Fewer Than Half Think Congress And President Obama Will Avoid The "Fiscal Cliff"

(Week of 11/23/2012) ?Only 42% in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll think it?s likely that the President?and Congress will agree on a way to avoid the automatic spending cuts and tax?increases that will go into effect should they not agree to a budget solution before?January 1. At 43%, only slightly more say that?s unlikely.

Democrats are more hopeful than Republicans that a deal will be struck.

Should there be no agreement, there is a lot of blame to go around. About half?the public (51%) would blame Republicans in Congress, and 43% would blame the?President. Democrats, who are a minority in the House of Representatives, and are?short of a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, are seen as less responsible: just?34% would blame them.

However, when it comes to economic conditions, President Obama ? although in?office nearly four years ? still gets less of the blame than does his predecessor,?President George W. Bush. 40% give the current occupant of the White House little?or none of the blame for the poor economic conditions of the last few years; 42%
blame President Obama a great deal or a lot.

But even more blame those at both economic extremes: 54% put a great deal or a?lot of the blame on consumers who borrowed too much money, while 63% blame
Wall Street bankers.

As for the poor economy, more still think it?s getting worse (38%) than think it?s?getting better (28%). However, things are looking a lot better to Americans than?they did when the President first took office nearly four years ago.

Economist/YouGov poll?archives can be found here

Photo source: Press Association

Source: http://today.yougov.com/news/2012/11/28/fewer-half-think-congress-and-president-obama-will/

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