous fantasy (including the many years in front of us of the Roberts Supreme Court), and we can't afford to indulge ourselves in the 2011/2012 version.
below are some of the accomplishments obama has been responsible for, myself i think he put lipstick on a pig and did not change the system at all
http://obamaachievements.org/
i thought some of the accomplishment were valid but did not even attempt to change the trajectory of society, i voted for change in the tax code, trade policies, and the patriot act
lamonth Well then, where is congress in this?
so bankers and the uber rich were not taken care of by having the federal reserve back their bets and let everyone else's investments fall by the waist side. obama and the fed reserve set this country back by about ten years regarding creating competitive markets. obama is status quo and that's it - however i will hold my nose and vote for the piece of crap call - change you can believe in.
Duh! Wake up people.
The GOP got their marching orders from the very first when Rush Limbaugh famously said of the President after the election in 2008, "I hope he fails."
It's good to hear that a lot of people are starting to realize that GOP is intentionally stalling the economy, presumably to ensure President Obama's defeat next year at the hands of of their, um, remarkable candidates but I don't quite understand how President Obama hasn't opened a wider gap between himself and the GOP on the question of who's a better steward of the economy. If somebody is trying to intentionally stall the economy from recovering, how the hell are they a good steward of it? WTF?
The Republicans have on several occasions openly stated they will block anything the President proposes to make him a one term President. They have consistantly put party above the welfare of the country. Party first, the country, well it is far down on the list. The corporate elite and the wealthy, and their oath to Norquist are at the top of their agenda. They are un-American and far from knowing what the word patriotism means.
"Nah,Ya think?"
But independents are still on the fence on who to support according to some polls. My friggln' head is spinning!
Well, it's about damn time people started to figure that out!
"President Obama and the Democrats have succeeded at convincing voters that Republicans are trying to delay economic recovery"
I think the Republicans themselves have convinced the voters. They are so transparent most people can see right through their excuses and illogical reasoning.
you know what is sad, i will probably vote for the lesser of two evils - obama said he would be a tough president with beliefs, it turned out he was a president of nothing. the only time he awoke to do the people's business is when his poll numbers sank - i'm sorry, obama and mitt romney are the same people (can anyone tell me what obama believes in)
if i ever see valerie jarret and joe knucklehead axelrod again - it would be to soon
lamonth Cant you fauxressive trolls get a new script already? That one got old 3 frigging years ago. besides, this article isn;t even about Obama or didn't you even notice, so why the hell do you want to switch discussion on him.
Freaking hell, its so bad they are just ctrl+Ving stuff at random now where the context is totally wrong.
lamonth But I bet you fauxgressives are proabbly really proud of the success of 2010, right?
@sir t sir t obama is the cause for the high unemployment rate because when he came to office he did not have a plan. obama let the congress set all spending levels and agenda because he had no clue - he or his idotic advisors. look obama never does anything except when his poll numbers fall - however he is better than a republican party that hates the middlcclass
prove me wrong
lamonth
Here's what Obam did in his first 100 days: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/obamas-first-100-days-10_n_192603.html
Here's some of what he's done since: http://obamaachievements.org/
Obama doesn't always say what he does, so you have to pay attention to know. He has done an amazing lot for our country.
lamonth I think you've been proven wrong. Now, go away.
GAboy so bankers and the uber rich were not taken care of by having the federal reserve back their bets and let everyone else fall by the waist side. obama and the fed reserve set this country back by about ten years regarding creating competitive markets. obama is status quo and that's it - however i will hold my nose and vote for the piece of crap call change you can believe in.
"President Obama and the Democrats have succeeded at convincing voters that Republicans are trying to delay economic recovery, according to a series of recent polls." Huh??? Convinced?? The President and Dems did nothing. The Republicans convinced people on their own!
It would have helped if the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats has actually done the things they promised --like cleaning up Wall Street, Lobby Reform and real banking regulations.
We needed more true Democrats. We controlled the Senate only if you can count Lieberman and Nelson....... SaintGenesius
AJM3SaintGenesius And a part time senator, and that only for 3 months if that. In fact Wikipedia only shows the democrats holding 60 votes for a single day.
Pelosi's house delivered 360 odd bills, its the senate that caused the logjam.
SaintGenesius Dodd Frank is a good bill. GOP and Wall street fighting its implementation tooth and nail. That speaks volumes.
It's about damn time!!!
Duh !
what's the mystery? didn't Sen. McConnell state openly that his goal is to defeat Obama, not to help fix the american economy.
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