DNC Memo From: To: Date: RE: Brad Woodhouse, Communications Director, Democratic National Committee Interested Parties

July 20, 2010 Polls Show American People Overwhelmingly Support Balanced Approach to Nations Fiscal Challenges

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With the deadline to avoid an historic and catastrophic default on the United States debt approaching, recent polls all reflect the same conclusion: that the American people overwhelmingly support a balanced approach to addressing our nations fiscal challenges with both spending cuts and revenue, a position that President Obama is advocating for but that Republicans are refusing to even consider. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll shows that 58 percent of Americans support the Presidents approach. A Washington Post/ABC News Poll similarly shows that nearly six in ten Americans want a mixed approach to deficit reduction. A Quinnipiac Poll shows that 67 percent of voters believe that part of the agreement should include the closing of tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires. And according to a CBS poll more than half of Republicans disagree with how their party is approaching this serious problem. Americans opinion on the current state of affairs is clear: Americans, including Republican, support a balanced approach to reducing the deficit and raising the debt ceiling; Americans, including Republicans, disapprove of the Republicans approach to deficit reduction; Americans believe the Presidents approach to deficit reduction would be better for the middle class and share his belief that the burden of deficit reduction should be shared.

While the majority of Americans agree with the President and Democrats who have offered a balanced approach to these issues, a small minority of Republicans continue to risk the full faith and credit of Unites States for purely ideological and narrow political reasons. The current Republican approach is not only unfair and unbalanced, requiring sacrifice from seniors, young people and working and middle class Americans without a dime of sacrifice from the wealthiest Americans, it threatens our economic wellbeing and our ability to make the investments we need to win the future. Republicans like to say that Members of Congress were sent here to represent the views of the American people. Well, the American people, including Republicans, want a balanced approach to our fiscal challenges and its time that Republicans started to listen.

Overwhelming Majority of Americans Support Balanced Approach to Reducing the Deficit.

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: 58% Support Presidents Balanced Approach. Of those polled, 58% said they supported Mr. Obama's approach, a $4 trillion deficit-reduction plan over 10 years that would cut federal spending, including on Medicare, and raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy. In comparison, 36% said they backed the leading proposal among congressional Republicans, which would reduce the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion, also over 10 years, by cutting federal spending but holding the line on taxes. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304567604576456251136740010.html?mod=WSJ_hp_L EFTTopStories Washington Post/ABC News Poll: Americans Support Mixed Approach to Reducing the Deficit. But the Post-ABC News poll shows a Republican Party clearly divided on that question. Overall, more than six in 10 Americans say a plan to reduce the deficit should include a combination of spending cuts and new taxes, rather than exclusively one or the other. Big majorities of Democrats and independents and nearly half of all Republicans support the mixed approach. [Washington Post, 7/19/11] A Quinnipiac Poll Found Voters Side With Democrats 67-25 That A Debt Ceiling Agreement Should Include Closing Tax Loopholes For The Wealthy And Corporations. Voters also sided with Democrats by a 67-25 percent margin that an agreement to raise the debt ceiling should include tax hikes for the wealthy and corporations, not just spending cuts. [Palm Beach Post, 7/14/11]

Republicans Disapprove of Their Own Parties Handling of the Debt Negotiations

A CBS Poll Found Just 21% Of Americans Backing The GOP Resistance To Raising Taxes In A Compromise On The Debt Ceiling, With 51% Of Republicans Disapproving Of How Their Own Party Leadership Is Handling Debt Negotiations. Americans are unimpressed with their political leaders' handling of the debt ceiling crisis, with a new CBS News poll showing a majority disapprove of all the involved parties' conduct, but Republicans in Congress fare the worst, with just 21 percent backing their resistance to raising taxes Even half of the Republican respondents (51 percent) voiced disapproval of how members of their own party in Congress are handling the talks. [CBS News, 7/18/11]

American People Believe Debt Ceiling Is A Serious Issue

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: 55% Of Americans Believe A Failure To Raise The Debt Ceiling Would Be A Real And Serious Problem Compared To Just 18% That Dont. A majority of Americans say that Congress failing to raise the debt ceiling would be a real and serious problem, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Fifty-five percent of all respondents -- including 63 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 47 percent of Republicans -- believe that not raising the ceiling would be problematic. That's compared with just 18 percent who say it wouldn't be a real and serious problem. But that number jumps up to 33 percent among self-identified Tea Party supporters. [MSNBC, 7/19/11]

American People Trust President Over Republican Party on the Issue

Obama Has Advantage Over GOPers In Congress On Who Cares more About The Middle Class. Asked who cares more about the financial concerns of middle-class Americans, Obama has a big advantage, 53 percent to 35 percent, over the Republicans in Congress. Hes up 47 percent to 37 percent when poll respondents were asked about themselves and their families. On protecting the interests of small businesses, 48 percent of Americans say Obama cares more; 39 percent say so of the GOP. [Washington Post, 7/19/11]