By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
According to polls conducted by Rasumussen Reports, Americans do not see eye-to-eye with the President on many of the most important issues raised during this week’s State-of-the-Union speech.
For instance, the president presented the $787-billion economic stimulus package as a success story but only 35 percent of the public believes it helped the economy. “At this time, 39 percent are concerned the government will do too little to deal with the economy while 49 percent fear it will do too much,” Rasumussen states.
On the contentious health care reform issue, the president referenced the Congressional Budget Office analysis that suggested his plan would reduce the deficit. “However, most Americans don’t believe the numbers,” Rasumussen reports. “Voters overwhelming think the plan’s costs will be higher than projected and 81 percent say passage of the plan will likely lead to higher middle class taxes. Sixty-eight percent say it will increase the deficit.”
At the present time, most voters continue to oppose the proposed health care plan and 61 percent say they want Congress to forget about health care altogether and focus on jobs.
On the issue of taxes, even though Obama said he cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, nearly half the nation’s voters expect their taxes to go up during the Obama years. “Hardly anybody expects their taxes to be cut,” Rasumussen reports.
Even while the president announced ambitious new plans to help the job market, 67 percent of Americans say they expect the unemployment rate to be the same or higher by this time next year.
Most people strongly believe (59%) that cutting taxes is the best way to create jobs, but only 14 percent think their elected officials will do so.
On the housing front, only 55 percent of Americans now think buying a home is the best investment a family can make, down from 79 percent in 2008. “The public was way ahead of Treasury officials on dealing with the reality of the mortgage crisis,” Rasmussen reports.
The president expressed his displeasure with a recent Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance reform. Rasumussen polling shows that while the majority of Americans (41%) are not sure about this particular decision, 65 percent think corporations and unions should be allowed to buy ads to let people know how politicians voted on issues.
The president said he has never been more hopeful about the nation’s future, but Americans do not share his optimism.
“ . . . A solid plurality of voters believe that the nation’s best days have come and gone,” Rasmussen reports.
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