Voters still side with Dems’ economic agenda

[ProSense]

Voters still side with Dems’ economic agenda

By Steve Benen

There are three new national polls out this morning — Washington Post/ABC, NBC/Wall Street Journal, and Politico/GW — and they largely point in the same direction. President Obama’s approval rating continues to fall, and is now in the low-to-mid 40s; Republicans are even more unpopular; and the American mainstream is deeply frustrated and pessimistic.

But since all of that’s rather predictable, let’s instead look at something a little more interesting: public attitudes on policy agendas.

The NBC/WSJ poll (pdf) was of particular interest on this front, asking respondents:

“President Obama is expected to outline a jobs plan in the coming weeks. I’m going to read some different proposals that could be considered by the president. For each one please tell me if you think this proposal is a good idea, a bad idea, or do you not know enough about it to have an opinion.”

The most popular idea was having the government pay for unemployed workers to train at private companies. Funding a new road construction bill also enjoyed strong support. Though the polls weren’t quite as one sided, pluralities also backed an extension of unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut.

more

[Enrique]

1. "the most popular idea" is giving free labor to companies

that doesn't sound like a good poll result, and it doesn't sound like an agenda I want to be the Democrats' agenda.

[jtrockville]

2. It sure is a peculiar notion.

Then again, subsidizing the "free market" seems to be all the rage in this day and age.

[Lionessa]

3. WHAT Democratic economic ideas? The ones we as a group hold dear, or the ones Obama is adopting

from the republicans? I would agree that most Americans want stimulus, help for the poor and unemployed, improved schools, readily available medical care and lots of same (Democratic economics), but to date Obama is only seeming to embrace low tax and austerity (Republican copycat).