Sequester Poll: GOP Gets Bulk of the Blame

[Frodo]

Sequestration poll: Republicans to be blamed most

By KEVIN ROBILLARD | 2/21/13 2:06 PM EST

Nearly half of Americans would blame Republicans if $1.2 trillion in spending cuts go into effect on March 1, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Only 31 percent would blame President Barack Obama, according to the Pew Research Center/USA Today poll, while 49 percent would blame the congressional GOP. Eleven percent would blame both.

(...)

Republicans get most of the blame despite an all-hands-on-deck effort by the GOP to blame the White House for the sequester, frequently pointing out the idea originated in the executive branch. Most congressional Republicans voted for the sequester as part of 2011’s Budget Control Act.

(...)

While Americans might be willing to delay the spending cuts, they do want a deficit-reduction deal this year. Seven in 10 said it was “essential” for a deficit deal this year, compared with only 51 percent who said the same about immigration and 46 percent who said so about gun legislation.

Republicans might have a small leg up in negotiating a deal. Seventy-six percent said a combination of spending cuts and tax increases should be used to reduce the deficit. But 54 percent said the combination should lean toward cuts. Only 16 percent said it should rely mostly on tax hikes.

The poll of 1,504 adults was conducted from Feb. 13 to Feb. 18. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
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Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/sequestration-poll-republicans-to-be-blamed-most-87914.html#ixzz2LbUHliso

[Napoleon]

We shouldn't blame people for the sequester, we should thank them. This is the best opportunity to reduce defense spending we could ever hope to get. And what's better than putting Republicans in a position where they can either cut the military or raise taxes? Power politics at its finest.

[Maxwell]

But... Obama was for the Sequester the whole time! Obama pushed the Sequester, Obama said that he would veto any attempt to not do the Sequester, and now he flip flops and the public just says yeah its the GOP's fault if it goes through? That's embarrassing.

And yes, I agree with Napolean's point on cutting the military.

[Sbane]

We shouldn't blame people for the sequester, we should thank them. This is the best opportunity to reduce defense spending we could ever hope to get. And what's better than putting Republicans in a position where they can either cut the military or raise taxes? Power politics at its finest.

I have a feeling the Dems in congress are going to screw it up. Just let the sequester happen, or get tax hikes on everyone making 250k+ at the very least.

[King]

GOP gets blame for it and the economic turnaround happens and it's all Obama.

Republicans are soooo losing the House in 2014.

But please get a new leader, Dems, Pelosi sounds like she has Alzheimer's and looks like she has Parkinson's in her interviews.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

We shouldn't blame people for the sequester, we should thank them. This is the best opportunity to reduce defense spending we could ever hope to get. And what's better than putting Republicans in a position where they can either cut the military or raise taxes? Power politics at its finest.

Clinton didn't need a sequester to have large military cuts.

[Napoleon]

We shouldn't blame people for the sequester, we should thank them. This is the best opportunity to reduce defense spending we could ever hope to get. And what's better than putting Republicans in a position where they can either cut the military or raise taxes? Power politics at its finest.

Clinton didn't need a sequester to have large military cuts.

He might have needed one to raise taxes.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Blame?  Why is this a bad thing?  Both parties voted for sequester.  We're finally maybe going to cut spending... the sequester is relatively good.

[Mehmentum]

But... Obama was for the Sequester the whole time! Obama pushed the Sequester, Obama said that he would veto any attempt to not do the Sequester, and now he flip flops and the public just says yeah its the GOP's fault if it goes through? That's embarrassing.

I think its because everyone knows that the Republicans want to cut spending.  So 'obviously' any spending cuts that happen are because of them. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The thing is, most Republican House members are elected from safe districts, so what matters is not the national numbers, but the ones in their own GOP primary races.  Those will be more positive for them.  Also the sequester is no cliff.  It's not even a Olympic class downhill ski run.  It's a bunny run with the chair lift out of order until the sequester is fixed.

[All Along The Watchtower]

The sequester is going to be a disaster for the economy, of course.

[krazen1211]

But... Obama was for the Sequester the whole time! Obama pushed the Sequester, Obama said that he would veto any attempt to not do the Sequester, and now he flip flops and the public just says yeah its the GOP's fault if it goes through? That's embarrassing.

I think its because everyone knows that the Republicans want to cut spending.  So 'obviously' any spending cuts that happen are because of them. 

The sequester merely reduces the growth of spending. Ray Lahood has been dispatched to screech despite having more money in 2013 than he did in 2012.

[Sbane]

The sequester is going to be a disaster for the economy, of course.

It will cause a bit of a slowdown, but it's probably necessary. Just like raising interest rates was needed in the early 1980's, and although it caused a recession, it laid the groundwork for growth later on. And it's better to cut defense spending deeply than other spending. Hopefully we can agree on this.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

May as well join Europe in a recession

[Sbane]

May as well join Europe in a recession

Europe has other issues. If they could stop their bickering and come together under a fiscal union, they would be much better off. Also their stagnating population (buoyed by mostly poor immigrants) makes it harder for them to grow. America does not have that problem.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

May as well join Europe in a recession

Europe has other issues. If they could stop their bickering and come together under a fiscal union, they would be much better off. Also their stagnating population (buoyed by mostly poor immigrants) makes it harder for them to grow. America does not have that problem.

And yet...

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

We do need to cut spending, including in areas such as defense, by much more than the sequester amount. But the sequester is just about the stupidest way imaginable to go about it - by design.

[politicallefty]

We shouldn't blame people for the sequester, we should thank them. This is the best opportunity to reduce defense spending we could ever hope to get. And what's better than putting Republicans in a position where they can either cut the military or raise taxes? Power politics at its finest.

That's what I've thought as well. I'd say the sequester is almost essential to preserving some of our most important programs (SS, Medicare, Medicaid, etc). Any deal will remove the defense cuts and replace them with other cuts in domestic spending. We'll only get increased revenue though cuts in non-defense spending. This is a huge opportunity to get the defense budget under control (as passed by the Budget Control Act). I don't like a lot of what the sequester is going to cut, but it's the lesser of not-so-good options. With these cuts taking effect, I think the President's hand may be strengthened in trying to get a balanced deal.

[Sbane]

May as well join Europe in a recession

Europe has other issues. If they could stop their bickering and come together under a fiscal union, they would be much better off. Also their stagnating population (buoyed by mostly poor immigrants) makes it harder for them to grow. America does not have that problem.

And yet...

What?

[memphis]

The GOP gets the blame because this is what they've been proposing forever. This is what smaller government looks like.

[Sopranos Republican]

The GOP gets the blame because this is what they've been proposing forever. This is what smaller government looks like.

I think the sequester will be good. Why do we need to avoid cutting spending by $1 trillion? We could use this. Yes you're right memphis, the GOP finally gets what they've been claiming they've wanted forever handed to them on a silver platter and now they want to back out of it? Oh my God, we really do need some leadership.

[Sbane]

The GOP gets the blame because this is what they've been proposing forever. This is what smaller government looks like.

I think the sequester will be good. Why do we need to avoid cutting spending by $1 trillion? We could use this. Yes you're right memphis, the GOP finally gets what they've been claiming they've wanted forever handed to them on a silver platter and now they want to back out of it? Oh my God, we really do need some leadership.

They don't want to cut military spending and hurt well paid military contractors. They want to screw over the poor and students a bit more.

[krazen1211]

Sequestration merely cuts spending back to 2008 levels. Hardly a bit deal.

[King]

Sequestration merely cuts spending back to 2008 levels. Hardly a bit deal.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't cut spending that much.

[Maxwell]

Sequestration merely cuts spending back to 2008 levels. Hardly a bit deal.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't cut spending that much.

It's literally sprinkles off the cake, actually.