Earlier this month, I was traveling to a conference of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, in Spain. So I have neglected to post some recent National Journal polls of political bloggers. Here they are.
The July 10 poll asked “If the cap-and-trade legislation passed by the House becomes law, how much will it reduce global warming — if at all?” Hardly anyone thought “a lot,” but 58% of the Left thought “some,” while 79% of the Right thought “none.” I voted for “a little,” with the comment, “Under 1 degree centigrade. Probably much less than that.”
Question 2 was “Do you favor any of these additional stimulus measures?” Much of the Left favored “Grants to state and local governments” and “Safety-net payments.” The Right preferred tax cuts for businesses and individuals.
I chose “No further action for now”, and wrote: “Bush’s reckless and irresponsible deficit spending has been followed by much, much more of the same. It’s time to stop the hair-of-the-dog remedies, which just make everything worse in the long run. If Obama demanded a balanced budget, he would be a true agent of change, and his legacy for future generations would be hope rather than debt.”
The July 3 poll brought trans-ideological agreement on “What’s the biggest problem for Democrats right now?” The answer was “A sluggish economic recovery.”
I was part of the minority who picked “rising deficts,” and said “Most fiscally reckless and irresponsible presidency ever. Much worse than GWB and LBJ combined.”
As for, “What’s the biggest problem for Republicans right now?” a large majority on the Right said “Lack of a leader.” A plurality of the Left said “Obstructionist image in Congress.”
But I picked “scandal,” with the explanation: “If the GOP, during its years of congressional control, had not gotten so deeply involved in the culture of corruption, then the party today might be a more attractive alternative to voters currently disgusted with the corruption of Dodd, Frank, Rangel, etc., which played such a huge role in causing the mortgage meltdown.”