NBC First Read: Poll: 44 percent of Americans oppose raising debt ceiling

[OmahaBlueDog]

Complete story at: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/13/20463534-poll-44-percent-of-americans-oppose-raising-debt-ceiling?lite

Americans overwhelmingly do not think Congress should raise the nation’s debt limit as President Barack Obama and Congress prepare once again to wage battle over the issue, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

By a 44-22 percent margin, Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling, which again puts the president in the difficult position of needing to make the case for an unpopular policy with a deadline quickly approaching.

The poll results come as the U.S. Treasury Department says the country will reach its debt limit by mid-October. The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates the limit will be reached by Oct. 18, and the U.S. could default by Nov. 5.

“People’s first instinct is how fed up they are with Washington and spending,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the poll with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart. “This is a very difficult issue in terms of public opinion.”

[Pretzel_Warrior]

1. Who cares? Those 44% probably include a bunch getting monthly checks from the government

It is not up to the people to decide. They elect leaders to do the job of leading and managing this country's enormous budget and commitments.

By my math, that means 56% either think it should be raised or have no opinion.

[bhikkhu]

2. Garbage article, on possibly a garbage poll

Nowhere in the article do they say what specific question was asked in the poll, which is shoddy journalism and is usually a sign that it was a "push pull", or worded in a way designed to get a predetermined result.

[cthulu2016]

3. The people have been processed into being their own worst enemy

Not unprecedented, of course.

But the American view of fiscal policy is the product of 30-40 years of pretty intense indoctrination on the topic.

[Silent3]

4. Only belligerent assholes or people who don't really understand the issue...

...would be against raising the debt ceiling. No matter how many times it's painfully explained to the American public, they don't understand that it's about covering expenses that we're already obligated to pay. They don't understand the magnitude of a mess that defaulting on our debt would mean.

They take the question as simply being about controlling spending in some vague way, and respond in a simple-minded way against the supposed vice of running up debt.

[mick063]

5. What kind of crap is NBC trying to feed us?

No person, in their right mind, would oppose raising the debt ceiling if they:

1) Understood the long history of raising the debt ceiling by a wide spectrum of Presidents.
2) Understood that raising the debt ceiling accounts for paying bills already accrued by Congress.
3) Understood the potential impact upon extremely popular government services that poll very well when specifically presented.
4) Understood that government services must proportionally expand with population growth.
5) Understood that government is subsidizing corporations realizing disproportionate profit relative to middle class recovery.
6) Understood that the highest income earners are paying the lowest tax rate in nearly a century.

Is 44% of America really that collectively dumb? Are people relying on FOX news for 30 brief minutes of an otherwise busy day and believing very bad information?

Is this nation a truly lost cause? Or is NBC pushing a corporate agenda using skewed polling?

I just can't believe that there are that many stupid Americans. It boggles my mind.

If this polling is accurate, we are truly fucked. "You can't fix stupid".

[Democracyinkind]

9. The usual kind. nt

[JustAnotherGen]

6. I'm confused

Where are the rest of NBC's numbers?

That is 66%. Where are the other 34% on this issue?

44% is not a majority. I went to the article and nothing on the missing numbers.

All I can see is that 44% of Americans are deadbeats who don't want us to pay our bills. They are probably also the people that voted for Bush Co. not once - but twice. You know the guy who got us into two wars, gave permanent tax cuts to the rich, oversaw the financial meltdown and real estate boom and bust . . . The guy who erased the hard work the Clinton oversaw to reduce our national debt.

I bet these people own five flat screen tv's, live in McMansions that are underwater and who spent the Bush Co. years shopping because he told them to.

Fed Gov should not pay any attention to these idiots.

[PowerToThePeople]

7. Defund the DoD

Pretty simple solution to our financial woes.

[Fumesucker]

8. But hey, we have all the money we need to make the rubble bounce in Syria

[sendero]

10. Just like the morons..

...who believe we are in a "recovery", yet another segment of society that has their heads firmly up their asses. Go figure.

The good thing? These idiots will be among those hurt the most. The bad thing? Almost everyone gets hurt.

[reformist2]

11. Survey: Americans want more benefits, lower taxes to pay for said benefits. And no deficit!

It's tough to deal with situations when the "wisdom" of the American people doesn't really make much sense.

[dawg]

12. 44% of Americans want a Greek-style depression.

Damn. You can't help stupid.

[Recursion]

13. Tough shit. It's going up (nt)

[durablend]

14. Many of them wouldn't mind seeing

The country burned to the ground if it meant they could remake it into their own warped view.