Democrats’ Big Government Fairy Tale is Over, But Don’t Tell Obama

Voters Reject Obama’s Agenda of Job-Destroying Taxes, Out-of-Control Debt and Weak Economic Growth But Dems Are Pushing Onward

The bad news keeps coming for the White House this week, as new polls out Thursday showed disapproval of Obama’s economic policies continuing to hit new records, and majorities of voters saying they will vote against Obama in key swing states such as Pennsylvania and New Hampshire:

MARIST: 57 PERCENT DISAPPROVAL, 40 PERCENT APPROVAL OF OBAMA ECONOMIC POLICIES HITS RECORD. (“4/28: Obama’s Handling of the Economy at All-Time Low,” Marist Poll, 4/28/2011)

QUINNIPIAC: OBAMA APPROVAL IN PA AT 42-53, 52 PERCENT SAY OBAMA “DOES NOT DESERVE REELECTION.” (Tom Bevan, “Obama Job Rating Hits New Low in Pennsylvania,” Real Clear Politics, 4/28/2011)

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: OBAMA UPSIDE DOWN IN NH AT 44-52, 32 PERCENT APPROVAL WITH INDIES. (“The WMUR Granite State Poll,” The University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 4/28/2011)

These numbers come amidst increasingly broad disapproval of Obama’s choice to campaign instead of addressing deficit reduction as the nation continues to face a debt crisis that imperils America’s economic future:

LOS ANGELES TIMES‘ ANDREW MALCOLM: OBAMA ALREADY “CAMPAIGNER-IN-CHIEF” WITH 558 DAYS TO NOV. 2012: “Contrary to Barack Obama’s schedule yesterday, the next presidential election is not the first Tuesday in May of 2011. It’s still 558 days away on the first Tuesday in November 2012.

“But you’d never know it by the president’s blatant cross-country campaigning and fundraising that appeared to have little to do with governing Wednesday and contained even more of those confusing visual contradictions that reveal this president’s political priorities.” (Andrew Malcolm, “With No Opponent and Barely 558 Days Left, Obama Has Already Become Campaigner-in-Chief,” Los Angeles Times, 4/28/2011)

THE ECONOMIST: “AMERICA IS THE ONLY BIG RICH ECONOMY THAT DOES NOT HAVE A PLAN” FOR DEBT REDUCTION: “But it is also plain that the United States does indeed have long-term economic weaknesses—and ones that will take time to fix. The real worry for Americans should be that their politicians, not least their president, are doing so little to tackle these underlying problems. … High on that list is sorting out America’s public finances. The budget deficit is huge and public debt, at over 90% of GDP when measured in an internationally comparable manner (see article), is high and rising fast. Apart from Japan, America is the only big rich economy that does not have a plan for getting its public finances under control.” (“What’s Wrong With America’s Economy?”, The Economist, 4/28/2011)

BLOOMBERG GOVERNMENT STUDY: “PRICE OF INACTION: INFLATION OR A DEBT CRISIS.” (Dr. Christopher Payne and Dr. Ted Buckley, “Price of Inaction: Inflation or a Debt Crisis,” Bloomberg Government, 4/21/2011)

STANDARD & POOR’S WARNS LAWMAKERS TO GET DEFICITS UNDER CONTROL: “For the first time, Standard & Poor’s lowered its long-term outlook for the federal government’s fiscal health from ‘stable’ to ‘negative,’ and warned of serious consequences if lawmakers fail to reach a deal to control the massive federal deficit.” (Paul Wiseman, “S&P Warning: Fix Deficit Or Risk Credit Downgrade,” Associated Press, 4/19/2011)

Yet other numbers out this week confirm wide public disapproval of Obama’s attempt to deny the debt crisis and substitute scare tactics for meaningful solutions to debt reduction:

RESURGENT REPUBLIC: 47 PERCENT SUPPORT RAISING DEBT LIMIT “IN EXCHANGE FOR CUTS” WHILE 35 PERCENT OPPOSING ANY INCREASE. (“National Survey of Registered Voters,” Resurgent Republic/American Action Forum, 4/17-20/2011)

ONLY 11 PERCENT AGREE WITH DEMS THAT DEBT LIMIT SHOULD BE INCREASED WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS. (“National Survey of Registered Voters,” Resurgent Republic/American Action Forum, 4/17-20/2011)

49 PERCENT SAY SUBSTANTIAL SPENDING CUTS WOULD MAKE THEM “MORE LIKELY” TO SUPPORT DEBT LIMIT INCREASE.(“National Survey of Registered Voters,” Resurgent Republic/American Action Forum, 4/17-20/2011)

GALLUP: SENIORS SUPPORT GOP BUDGET OVER OBAMA PLAN:“A new Gallup/USA Today poll contains a counterintuitive finding: the age group most receptive to House Budget Chair Paul Ryan’s plan to deal with the budget – seniors. The poll finds 48 percent of seniors (those 65 and over) support Ryan’s plan over President Obama’s plan, while 42 percent back the president.” (Josh Kraushaar, “Gallup: Seniors Most Favorable To Ryan Budget,” National Journal’s “Hotline On Call” Blog, 4/27/2011)

USA TODAY : GOP HAS 12-POINT EDGE OVER DEMS ON BUDGET, 5 POINT LEAD ON ECONOMY. “Republicans hold a 12-percentage-point edge over Democrats as the party better able to handle the budget, and a 5-point edge on the economy in general.” (Susan Page, “GOP’s Gamble On The Budget Pays Off, So Far,” USA Today, 4/26/2011)

NEW YORK TIMES/CBS POLL: PLURALITY TRUSTS GOP OVER OBAMA TO MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS ON FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT. 44 percent trust Republicans, 39 percent trust Obama to handle budget deficit better. (“New York Times/CBS News Poll: 2012 Republicans, Obama and the Economy,” The New York Times, 4/21/2011)

59 PERCENT DISAPPROVE OF OBAMA’S HANDLING OF FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT. (“New York Times/CBS News Poll: 2012 Republicans, Obama and the Economy,” The New York Times, 4/21/2011)

With voters rejecting their big government agenda, Democrats’ fairy tale of unlimited government spending and record debt is over. But Democrats are continuing to imagine otherwise, denying that the national debt is a problem and refusing to agree to meaningful spending cuts to accompany any increase in the nation’s debt ceiling:

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY: “It is a dangerous, risky idea to hold hostage any other — hold hostage, rather, raising the debt ceiling, a vote on raising the debt ceiling, to any other piece of legislation.  The commitment this President has to moving aggressively towards a comprehensive deficit reduction plan is clear.” (“Press Gaggle By Press Secretary Jay Carney,” The White House, 4/27/2011)

114 HOUSE DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND BLANK CHECK FOR FUTURE SPENDING. “As the New York Stock Exchange dropped sharply this morning in reaction to a report that Standard & Poor’s downgraded America’s long-term credit outlook to negative, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the names of 114 House Democrats in support of raising the debt ceiling without conditions.” (“As Stock Market Drops Over Worries About US Debt, Welch Leads 114 Democrats in Demanding A Clean Extension of Debt Ceiling,” Office of Rep. Peter Welch, 4/18/2011)