As sequester looms, public attention flags

With dramatic, across-the-board "sequestration" cuts slated to take effect Friday, most Americans believe the consequences of those reductions will have a "major effect" on the state of the U.S. economy, according to a new poll by Pew Research Center/Washington Post. But even as Americans overwhelming express negativity over how those cuts would impact the nation's economy, the same survey indicates a sense of public fatigue over this latest in a series of dramatic fiscal debates coming out of Washington: Only 1 in 4 Americans say they're following the story closely.

According to the poll, which surveyed 1,000 people between Feb. 21-24, 62 percent of the public believes the sequester's effect on the economy would be mostly negative, while 18 percent thought it would be mostly positive. Twenty-one percent said it would have no impact or that they didn't know. Six in 10 Americans, meanwhile, think the impact of the cuts on the economy would be "major"; 55 percent say the same of sequestration's impact on the military, and 45 percent say so of the budget deficit.

Fewer - 30 percent - say the impact on their personal finances would be "major," while 40 percent say the looming cuts would impact their finances in a minor way.

• GOP knock Obama for "nonstop campaigning" on sequester
• Where will the sequester cuts hit your community?

Perhaps that's part of the reason fewer people say they're paying close attention to this debate, as opposed to similar previous controversies, such as last year's "fiscal cliff" drama. In December, 40 percent of the public said they were following news of the fiscal cliff closely, and 28 percent expressed a strong sense of comprehension regarding what would happen if the nation went over the so-called cliff.

And though Americans have a similar sense of sequestration's impact on the economy - 60 percent say it would have a major effect on the U.S. economy, compared to 64 percent of those who said the same about the fiscal cliff - only 25 percent say they're paying close attention to news surrounding the debate. Eighteen percent of the public says they understand what would happen under sequestration "very well," while 35 percent understand it "fairly well," 25 percent understand it "not too well" and 21 percent "not at all well."

A matter of widespread public interest or no, the looming cuts have already taken a toll on the economy, according to a new survey by the Associated Press. Of the 37 economists surveyed for the Associated Press Economy Survey last week, 23 cited paralysis in Washington as a major factor in slowing the economy. Many also said they thought higher tax burdens had led to a temporary slowdown in consumer spending, but that the budget fights coming out of the nation's capital, if persistent, would be a significant inhibitor of economic growth.

[TimeToEvolve]

The reason the Republicons don't want to compromise on this (besides the fact that they don't compromise according to John Boner) is that are winning the Reagan battle. This will shrink government.

So what if we lose 1,000,000 jobs. We already know the Cons Party does not care about creating American jobs.

[TimeToEvolve]

In 2007 we had the Bush Recession. Maybe 6 years later we will have the Republicon Recession. People vote for these clowns why?

[Beaner96]

Probably because the Democrats are ass backwards on just about every issue.

[jsmith2600]

In fact, the numbers show spending actually has increased far more slowly under Obama's budgets that it did under Bush's, and more slowly than under any president in half a century. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal's "MarketWatch" website on May 22 shows spending under Obama rising at an average rate of just 1.4 percent per year. Spending under Bush rose 7.3 percent per year during his first term, and 8.1 percent per year in his second term.

Spending is rising at the slowest pace since Dwight Eisenhower brought the Korean War to an end in the 1950s," wrote MarketWatch's Rex Nutting. And after adjusting for inflation, Nutting notes, federal spending is actually falling under Obama -- the first time that's happened since the end of the Vietnam war.

factcheck.org

[jsmith2600]

Our new Sec. of Defense is also calling this sequestration "a reality," so it appears we will be downsizing the military-industrial complex a little, along with the rest of the government.



Barack Obama has lowest spending record of any recent president

Using raw dollars, Obama did oversee the lowest annual increases in spending of any president in 60 years.

Using inflation-adjusted dollars, Obama had the second-lowest increase -- in fact, he actually presided over a decrease once inflation is taken into account.

Bottom line: The Facebook post's claim that government spending under Obama is "slower than at any time in nearly 60 years" is very close to accurate.

www.politifact.com/

[jsmith2600]

sabniz replies:
"just be sure you will pay enough taxes to support it, or ask Congress to raise tax on you."




Since the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, I've asked my congressman to raise taxes on those that whine the loudest about taxes.

[TimeToEvolve]

The fact is that public opinion is overwhelmingly on the side of Obama and not the Republicons. The Cons party seems to have no idea of what America wants and needs.

Does anyone still wonder whether this is a Wall Street government?

[jsmith2600]

Yes, "timetoevolve," President Barack Obama enjoys broad support for his domestic agenda, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday evening.

Also, President Barack Obama approaches Friday's budget deadline with a far stronger reputation than republicans for seeking bipartisan unity. By contrast, Americans by 3-1 say the Republican Party takes a partisan approach (64 percent) rather than a unifying one (22 percent).

[TimeToEvolve]

The Republicons wanted to shrink government. Their corporate master Grover Norquist is in charge after all. So they are the winners in all this after all. I just hope this will be the end of that pathetic failed and obsolete Wall Street cult.

[sabniz]

there's nothing wrong with shrinking government, when it becomes too big. the point is who's going to pay for spending increase by government? just be sure you will pay enough taxes to support it, or ask Congress to raise tax on you.

[TimeToEvolve]

Repeal the Reagan tax cuts. The very last thing we need is to continue the Wall Street corporations from running the government and out elections.

[Beaner96]

It's become very obvious that obama's refusal or inability to compromise with or negotiate with congress has brought us to this point.

Tax the rich and spend away! That's obama's policy.

I wonder if he even realizes that if he were to propose deep cuts to spending, while leaving the defense budget alone, congress would be willing to work with him. he knows this to be the case and still continues to compromise!

I put this mess on obama's inability to bring both sides together. But when your policy is,"It's my way or the highway", it's no shocking that he has failed miserably as president!

[TimeToEvolve]

Was it not Boner the Bonehead who said "we will negotiate but we won't compromise"?

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans have done more damage to America than any terrorist ever could.

The Republican game plan is to destroy the economy blame the Democrats and President Obama. This was their strategy to obtain the White House and the Senate in the 2012 elections. If you think the Republicans are death on average Americans, working-class and middle-class people now. Just think of how much more damage they could do to this country if they had the house,the Senate and the presidency to consolidate power to do whatever they want. They would then have free reign to turn America into the third world country that they want for their corporate overlords.

They've already shown their hand by not approving extended unemployment benefits for people and anything else that would help the average American. Then they took America to the brink of default with the debt ceiling crisis. A crisis in which they created. Republicans on the supreme court ruling corporations are people and therefore can give unlimited funding to politicians. Republicans fighting for tax cuts for corporations, big oil and the wealthy while advocating cutting social security, medicare and medicaid. For those reasons and more I can't imagine any thinking working-class poor or middle-class person supporting Republicans after all the damage they've done to this country.

Americans must reject republicans at town hall meetings for their anti American unpatriotic strategy and tactics. The only difference between Timothy McVie and the republicans is he used explosives and they used their congressional positions.

The phony debt ceiling debate and agreement was another part of the republican game plan to take back the senate and white house. They create artificial crisis to stall (run out the clock on President Obama's term) and cripple him and the economy to prevent JOBS from being discussed or created. They were counting on voters blaming the president for the bad economy even though they the republicans are sabotaging every step of the way.

Even a blind man can see republicans couldn't care less for average Americans. Just imagine what they would do if they controlled the house, senate and presidency. Americans did not let that happen. Because it is crystal clear by the behavior of republicans they do not want America to progress and will hold it hostage to prevent it.

Republicans are screwing up government to prove their mantra " government doesn't work". This is designed to frustrate and turn off non supporters f thus paving the way for their depraved zealots to shape the discussion. Hostage politics is their strategy. Americans need to punish republicans at town halls and with calls, letters and emails.

They cannot be allowed to get away with sabotaging our great nation. Americans need to recognize that republicans have no intention or incentive to do anything to bring America out of its economic woes.

After all, they think they can shift blame by blaming President Obama and Democrats. Time will tell if Americans will fall for this again. Prevent abuse of struggling Americans and America. Just say no to republicans.

[sabniz]

nobody cares or reads your long comment. you're obviously biased or a paid poster.

[catmomtx]

We have been through this many times already. The President has a way he thinks things should be done and Republicans refuse to accept his ideas, to even give them a chance. They whine, bi!ch and moan and blame the President for all that is wrong in the world and then blame him for scaring the American people even as they have been doing for the past five years. Republicans whine that the President has ideas of his own and won't do things their way and won't listen to them because they are the only ones who know how to run the country. Nothing new, we have heard it everytime the President does his job.