Thanks Republicans.

Filed in National by on October 1, 2013

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 55

Fifty 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:

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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.

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  1. Jason330 says:

    I love the GOP spin that goes something like this: “The President is willing to negotiate with Iran, but not willing to negotiate with the Republicans.” That works for me on so many levels. Equates Republicans with Iranians… Makes the President look strong willed and determined and best of all it is utter bullshit when you consider the fact that Republicans refused to negotiate for 6 months, built a whole political strategy around not negotiating, then all of a sudden tried to paint the President as the unreasonable one.

    Also – They are figuring out how to kill the next hostage – USA’s credit worthiness. That is the big prize for the “crucible by fire” caucus.

  2. Jason330 says:

    Of course the GOP has the gerrymandered seats, so it will be tough to get to a majority in the house – but this stat is interesting: “…Republicans in Congress have hit a record low, the poll shows. Only 17 percent of voters approve of the way GOP members of Congress are handling their jobs…”

    That means 3% of the hard core dead-enders who thought the Iraq War was a huge success have peeled off from the GOP.

  3. puck says:

    You have basically just handed the majority to us.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take a Dem majority any day. But teabaggers are easy opponents compared to the Harry Reid/Blue Dog coalition, who would then have real power to actually enact conservative legislation or block progressive legislation as we have seen so many times before, and no checks and balances from the liberal side.

  4. Jason330 says:

    Puck – I think we’ll need a progressive President to move the Dems away from Clintonian triangulation and Republican lite. I thought Obama was going that guy – but I get that he isn’t.

    Hilary Clinton could be that person, riding in on a wave of feminist economic populism, but I also doubt that. So Maybe 16-20 years from now.

  5. kavips says:

    To Puck. There is a difference between a Congress of two parties and one of one party split as conservative Democrats and Progressive Democrats. At least the Democrats talk to each other. Delaware’s voters chose to eliminated Republicans, and as a result,… we’ve gotten some good legislation out of our body. Yet we still have the same balance of conservatives and progressives, just all in one party.

    One can say we need more progressives and speculate all one wants. But can anyone really see a progressive getting elected in western Sussex County? Representatives have to represent their constituents. But by having a single party totally in control of Congress, we would at least have both sides talking to each other, because unlike today, one would not be punished at the polls for compromising with the other side..

  6. kavips says:

    To Jason; What we need is a charismatic progressive, as was Reagan a conservative, who despite being on the wrong side of the issues for many Americans, is just so darned likable, they will vote and follow him anyway.

    I’m thinking George Clooney or Matt Damon. (but with our current luck it would probably be Ben Affleck. ) 🙁

  7. bamboozer says:

    Interesting stats but the real deal will come as the shut down goes on, in short we have yet begun to get P.O’d. I believe that is coming, the initial reaction from our typically brain dead media is decidedly anti GOP and Fox News alone will not change that. As for a progressive wish list for congress and the presidency be happy, very happy, if the Dems retake the house.

  8. Tom McKenney says:

    I think the house Republicans are shocked that the Senate is using its power to stop the Houses nonsense. The House Tea Party caucus thought they were the real power in Washington not realizing that the Senators are the big boys and girls in the Legislative branch.

  9. cassandra_m says:

    I would like to thank Republicans for this consequence of the government shutdown — a KKK rally set for Gettysburg (really, people? REALLY?) has been cancelled.