Poll: Stimulus Backed By 66 Percent Of Americans

A new Diageo-Hotline Poll finds that 66 percent of Americans, when provided with specific details, support the current proposed stimulus package. That number drops to 54 percent for respondents who have not been filled in on the specifics, signifying that the public is looking for certain ingredients and is not necessarily supporting the package out of blind faith in President Obama or the Democratic leadership in Congress.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi touted the poll's findings in an email to reporters, ratcheting up political pressure to support the bill, which is set to be voted on tomorrow.

(The Speaker's office stressed the motif of the new administration: transparency. From the email: "The Recovery Plan has unprecedented accountability measures built in--providing strong oversight, an historic degree of public transparency, and including no earmarks.")

See all of the poll's findings here.

Comments

[long333]

As some who holds a BS in Statistics I have to start by saying "Are you kidding?"

Who would take a push poll where THEY provide the details of the package sreioulsy? GEE? DO YOU THINK THEY DIDN"T EMPHASIZE SOMETHING.

For those unfamiliar with puch polling it is something like "Would you vote for Barack Obama if you knew his middle name was Hussien"?

Then reporting the support for Barack Obama.

What kind of "details" you provide in a question IS THE WHOLE QUESTION. What a joke the media has become in cheerleading Obama. Say goodbye to your credibility media. It will be zero by 2012.

[vginny]

As always, depends on who supplied the count.......
everything from the media passed along is toward the left.

[KingdomofGod]

What a crock of s hit

HP, try using a REAL POLL

http://www.gallup.com/poll/114097/Americans-Support-Stimulus-Major-Changes.aspx

[chicagoexpat]

Post #23!

But how many elected Democrats? None of them are on the talk shows, it seems -- just Republicans wanting to push the failed policies of the past -- TAX CUTS!

But A Tax Cut Won't Educate Your Child

http://loomisnews.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/a-tax-cut-wont-educate-your-child/

[zdog57]

More importantly, the typical public school won't educate your child. Wise up.

[ProudAmerican23]

The Gallup poll numbers dont show the same public feelings. Before we go spend another 800 Billion I think we need a REAL PUBLIC VOTE on this!!!!

[Ugonna]

If Obama is smart, he will use this poll and the support of GOP governors as LEVERAGE against the Senate Repubs.

[URDRWHO]

Without knowing the question in the poll the, sixty six percent number is possibly skewed. Most of my friends have no idea of all the pork in the present bill. You should be happy we have a two party system that may be able to squeeze the pork out of the bill (but I doubt it).

Politicians cheating on their taxes and you think we will get a clean stimulus package? Republican or Democrat, they are all the same cloth. Until you realize it............there will be no "Change" only hope. Hope doesn't pay the bills.

The more people hear about the pork, the more that 66% number will drop.

A few things listed, caught and hopefully will not be funded:

Las Vegas, which by some accounts already glitters, wants $2 million for neon signs.

Boynton Beach, Fla., is looking for $4.5 million for an "eco park" featuring butterfly gardens and gopher tortoises.

And Chula Vista, Calif., would like $500,000 to create a place for dogs to run off the leash.

Among entries on Lincoln's list is a $3 million environmentally friendly clubhouse for a municipal golf course.

The mayors' $149 billion project list is just one of many circulating in Washington and state capitals. Massachusetts -- which, like other states, will have a say in distributing the money -- has 4,000 project submissions from 51 towns competing for stimulus money. The San Diego Association of Governments came up with 1,043 possible projects in its region.

[seawally]

There is consensus that something needs to be done, but disagreement about what will and won’t work. I agree that waste needs to be avoided. If we must have debt let’s do it for projects that will have a long term impact such as infrastructure. Improve our roads, airports, schools, ports, rail service, electricity, water/sewer systems, healthcare...and even if we're mortgaged to the eyeballs we will at least have some tangible assets to show for it. If banks won't lend stop giving them the money! The fed gov't has mechanisms by which it can do direct lending through the SBA and could set up other lending programs for housing, etc. My issue with tax breaks, refunds, or credits is they may be ineffective when consumer confidence is down; many people simply are not spending money unnecessarily. That's why Starbucks, for example, is having a hard time because; people are skipping four dollar lattes since they might need it for the light bill. If I get another stimulus check I’ll do what I did with the last one, which is pay my credit card bill or save it, like a lot of other people would do when their financial situation is uncertain. There is no perfect or easily agreed upon solution, but it was disappointing to see Republicans fighting over tax breaks and condoms, and even when the changes were made they voted against it anyway.

[osamamania]

What about all the other polls that show a large difference in the popularity of this stimulus package? Seems the TRUE middle ground for all the polls combined show a mere 49% - 52% of the people believe this package is worth anything. Can we all agree that the kool-aid drinkers are not a true example of public support? May peace be upon us all, and praise be upon the most high.

[gameball]

my biggest grip with money going to any group is they spend it all or we have to give it back. This happens all the time I know a woman who works for the state of mi and they will have them take a train and rent a car then stay in a hotel all when the destination is only 2 hours away. Now she has a state car,,but they have this money and they'll piss it away rather than send it back to gov. This happens more than people can imagine. Thats whats bothersome about our national debt.People don't care they think it's not my money but it really is . It's a debt there kids and grandkids are gonna have to pay back.

[firstchancelastchance]

This stimulus package is full of pocket money for big business and big governement contracts.
Most of the "green jobs' right now are being handle by staff from other countries. If there is no provision to make sure that these jobs are filled by Americans It's as bad as Bush letting big companies use slave labor in China and other parts of the world while getting tax write offs in the U.S.
There is a first chance and a last chance for everything.
Lets get it right this time!

[KenHartleyReed]

To suggest that people are in favor of this is a straight, LIE... Period.

[SailFree]

1) May be true.
2) Depends on how question is phrased.
3) Doesn't mean the stimulus plan is good! The majority is frequently wrong, which is a problem with democracy...and why we were not created as a democracy!

[sticksnstones]

Well, FailFreely, the majority was definitely right on November 4. Got a problem with democracy ?? Then move to Paraguay with the Bush family. They have room for ya on that 100,000 acres.

[Liberty62]

I wonder what we will say should have happend in a year when this thing blows up in our face. This video is gives a brief explanation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mKE16Exh9k

[TheShadow]

I wonder if you will come back on this site and admit you were wrong when this thing works out. 30 Years of Republican Trickle Down Mickey Mouse economic BS has shown that it's a failure in practice, and only serves the very few. This history lesson will give you a brief explaination: It's called the "New Deal".

Someone not on "youtube" once said that what we learn from history is that we do not learn from history: But what did they know?

[KenHartleyReed]

What's the difference from the republican theory of money trickling down from businesses, or the liberal theory that it should trickle down from government?

[Tim LaDuca]

This thing is NOT going to work out.