Obama: 80% Favor Balanced Approach [Fact Check]

Obama reiterated several times in this morning’s presser that 80% of voters favored a balanced approach to the debt problem. The President’s idea of a balanced approach is equal tax hikes and budget cuts. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single poll to support his delusion.

A Rasumussen Report poll indicates that only 45% would favor tax increasese in the debt ceiling deal. Reading into the poll further and statistics show that mainstream voters oppose tax hikes in the debt deal by a 68%-22% margin. That would indicate that only 32% of mainstream Americans would like to see tax hikes in the budget deal at all. So where did President Obama get the magic 80% number he spouted so often this morning? Revisionist use of a Gallup Poll:

Obama took the reverse view of the first statistic. While worded to downplay tax hikes, the poll gives a result that 20% of respondents would favor a budget deal with only spending cuts in it. So Obama took the reverse and said that 80% favor a balanced approach (equal tax and cut). Unfortunately, the very poll he sought to use tells a different story. Only 32% of Americans said they favor equal tax hikes and spending cuts. And the poll also shows that 50% of respondents want only/mostly a deal with spending cuts. Less than 12% want a deal with only/mostly tax hikes.

Then again, the Obama administration has said that most Americans don’t pay attention to this debt ceiling stuff. A recent poll says otherwise:

Eighty-five percent (85%) of voters are following the debt ceiling story at least Somewhat Closely. That figure includes 48% who are following it Very Closely. Older voters are following the story more closely than younger voters.

Obama is once again painting a false picture in hopes that Americans will believe it enough to make it true. Most voters do NOT want job-killing tax hikes in the budget deal. Most of us ARE paying attention to the debt ceiling talks. And finally, Mr. President, most voters don’t like you very much right now (polls actually back that assertion up).