Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Poll Watch: NBC News/Wall Street Journal Political Survey

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Political Survey

In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that Barack Obama is doing as president?
  • Approve 47%
  • Disapprove 48%
Do you generally approve or disapprove of the job that Barack Obama is doing in handling the economy?
  • Approve 43%
  • Disapprove 54%
In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that Republicans in Congress are doing?
  • Approve 25%
  • Disapprove 67%
In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that Democrats in Congress are doing?
  • Approve 33%
  • Disapprove 60%
If President Obama runs for re-election in the year 2012, do you think you will probably vote for President Obama or probably vote for the Republican candidate?
  • Obama 42%
  • Republican 39%
The federal debt ceiling acts as a check and limit on the country’s overall liabilities, including the federal deficit and other debts. When the U.S. Treasury needs to issue debt above the ceiling in order to avoid going into bankruptcy and defaulting on its obligations, Congress needs to vote to raise the ceiling. Congress is again currently considering whether and how much to extend the debt ceiling. Do you think Congress should or should not raise the debt ceiling? If you don’t know enough to have an opinion, please just say so.
  • Should raise debt ceiling 38%
  • Should not raise debt ceiling 31%
  • Don't know enough 30%
I’m going to read you two statements about the debt ceiling and please tell me which comes closer to your point of view. Some people say do NOT raise the debt ceiling because doing so will make it easier to increase spending and harder to reduce the deficit, and will increase the debt held by other countries and passed on to the next generation. Efforts to control the debt must begin now and the first step needs to be to not raise the debt ceiling…while other people say RAISE the debt ceiling because failing to do so could stop the government from meeting its obligations, including payments to those on Social Security and in the military, and cause additional harm to the economy. Efforts to control debt should be comprehensive and long-term rather than artificial and short-term.
  • Raise debt ceiling 49%
  • Do not raise debt ceiling 43%
Right now Congress and the president are negotiating about whether and how much to raise the debt ceiling. If Congress does NOT vote to raise the debt ceiling, do you believe that this would be a real and serious problem or not? If you do not know enough to have an opinion, please say so.
  • A real and serious problem 55%
  • Not a real and serious problem 18%
  • Don’t know enough to have opinion 25%
Which of the following approaches being considered in Congress to deal with the Federal debt ceiling are you more likely to support? A proposal by President Obama which would reduce the Federal deficit by four TRILLION dollars over the next decade by cutting federal spending, increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy, and reducing the level of spending on Medicare…Or…A proposal by Republicans in Congress which would reduce the Federal deficit by two and a half TRILLION dollars over the next decade by cutting Federal spending and would not raise taxes on corporations or the wealthy.
  • President Obama’s proposal 58%
  • Republicans in Congress proposal 36%
Democrats in Congress have said they are unwilling to make cuts and changes in the Social Security and Medicare programs. If it was the only way to get an agreement in Congress on the debt ceiling and on reducing the deficit, would you say yes, Democrats should agree to make cuts and changes in the Social Security and Medicare programs or no, the Democrats should not agree to make cuts and changes in the Social Security and Medicare programs? And, would you say definitely (yes Democrats should/no Democrats should not) agree or probably (yes Democrats should/no Democrats should not) agree to make cuts and changes in the Social Security and Medicare programs?
  • Definitely Yes, should agree 26%
  • Probably Yes, should agree 12%
  • Probably No, should not agree 11%
  • Definitely No, should not agree 41%
Republicans in Congress have said they are unwilling to raise any taxes, including on corporations and the wealthy. If it was the only way to get an agreement in Congress on the debt ceiling and on reducing the deficit, would you say yes, Republicans should agree to raise taxes, including on corporations and the wealthy or no Republicans should not agree to raise taxes, including on corporations and the wealthy? (IF YES/NO, THEN ASK:) And, would you say definitely (yes Republicans should/no Republicans should not) agree or probably (yes Republicans should/no Republicans should not) agree to raise taxes, including on corporations and the wealthy?
  • Definitely Yes, should agree 48%
  • Probably Yes, should agree 14%
  • Probably No, should not agree 6%
  • Definitely No, should not agree 21%
If the federal debt limit is not raised and the federal government is unable to meet its obligations, including payments to those on Social Security and in the military, who do you think will be more to blame? President Obama and the Democrats in Congress or Republicans in Congress?
  • Republicans in Congress 39%
  • President Obama and the Democrats in Congress 35%
  • Both equal (VOL) 17%
Do you consider yourself a supporter of the Tea Party Movement?
  • Yes 25%
  • No 63%
Survey of 1,000 adults was conducted July 14-17, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points. Political ideology: 38% Moderate; 19% Somewhat conservative; 17% Very conservative; 14% Somewhat liberal; 8% Very liberal.

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