The mainstream media is trying to keep this poll a secret, but you need to know that Bloomberg asked American voters how they feel about the upcoming vote to raise the debt ceiling. President Obama has said that he will not negotiate spending cuts under any circumstances as part of raising the debt ceiling.
Bloomberg gave voters two choices:
1. It is necessary to limit the amount the US can borrow because Congress lacks discipline on spending, so it is right to require spending cuts when the debt ceiling is raised even if it risks default.
2. The full faith and credit of the US should be protected at any cost: the debt ceiling should be raised when necessary with no conditions.
The second choice is essentially what president Obama constantly says.
The results showed that 61% of voters favored option 1, while only 28% favored option 2. That means that Obama lost by a margin of better than 2 to 1. Indeed, every group of voters chose option 1.
There will surely be those who quibble with the wording of the poll, but that misses the point. By a margin of more than two to one, Americans want new spending cuts enacted through negotiation at the point the debt ceiling is raised. It is going to be hard for Obama to stick to his position as we get closer to the actual votes to raise the debt ceiling. Further, even if Obama continues to announce his opposition to negotiations, there will be enough Democrats in the senate who see the handwriting on the wall so that some negotiated solution passes through Congress.
Bloomberg gave voters two choices:
1. It is necessary to limit the amount the US can borrow because Congress lacks discipline on spending, so it is right to require spending cuts when the debt ceiling is raised even if it risks default.
2. The full faith and credit of the US should be protected at any cost: the debt ceiling should be raised when necessary with no conditions.
The second choice is essentially what president Obama constantly says.
The results showed that 61% of voters favored option 1, while only 28% favored option 2. That means that Obama lost by a margin of better than 2 to 1. Indeed, every group of voters chose option 1.
There will surely be those who quibble with the wording of the poll, but that misses the point. By a margin of more than two to one, Americans want new spending cuts enacted through negotiation at the point the debt ceiling is raised. It is going to be hard for Obama to stick to his position as we get closer to the actual votes to raise the debt ceiling. Further, even if Obama continues to announce his opposition to negotiations, there will be enough Democrats in the senate who see the handwriting on the wall so that some negotiated solution passes through Congress.
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