The Myth of Democratic-Stimulus Popularity

One of the most common left-wing memes over the last couple of weeks holds that Republicans are "shooting themselves in the foot" in opposing the "a popular initiative backed by a popular congress and a Democratic congressional leadership that, while not particular popular, is still more popular than they are" (via Memeorandum).

I'm not exactly sure what goes on in the minds of radical leftists. No doubt the multi-sensorial elation of the Democrats' endorphinic triumph in November has neutralized the brain's regular neural processes of reasoning for some of these folks. Or, more simply, hubristic totalitarianism by doctrine systematically ignores evidence that repudiates the hegemonic party line of the hard-left Democratic forces.

For example, Rasmussen reported Wednesday that "When it comes to the nation’s economic issues, 67% of U.S. voters have more confidence in their own judgment than they do in the average member of Congress." Well, so much for the popularity of the "Democratic congressional leadership." Indeed, as Rasmussen continues, "The new Congress fares worse on this question that the previous Congress."

And how much more popular are the Democrats than their Republican opponents? Not at all, actually, as Michael Barone points out, "Pollster Scott Rasmussen reports that Democrats are currently ahead of Republicans by only 40 percent to 39 percent. Given that this generic ballot question over the years has tended to understate Republicans' performances in actual elections, one gathers that if the 2010 election for House seats were held today, Republicans would win or come close to winning a majority of seats—which is to say, they would gain about 40 seats."

On the Democratic economic program, polls have found consistent reservations with the economic stimulus package. In fact, support has been dropping like a rock as the bill's true characterization as an interest group pork-barrel spending boondoggle has taken hold in the popular consciousness.

CBS News last week reported a bare majority supporting the proposal, and the trend line was going down: "Slightly more than half the country approves of President Obama's $800 billion-plus stimulus package, a new CBS News poll finds. But support for the bill has fallen 12 points since January, and nearly half of those surveyed do not believe it will shorten the recession."

What's interesting (and certainly problematic for the Democrats, who have mounted their recovery program under a veil of stealth), is that the more people learn about the plan, the less they like it, as Pew notes: "Those who have heard a lot about the plan express the most skepticism, with 41% saying it is a bad idea compared with 28% of those who have heard only a little. This stands in contrast to the balance of opinion a month ago, when people who had heard a lot about the plan were more likely to back it than those who had heard only a little."

Leftists will cite generic poll findings, like Gallup's, that indicate a broad public backing for the measure, but these results are completely partisan, and backing for the measure among political independents "is totally flat."

Meanwhile, a campaign of political vilification is heating up on the left in the wake of Senator Judd Gregg's withdrawal as President Obama's treasury secretary-designee. Daily Kos is leading the smearing chorus: "Earlier this week we learned that the Republican Party has embraced the tactics of the Taliban, and today the insurgents have adopted another word associated with terrorists: they are "emboldened." Why? Because Judd Gregg changed his mind about heading the Commerce Department."

Apparently, the euphoria of the "Obama Kool-Aid" is wearing off and the nihilist left is reduced to equating U.S. senators of the Repubican Party with the kind of terrorist barbarians who have killed thousands of Americans over the last decade.

Thus, behold the fundamental nature of corruption and dishonesty that is the bailiwick of today's Democratic-left.