Poll: Voters Would Rather Tax The Wealthy Than Cut Social Security

[Newsjock]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Voters last week sent Washington a strong message about fixing the federal budget, according to exclusive numbers from a new poll obtained by TPM: Raise taxes on the wealthy and cut the military budget before you touch the nation's largest entitlement program, Social Security.

The survey of voters who cast ballots last Tuesday -- conducted by Democratic pollster PPP and commissioned by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee -- found that when respondents were given the choice between cutting the defense budget, raising taxes on the wealthy and cutting Social Security to reduce the deficit, just 12% said they'd like to see the entitlement program cut. Forty-three percent said they'd prefer to see taxes on the wealthy go up, and 22% said cutting the huge defense budget was the best way to go.

... "This polling is remarkable," PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor said. "If Democrats compromise on tax cuts for the wealthy, or entertain for one minute the idea of cutting Social Security, it would be both a policy disaster and a monumental political blunder -- and they'd risk losing the Senate and maybe even the White House in 2012."

The partisan breakdown of the results shows that Republicans, Democrats and independents agree that cutting Social Security is the least acceptable option of the three presented in the poll. It came in third among all respondents who made a choice. But the plurality of independents and Republicans said they didn't know which option is best -- 36% of Republicans said they were "not sure" which to choose among the three and 35% of independents said the same thing. Among the total sample, 23% said they were unsure.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/poll-voters-would-rather-tax-the-wealthy-than-cut-social-security.php?ref=fpi

[mediaman007]

1. Voters just don't get it. We can't be a great nation unless our rich get richer! (sarcasm)

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. It won't matter. Not in the least. They're coming for our Social Security and it won't matter that

we want them to keep their money grubbing paws off.

[SidDithers]

3. K&R...nt

Sid

[City Lights]

4. Silly voters! Congress doesn't care what you think!

The only opinions that count are those belonging to their corporate masters.

[BurtWorm]

8. Voters apparently don't care what Congress thinks either.

[xchrom]

5. recommend -- i think they will at the least raise the retirement age again --

and possible means test -- but i don't see the political will anywhere -- to tax the rich appropriately -- hell we can't even multi-nationals to pull their fair share.

[BurtWorm]

6. Brilliant! Let's elect a whole bunch of Republicans so we can raise taxes on the wealthy!

Americans thinking politically again. :patriot:

[NC_Nurse]

7. Good luck with that, silly voters! Perhaps you shouldn't have voted the way you did.

[rustyd55]

9. wealthy dont care

they not only wont cut tax for most wealthy they will release more money into economy and it will be sucked up like a vacuum cleaner into theyre pockets.they dont care about social security or anything else accept being greedy and owning our politicians.

[Andy823]

10. Yes

The "FACTS" don't always jive with what the republicans keeps saying about "hearing the people", and doing what the "people" want! They lie about everything and use the lies to get elected, then they go about their own agenda of taking down health care, trying to get rid of SS and medicare, and pretty much deregulating everything they can to help the corporations and the rich! But of course they keep saying they are doing he "WILL OF THE PEOPLE", they just don't mention its the RICH people and nobody else!

[USArmyParatrooper]

11. Here's the problem with these types of polls...

For the polls to matter requires the public to be educated on the issues. Reality doesn't matter when dishonest talking points win the day, and they do.

[vi5]

12. I'm sure Dems will do the right thing...

..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.. I couldn't even type that with a straight face.

[Jefferson23]

13. K&R

[Marr]

14. If they aren't afraid of you, your opinion doesn't matter.

The American public has been something that could be safely ignored for decades now.

[kenny blankenship]

15. Since when has democracy been about what voters want?

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. I disagree.

"...and they'd risk losing the Senate and maybe even the White House in 2012."

No, they'd GUARANTEE losing the Senate and the White House in 2012.