Oh my: Public opposes second stimulus this year by two-to-one margin; Update: Will Collins et al. support it?

It seems like just yesterday that I was wondering if The One had miscalculated by expecting a bailout-weary public to support more than one gargantuan stimulus bill. Oh right — it was yesterday.

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Remember to emphasize confidence when you’re pitching this next one, Nancy.

Just 27% of voters nationwide favor passage of a second economic stimulus package. The latest Rasmussen Reports nationwide telephone survey found that 55% are opposed and 19% are not sure.

Despite the public opposition, 74% say it’s likely that Congress will try to pass another stimulus plan before the year is out. That figure includes 45% who say it’s Very Likely that Congress will do so…

Forty-three percent (43%) of Democrats favor a second stimulus package while 32% are opposed. Republicans oppose the concept by an 8-to-1 margin. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 59% are opposed to a second stimulus plan while 23% are in favor of it.

They don’t even have a majority of Democrats on board? Good lord. I’m not sure how seriously to take these results, actually: On the one hand, 63 percent told WaPo just two weeks ago that they expect another stimulus will be needed, and after all, we’ve been warned before that Rasmussen’s issue polls tend to skew towards the GOP position. On the other hand, 61 percent told the Journal last week that they’re more worried about the feds spending too much money than too little (up five points since December) and a Newsweek poll taken around the same time showed 52 percent agreeing that the first stimulus was either the right amount needed or that we shouldn’t have had a stimulus at all (40 percent thought it was merely a good start). Maybe now that the public’s had time to choke on The One’s mammoth $3.6 trillion budget and that $410 billion omnipork spending bill that passed yesterday, the tide has turned and the tap’s being turned off. Or maybe Cool Hand Luke will give another primetime address demanding $800 billion more or else the sun will explode and that’ll flip 15 percent back his way. Through Hopenchange, all things are possible.

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Update: Does Obama have the votes to get this thing passed, assuming it even reaches the floor? Specter’s under enormous pressure to vote against it now that Toomey’s mounting a primary challenge. Collins and Snowe are safer bets, but if public opinion really is this sour, even they’ll think twice.

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David Strom 7:20 PM | June 30, 2025
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