With only six hours of the government shutdown that has been long desired by the Republican Party, the Democrats have jumped up to a nine point lead in the generic congressional ballot.
A new Quinnipiac University poll released on Tuesday shows voters overwhelmingly oppose Congress shutting down the federal government as a way to stop the 2010 health care law from being implemented, matching other public polling that shows that Democrats enter the shutdown with the upper hand. The Quinnipiac poll also shows Democrats with a 9-point lead on the 2014 House generic ballot — a historically wide edge, despite the structural advantages that make a Democratic takeover of the House unlikely.
Overall, the poll shows voters are split on the health care law: 45 percent support it, while 47 percent oppose it. Other polls have shown stronger opposition to the law, however. But despite their overall ambivalence toward the law, voters oppose efforts to defund it. Just 34 percent think Congress should cut off funding, and support is even lower when those defunding efforts are tied to a government shutdown (22 percent) or raising the debt limit (27 percent). A wide majority, 72 percent, oppose shutting down the government to cut off funding the health care law. [..]
Looking ahead to the 2014 elections, Democrats lead Republicans on the generic ballot, the poll shows, 43 percent to 34 percent. Four percent of registered voters say they prefer someone else, 2 percent wouldn’t vote, and 17 percent are undecided.
The 9-point advantage is the largest Quinnipiac has measured since the spring of 2009, in the first months of the Obama administration. The yawning lead isn’t that inconsistent with other Quinnipiac surveys conducted this year: In two July surveys, for example, Democrats held 4- and 5-point leads.
More on that Q-Poll, which should be causing Boehner and all Republicans to drink, more so than ususal:
It finds that 58 percent of Americans, including 58 percent of independents, oppose Congress defunding Obamacare. Seventy two percent, and 74 percent of independents, oppose shutting down major activities of the government to stop the health law. On the debt limit, 64 percent oppose not raising it to block the law. All of this is in spite of plurality disapproval of Obamacare. […]
Beyond this, though, the poll also sheds light on how Americans view the values and intentions of the major actors in this drama — which arguably could have real influence on how they view the situation over time. Here the poll is grim for the GOP.
It finds that despite under-water approval ratings, 54 percent say Obama is “honest and trustworthy”; 54 percent say he cares about people’s needs and problems; and he leads Republicans on handling the middle class by 51-38. While 50 percent say Obama isn’t doing enough to compromise with Republicans, 68 percent say Republicans aren’t doing enough to compromise with Obama. This may be the most important finding:
Which comes closer to your point of view; there is gridlock in Washington mainly because President Obama lacks the personal skills to convince leaders of Cnogress tow ork together, or there is gridlock in Washington mainly because Republicans in Congress are determined to block any President Obama initiative:
Obama lacks skills: 33
Republicans block 55Fifty one percent of independents, and 63 percent of moderates, place the blame on GOP determination to block “any” Obama initiative.
Such a lead is in line with 2006, when the Democrats won 31 seats to take over the House. In 2014, we only need 17. So thank you Republicans. You have basically just handed the majority to us. Now, if your little childish petulant temper tantrum is over with yet, would you please capitulate entirely to the Democrats and President Obama and reopen the government. Now. What is that you say? You want us to compromise? You want us to negotiate? Fuck you, we already have compromised. Fuck you, we already have negotiated. This was our original starting position:
As you can see, you have fucking won the budget battle. You won. Take your prize, suck your thumb, hold your binkie tight, and go home, you children.
There will be no further compromise by the Democrats or the President. So it is your choice entirely right now, you Republicans. You either fund the government by passing the Senate bill, or you keep it shut down. The Senate was ready to sign the budget bill at YOUR fucking spending levels, and the President was ready to sign it. But you had to act like the terrorists you are and take more hostages. Well now the hostage has been shot. The government is shut down. The question now is whether you will allow the medics the come in and treat, or will you allow the innocent to die.
Your choice. Your shutdown.