There's little question that Republicans won the debt ceiling standoff in terms of the policy. But did they lose the politics? Some new polling data suggests that Obama might have gained more, politically, out of the deal. [Read why S&P had to downgrade the U.S.]
The biggest news of the day is a new CNN/ORC International poll that finds, for the first time ever, a majority of Americans would like to see their own member of Congress kicked out of office. The poll also found that the public has taken a dislike for the GOP to near-historic levels, with 59 percent expressing an unfavorable view of the party. Meanwhile, voters remain split on the Democrats.
Public Policy Polling recently reported polling results in two key swing states, Colorado and North Carolina, and found that while the debt ceiling deal is very unpopular, blame or anger for it doesn't tend to fall on the president. As they put it, "Among voters who support the deal, they're more prone to give Obama the credit than Congressional Republicans. And among voters who oppose the deal, they're more inclined to blame the GOP than the president." This is some evidence, hardly conclusive, that Obama's strategy of playing the adult in the conversations may have appealed to some people beyond the Beltway.
- Check out photos of the Obamas behind the scenes.
- Read Rick Newman: How politicians are destroying the world economy.
- See political cartoons about the economy.
Reader Comments Read all comments (2)
Charles Queen of KY 12:26AM August 10, 2011
John Stefanyszyn 10:02PM August 09, 2011