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December 22, 7:34 AMLouisville Economic Policy ExaminerRob BinsrickPrevious
Over the weekend, the Democrats in Washington celebrated the fact that they were able to wheel and deal amongst themselves to clear all the hurdles necessary to pass a massive healthcare reform package. Their mood is one of euphoria but the rest of the nation does not seem to be sharing in it. In fact, for the rest of the nation the mood could be characterized more as one of skepticism and fear rather than one of hope and happiness.
That mood is not surprising since according to Gallup polling only 25% of Americans view the Democrat-controlled Congress favorably. And according to the Real Clear Politics averages, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings are already under 50%. That latter stat is somewhat ironic given that just over a year ago he was bragging that he was the change Americans had all been waiting for. But it is the change that he and the Democrats have brought which have led to the low approval ratings for both Obama and those in Congress.
Just look at some key issues and it is very clear that Obama and the Democrats are on the wrong side of what is still a center-right country. On healthcare reform, more Americans, by a 48% to 46% margin, still favor not passing any reform bills at all this year. Regarding the current plans under consideration, the average margin against them is even greater at 51% to 39%. So while the Democrats have been suggesting that their vote on healthcare reform was a victory of the American people, clearly the American people do not see it as such.
Near the end of November, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that spending money and increasing the national debt in order to create jobs is something that Americans could ‘absorb.’ However, at about the same time she made that suggestion, only 21% of Americans were telling the pollsters at Rasmussen Reports that stimulus spending was a better method for creating jobs than cutting taxes, which was favored by 62%. In response to that sentiment, the Democrats have decided to use the savings from the TARP to spend more money and increase the deficit in an effort to create jobs.
If the Democrats succeed in actually passing their healthcare reform package, they may feel emboldened to turn their attentions back to their cap-and-trade legislation. This is of course despite the ‘Climategate’ emails which revealed how leading scientists have suppressed and/or altered environmental data. And it also flies in the face with the fact that only 36% of Americans believe that climate change is a man-made phenomenon. Still though, the Democrats have plans to pass energy legislation which will penalize all Americans for supposedly being amongst the world leaders in causing global warming.
On the terrorism front, Obama and the Democrats recently announced that the federal government will purchase a prison in Obama’s home state of Illinois and move GITMO prisoners into it. That would help fulfill Obama’s pledge of closing GITMO within one year after taking office. However, once again the American people are not in agreement with that decision. By a 64% to 30% margin, Americans oppose closing GITMO and transferring the prisoners currently housed there onto domestic soil.
As for having trials for those prisoners, most Americans disagree with Attorney General Eric Holder’s decisions to hold them in civilian courts rather than in military courts. Once again, the margin is not even very close with 59% favoring military courts while only 36% favoring the civilians courts.
None of these statistics are all that surprising given that this is still a center-right country. Gallup polling shows that 40% of all Americans consider themselves to be ideologically conservative, 36% moderate and only 20% liberal. And yet Obama and Democrats seem to be running the country solely for the benefit of that 20% group. Unfortunately and sadly for the nation they have the power to do so right now given their majority in the House and 60-vote majority in the Senate.
With this power, the Democrats have set out on a path to transform, as Obama described it during his campaign, the United States in their image. And they know that the clock is ticking, which is why they have paid off their own members to gain votes, resorted to scare tactics on key issues, conducted business behind closed doors despite promises of transparency, and held votes in the middle of the night when they hoped that nobody would be watching.
But clearly Americans are watching and/or reading about what the Democrats are doing, which is why their approval ratings are on the decline. It is also why the Tea Party movement has grown in popularity. People are concerned about the direction of the country and they are fearful of the hard left turn it has taken. The Republicans, Tea Partiers, Libertarians and others should recognize those sentiments and put forth policies that the American people actually want.
If they do that then there will be major changes in Washington come next November and also in November 2012. Obviously the polls are already on their side.
Rob Binsrick
http://www.examiner.com/x-6996-Loui...Who-are-the-Democrats-Representing-these-Days
Over the weekend, the Democrats in Washington celebrated the fact that they were able to wheel and deal amongst themselves to clear all the hurdles necessary to pass a massive healthcare reform package. Their mood is one of euphoria but the rest of the nation does not seem to be sharing in it. In fact, for the rest of the nation the mood could be characterized more as one of skepticism and fear rather than one of hope and happiness.
That mood is not surprising since according to Gallup polling only 25% of Americans view the Democrat-controlled Congress favorably. And according to the Real Clear Politics averages, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings are already under 50%. That latter stat is somewhat ironic given that just over a year ago he was bragging that he was the change Americans had all been waiting for. But it is the change that he and the Democrats have brought which have led to the low approval ratings for both Obama and those in Congress.
Just look at some key issues and it is very clear that Obama and the Democrats are on the wrong side of what is still a center-right country. On healthcare reform, more Americans, by a 48% to 46% margin, still favor not passing any reform bills at all this year. Regarding the current plans under consideration, the average margin against them is even greater at 51% to 39%. So while the Democrats have been suggesting that their vote on healthcare reform was a victory of the American people, clearly the American people do not see it as such.
Near the end of November, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that spending money and increasing the national debt in order to create jobs is something that Americans could ‘absorb.’ However, at about the same time she made that suggestion, only 21% of Americans were telling the pollsters at Rasmussen Reports that stimulus spending was a better method for creating jobs than cutting taxes, which was favored by 62%. In response to that sentiment, the Democrats have decided to use the savings from the TARP to spend more money and increase the deficit in an effort to create jobs.
If the Democrats succeed in actually passing their healthcare reform package, they may feel emboldened to turn their attentions back to their cap-and-trade legislation. This is of course despite the ‘Climategate’ emails which revealed how leading scientists have suppressed and/or altered environmental data. And it also flies in the face with the fact that only 36% of Americans believe that climate change is a man-made phenomenon. Still though, the Democrats have plans to pass energy legislation which will penalize all Americans for supposedly being amongst the world leaders in causing global warming.
On the terrorism front, Obama and the Democrats recently announced that the federal government will purchase a prison in Obama’s home state of Illinois and move GITMO prisoners into it. That would help fulfill Obama’s pledge of closing GITMO within one year after taking office. However, once again the American people are not in agreement with that decision. By a 64% to 30% margin, Americans oppose closing GITMO and transferring the prisoners currently housed there onto domestic soil.
As for having trials for those prisoners, most Americans disagree with Attorney General Eric Holder’s decisions to hold them in civilian courts rather than in military courts. Once again, the margin is not even very close with 59% favoring military courts while only 36% favoring the civilians courts.
None of these statistics are all that surprising given that this is still a center-right country. Gallup polling shows that 40% of all Americans consider themselves to be ideologically conservative, 36% moderate and only 20% liberal. And yet Obama and Democrats seem to be running the country solely for the benefit of that 20% group. Unfortunately and sadly for the nation they have the power to do so right now given their majority in the House and 60-vote majority in the Senate.
With this power, the Democrats have set out on a path to transform, as Obama described it during his campaign, the United States in their image. And they know that the clock is ticking, which is why they have paid off their own members to gain votes, resorted to scare tactics on key issues, conducted business behind closed doors despite promises of transparency, and held votes in the middle of the night when they hoped that nobody would be watching.
But clearly Americans are watching and/or reading about what the Democrats are doing, which is why their approval ratings are on the decline. It is also why the Tea Party movement has grown in popularity. People are concerned about the direction of the country and they are fearful of the hard left turn it has taken. The Republicans, Tea Partiers, Libertarians and others should recognize those sentiments and put forth policies that the American people actually want.
If they do that then there will be major changes in Washington come next November and also in November 2012. Obviously the polls are already on their side.
Rob Binsrick
http://www.examiner.com/x-6996-Loui...Who-are-the-Democrats-Representing-these-Days
And Gallup is one poll.
