November 2010 midterms gave Republicans the largest turnover in House of Representatives seats in over 70 years, stripping the gavel from Nancy Pelosi and control from Democrats and handing it to Republicans.That is history by now but the reason for such a negative impact on Democrats is not. They overspent, they went on a spending spree with money the U.S. did not have, borrowed more, raised the deficit higher and by more than at any time in history.
American taxpayers said enough and handed control of the House to Republicans and gave Republicans six additional seats in the Senate based on their campaign promises to get government spending under control and cut spending to more acceptable levels.
They made it clear in exit polls, interviews and surveys after the midterms that they wanted smaller government, less spending and more spending cuts to lower the debt.
Those same voters didn't just kick back and wait for Republicans to keep their campaign promises, they continued to keep their feet to the fire, insisting they keep those promises.
House Republicans did just that, they proposed and passed a budget which would cut $100 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Senate Democrats threatened to not pass it and Obama threatened to veto it if it did make it to his desk, risking a government shutdown.
Which is why we are seeing more polls like The Hill Poll, showing that more voters would blame Democrats for a shutdown than would blame Republicans.
Twenty-nine percent of likely voters would blame Democrats for a government shutdown, compared to 23 percent who would hold Republicans responsible, according to a new poll conducted for The Hill.
The results are surprising because most people blamed the GOP for the last government shutdown, which occurred during President Clinton’s first term. A week before the 1995 shuttering, polls showed the public blamed Republicans by a two-to-one-margin.
The Hill’s survey, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, comes as lawmakers are heading into high-stakes spending negotiations that will seek to avert a shutdown.
Republicans have a substantial edge among independents: Thirty-four percent would blame Democrats, while only 19 percent would blame the GOP.
Republicans are working for the favored option among voters this time and they are releasing their proposals for the public to see. They are deliberately keeping U.S. taxpayers in the loop and visibility high, focusing on debt, spending and cuts.
Everything that every day Americans are expressing concern about.
Business Insider shows very clearly with a chart of revenues vs expenses, exactly why Republicans have the winning argument here in terms of the budget fight.
It is worth reminding folks that Obama's proposed budget would spike our 2011 deficit to $1.65 trillion, showing once again that while he gave lip service to American's concerns, he truly just didn't "get it", didn't learn the lesson the midterms should have taught him.
As long as Republicans continue to keep harping on the deficit and spending cuts, and Democrats continue to fight against them, polling like The Hill's will continue to show more people blaming Democrats than Republicans if Dems force a government shutdown by refusing to stop spending money we do not have.
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