Another Messaging Problem For Democrats: 71% of Americans Think That It’s Important That Republicans Should Listen to TEA Party

It looks like the Democrats have another messaging problem. Despite the left’s attempt at trivializing and demonizing the TEA party for the past year or so, 71% of all Americans still believe that it is important for the Republicans to listen to the grassroots movement, according to a new Gallup poll:

About 7 in 10 national adults, including 88% of Republicans, say it is important that Republican leaders in Congress take the Tea Party movement's positions and objectives into account as they address the nation's problems. …

Although few Democrats (6%) are supporters of the Tea Party or even have a favorable view of it (11%), more than half say it is important that the Republican Party take the Tea Party’s positions into account. Why this is the case is unclear, although Democrats may simply feel that the opposing party should pay attention to all of its constituencies.

Perhaps underscoring the same principle, Republicans overwhelming feel their leaders should take the Tea Party’s positions into account, even though barely half are self-identified as Tea Party supporters."

This poll is especially telling, if you consider when the poll was taken. Ed Morrissey explains:

I’d somehow doubt that Democrats are really all that concerned about whether the GOP listens to “all its constituencies.” Their party leaders and the media spend most of their time sneering at the “teabaggers,” and dismissing them as cranks, or worse. The flip side to this analysis is that 44% of Democrats would think it unimportant for politicians to pay attention to their constituents, which seems unlikely to be the case.

“New survey” is somewhat relative. While Gallup published these results today, the survey itself was taken between January 14 and 16, within a few days after the shooting in Tucson and the media’s rush to smear the Tea Party as an unindicted co-conspirator. If those numbers were ever going to suffer, it would have been that week. Yet majorities in all party affiliations think that their ideas deserve important consideration, including 53% of Democrats, 72% of independents, and 88% of Republicans.

So, all of the left’s demagoguing and their attempt at convicting Palin and the TEA party for the Tucson Tragedy in the court of public opinion has fallen on deaf ears. Hopefully, the Democrats will stop their pointless finger-pointing, but I doubt that will ever happen. They’re hoping that if they repeat it long enough that people will eventually start to believe it, but they don’t seem to be having any luck.

More Democratic Messaging Fail: Only 28% Believe Repealing ObamaCare Will Increase Deficit, 39% Believe That Repeal Will Reduce It

Here’s more bad news for the Democrats:

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% believe repeal will reduce government spending, and another 21% say repeal will have no impact. Just 28% of Likely U.S. Voters believe repeal of the health care law will increase federal spending…

Similarly, 36% say repeal of the health care law will reduce the federal deficit, while 23% say repeal will have no impact. Only 29% predict that repeal will increase the federal budget deficit.

It is interesting to note a significant difference in perspective when asking about the impact of repeal compared to the impact of the law itself. While only 36% say repeal will reduce the deficit, most voters have consistently said that the implementation of the measure is likely to increase the deficit. That belief has ranged from 51% to 63%.

The most recent CBO report seems to support the beliefs of the majority of the American people.

Is this just more “bad messaging” from the Democrats, or is it really that most Americans just don’t believe them?

New Poll Shows 53% Believe Media Is Exploiting Tuscon Tragedy to Hurt Conservatives

A new Gallup poll from USA Today shows that, despite Democrats and the media constant assertions that the right and (especially Palin) is to blame for the shooting in Tuscon, not only isn’t America not buying it, but they, also, see it for what it is, the left exploiting this tragedy to further their own political agenda:

A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds Americans dubious that the heated language used in politics today was a major factor that influenced the alleged gunman in last week's shootings in Tucson, Ariz. Twenty percent say such rhetoric was a major factor in the shootings, while 22% cite it as a minor factor; 42% say it was not a factor at all. Democrats are more likely than independents or Republicans to believe political debate played a role….


Most Americans reject that theory, with 53% agreeing that commentators who allege conservative rhetoric was responsible were mostly attempting to use the tragedy to make conservatives look bad. Roughly one in three, 35%, say the commentators were making a legitimate point about how dangerous the language used by conservatives can be.

This poll was done three days after the shooting, giving people plenty of time to make up their minds on the issue.

Of course, gun control has, also, been brought up by the Democrats in the wake of the shootings, but the people aren’t buying those tickets, either:

Most Americans, though, do not believe tougher gun laws in Arizona would have prevented these shootings. One in five say stricter laws would have prevented the tragedy, while 72% disagree. Democrats, who are more likely to support gun restrictions, are also more likely to believe the shootings could have been prevented if tougher gun laws were in place, but a majority of this group still says the shootings would have occurred regardless.

This is not going to help new gun control laws, like the one from Rep. King (R-NY) prohibiting guns within a 1,000 feet of any federal official, from gaining enough momentum to pass, especially in the heavily Republican House. New gun laws, probably, wouldn’t even pass the pro-2nd amendment Democrats in the Senate.

This meme is a dead issue for the Democrats, and they should give it up and move on.

Rasmussen: Majority of Americans Believe ObamaCare WILL BE Repealed For First Time Ever, Here's Why?

There has been a dramatic shift in ObamaCare debate over the past few weeks. According to a new Rasmussen poll, a majority of Americans believe that it is at least somewhat likely that the bill WILL BE repealed, for the first time ever. For months, a majority has felt it should be, but now, people are believing that it could actually happen:

For the first time since Democrats in Congress passed the health care bill in March, a majority of U.S. voters believe the measure is likely to be repealed.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is at least somewhat likely that the health care plan will be repealed. Thirty-three percent (33%) view repeal as unlikely. Those figures include 16% who believe repeal is Very Likely and 5% who believe it is Not at All Likely.

The number who view repeal as Likely is up from 47% last month  and from 38% in early April. Belief that the plan is likely to be repealed has been hovering in the 40% range in surveys since April but began to rise in late October. Last week, a federal judge found a key provision in the law to be unconstitutional.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of voters now favor repeal of the health care law, including 40% who Strongly Favor it. Forty-one percent (41%) are opposed to repeal, with 31% Strongly Opposed. Support for repeal has ranged from 50% to 63% in weekly tracking since the bill became law in late March. Last week, support for repeal was at 60%.

Why is this happening? The overall mood of the country really hasn't changed much. Just as many believe that it should be repealed as before. The reasons for this shift is two-fold.

One, the Republicans are taking over the House and gaining power in the Senate, although not total control.

Secondly, there are the court cases in Virginia and Florida that is deciding the constitutionality of the law. The judge in Virginia has already declared the individual mandate unconstitutional, and the Florida case doesn't seem to be breaking the administration's way, either.

As the new Speaker of the House, John Boehner has already said that a bill to reapeal ObamaCare will be one of the first things on his agenda, and with the Republicans in control of the House, it is almost a certainty that it'll pass the House.

On the other side of Congress, the Senate is much more tricky. The Democrats will still control the agenda on that side, and it'll need a significant amount of support from the Senate Democrats, in order for it to get passed.

If it does somehow pass both sides of Congress, there's 0% chance of it being signed by Obama, at this point. In a recent conversation with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the president said that ther was no way that he would sign anything that would repeal his key piece of legislation that was a core component of his dopmestic agenda.

However, if public opinion gets too bad, he may have to do it, in order to get re-elected. Also, if the Supreme Court declares part or all of it unconstitutional, he may have no choice.

So, a repeal is still a long shot, but the tide is turning in that direction.

Over Half Believe That They're Worse Off Now Than Two Years Ago

Morning has come to America, once again. The question was asked whether or not people feel like they're better off now than they were two years ago before Obama took office, and the majority of those polled said no:

A new survey suggests that just over half of Americans say they're worse off now than they were two years ago.

And a Bloomberg National Poll released Thursday also indicates that two-thirds of the public thinks the country's headed on the wrong track, slightly higher than in other recent surveys by other organizations.

According to the Bloomberg poll, 51 percent of the public says they're worse off now than they were two years ago, with 35 saying that they are better off now that when President Barack Obama took office. Fourteen percent, meanwhile, are not sure.

Only a quarter of Republicans questioned in the survey saying they're better off now than they were two years ago, with that number rising to 34 percent for independent voters and 44 percent for Democrats.

This isn't really all of that surprising. Unemployment hasn't really budged in months, and most people has thought that the country is going in the wrong direction in months. If taxes go up in January because the liberal Democrats and hardline conservatives hold up the Obama's tax compromise, this will number will go up dramatically.

Twice As Many Americans Disagree With Extending Unemployment Benefits Than Agree

This seems to fly in the face regarding to Obama's claim that Americans are with him on the issues:

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that nearly half (49%) of adults, in fact, think providing unemployment benefits for 99 weeks increases the number of people who remain unemployed. Just 28% disagree, while another 23% are not sure.

Unemployed Americans are now eligible for up to 99 weeks of combined state and federal unemployment benefits because of emergency legislation passed by Congress. This legislation is now up for renewal. But 41% think 99 weeks for benefits is too long, while 16% say it’s too short a period. Thirty-four percent (34%) feel the benefits period is about right.

Perhaps one reason for the skepticism about the lengthy benefits arrangement is the finding that 58% of adults think it is possible for anyone with a college degree and willing to work to find a job within 99 weeks. Only 22% don’t think it’s possible for someone like that to find employment in a nearly two-year period. One-in-five (20%) are undecided.

He may have more of an argument regarding the upper-end tax hikes, but even then, Obama only has a very slight advantage over the GOP on the issue. However, most of the issues aren't that close.

This doesn't bode well for Obama and the Democrats, if he continues with the thinking that the American people are by-in-large on his side. They aren't, and last month's election should have proved that to the Democrats resoundingly. Unfortunately, they still haven't heard you. Americans will just have to talk louder in two years, if he doesn't wise-up by 2012.

Palate Cleanser: Dubya Job Approval Rises to 47%, While Obama Falls to 45%

This is just an interesting FYI from a Gallup poll that was released yesterday:

Notice President George W. Bush’s approval is at 47 percent.

Meanwhile, Gallup also finds President Obama’s current approval is… 45 percent.

Much of this rebound can be attributed to hindsight being 20/20, time healing the wounds of the economic crisis, or whatever other cliche that you want to use.

Many people are watching him on his interviews on his book tour and reading his book, and they are realizing that he didn't do as bad as a job as they may have thought in the heat of the economic crisis in the final months of his presidency.

Will he ever be considered the best modern president? Probably not, but when it is all said and done, he'll wind up somewhere in the middle.

I'm Shocked...Shocked, Poll Says Americans Evenly Split Over Extending Tax Cuts For Wealthy

This poll was released this morning shows that the country is just about evenly split over the Bush tax cuts issue:

As top Democrats and Republicans begin negotiations over extending the Bush-era tax cuts, a national poll indicates that the public remains divided on whether the wealthiest Americans should continue to receive those cuts.

Four in ten questioned in a USA Today/Gallup survey released Wednesday say that the cuts should be extended for all Americans, with 44 percent saying they support extending the tax breaks but setting limits on how much of wealthy Americans’ income is eligible for the lower rates, and 13 percent saying the cuts should be allowed to expire at the end of the year.

An Associated Press-CNBC poll released Tuesday indicates that half questioned wanted tax cuts to be extended only for families making under $250,000 a year, with 34 percent saying they should be extended for all Americans, and 14 percent calling for the cuts to sunset for everyone at the end of the year.

Forty-nine percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey conducted in the middle of November said the tax cuts should be extended for families making less than $250,000 a year, with another 15 percent that said the cuts should not be extended for anyone. That left 35 percent who favor an extension of the tax cuts for all Americans regardless of how much money they make.

This really shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, but it was still worth mentioning.

Shocker: New Poll Shows Only 26% of Americans Believe Obama Will Be Two-Term President

This shocker of a poll came out late last night. Could they have been trying to bury this bad news? Obama, please read and head. America is talking to you:

The midterms not only dealt a big shock to the Democrats, but also sent a message to President Obama. According to the new POLITICO "Power and the People" poll, only 26 percent of the public believes he will now be re-elected as President in 2012.

This difference of expectations could mislead the president if he is listening to the Beltway chatter – right here in D.C. he may just find a lot of comfort in this assessment by insiders , and that may lead to actions that don’t fully adjust for the sea change that has occurred among the general public.

This big difference can partially be explained by the different ways that the two groups see the economy and the world today. Seventy percent of D.C. elites admit that they have been affected less than the average citizen when it comes to the economic downturn. The elites see the Tea Party as purely a fad (70 percent). In contrast, those who say that the President will not be re-elected see the country as headed in the wrong direction by 82 percent, the economy in the wrong direction by 81 percent and overwhelmingly want repeal of healthcare at the top of the agenda. Among the quarter of the public that sees his re-election as probable, they see the economy turning around by nearly 3 to 1. They are the outliers of the electorate, suggesting that the President has a lot more work to do to get back on track for a second term.

It'll be definitely be big-time trouble for Obama, if he listens to the Washington Democratic leadership. Both Pelosi and Reid seem to be clueless, when it comes to knowing what mainstream America is thinking. They both staying in the leadership positions, even though they lead their party to historic losses.

If Obama has any shot at all to becoming a two-termer, he must move to the center, just like Clinton did after 1994 mid-terms.

New Poll: After House Passage of Pelosicare: "Tide Has Changed", Now More Unpopular Than '94 Hillarycare

I know that the last thing I want to look at are polls, but there is a couple of things here in their findings that I found really interesting

In one of the first national surveys completed after the House vote on health care reform…things do not look good for President Obama and Democrats in Congress:

Opposition to President Obama’s health care plan is higher after the House vote than our previous tracks (29% favor/40% oppose). Voters’ net opposition to the plan has
increased from -6% in September (31% favor/37% oppose) to -11% today.

Voter opposition to President Obama’s health care plan is higher than ever
measured for President Clinton’s plan in 1993/1994 (35% oppose in June 1994).

Multiple surveys show voters believe President Obama’s health care plan will mean their health care costs will increase (46% increase/11% decrease) and their quality of care willget worse (40% get worse/18% get better). Concerns about cost have trended up since September.

Data continue to show the more people hear about President Obama’s health care plan the less they like it (38% the more I like it/52% the less I like it).

The tide has significantly changed as Americans’ views about government involvement
in health care are shifting. In March 2009, by a one point margin, voters said the federal government had a responsibility to provide government-run health care coverage toall.

Today, this number has significantly shifted as voters now say by a 17 point margin it is not the federal government’s responsibility.

With the 2010 elections right around the corner, this is not the change that the Democrats were hoping for in this country. These types of numbers have made Democrats in more conservative districts very nervous and could lead to the end of this form of healthcare reform. Hopefully, it will force Pelosi, Reid, and company to start over from scratch, so we can get reform that will actually make things better and not worse.

Gallup: More Americans Want Government Out of Healthcare Than Ever, Gallup Doesn't Know Why...Genius

The debate over government intrusion into our healthcare has brought the issue to the forefront of voters' minds and has forced them to take a real good look at the issue. I don't think what people have concluded is not what Obama and the Democrats had in mind:

More Americans now say it is not the federal government's responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring healthcare coverage was the government's responsibility.

Gallup has asked this question each November since 2001 as part of the Gallup Poll Social Series, and most recently in its Nov. 5-8 Health and Healthcare survey. There have been some fluctuations from year to year, but this year marks the first time in the history of this trend that less than half of Americans say ensuring healthcare coverage for all is the federal government's responsibility.

Gallup went on to understate the fact that there has been a considerable drop, in the last few years. Ed Morrissey breaks it down:

Significant? I’d say.  In 2006, the survey found a 69%/28% split in favor of it being the federal government’s responsibility, or more than 2-1, the apex for statists on health care.  In 2007 the gap narrowed to 64-33, and when Obama got elected a year ago, it had drifted to 54-41 — still better than Obama’s eventual margin of victory.

They found that ever since America is in the "midst of robust debate on a potentially imminent healthcare reform law" support for government has plummeted, but the truly remarkable thing is that they are still totally clueless as to why this support has fallen so far:

The reason behind this shift is unknown. Certainly the federal government's role in the nation's healthcare system has been widely and vigorously debated over the last several months, including much focus on the "public option." These data suggest that one result of the debate has been a net decrease in Americans' agreement that ensuring all Americans have healthcare coverage is an appropriate role for the federal government.

The pollsters had a couple of huge oversights. First, they didn't ask any follow-up questions like: "Why are you against it?". They only asked about their general feelings about it. Also, they only focused on the difference between the Republicans and Democrats. They didn't seem to care about how independents felt. The loss of independent support is probably a huge reason why it has dropped.

Exit thought: With about 70% Democrats still hanging on to the idea of government-run healthcare but most of the rest of America disagreeing, which party is really out of the mainstream?

Another Poll That David Axelrod and Obama Will Ignore: Democrats Fall Heavily on Economic Support

On Economic Issues, Voter Trust in Democrats Is Falling Democrats are still trusted more than Republicans to handle the economy by a 44% to 39% margin, but their advantage on the issue has been slipping steadily since November.

In the first poll conducted after Barack Obama was elected president, the Democrats held a 15-point lead over the GOP on economic issues. In December, their lead dropped to 12 points. In January, prior to Obama's inauguration, Democrats held a nine-point lead on the issue.

Support for the $800-billion-plus economic stimulus plan put forth by President Obama and congressional Democrats has fallen over the past month. Although the plan has passed the House and the Senate, the overwhelming majority of voters are not confident that Congress knows what it's doing with regards to the economy . The Senate and House versions of the stimulus plan will now be the subject of a joint conference to work out a package that both chambers can agree on.

A separate survey released today showed that 67% of voters think they could do a better job than Congress on handling the current economic crisis.

When it comes to taxes, voters say they trust the GOP more by a 44% to 41%, after the parties were tied on the issue in January. Related polling on the stimulus package showed that most voters wanted to see a plan with more tax cuts and less government spending.

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My Thoughts
How much do you bet that this will be totally ignored by the Democrats? They were all over the one Gallup poll that favored them. However, they ignore the many more against them.

The GOP is making a major comeback in all of the major issues that is most important to people today.