According to Gallup, it's the extremes, both Left and Right, unhappy with the current compromise temporarily settling the tax issue, while extending unemployment benefits. That sounds nice, perhaps, if one is an elected office holder in Washington. But what does it really mean? I'd argue what it means is America finds itself without any real leadership as it continues to experience difficult times.
Opposition Limited to the Extremes
Looking more specifically at the different ideological wings of each party, only liberal Democrats oppose extending the tax breaks for everyone: 39% are in favor, while 55% are opposed. Among the other groups, support ranges from 64% of conservative/moderate Democrats to 87% of conservative Republicans.
Similarly, conservative Republicans are the only political/ideological group opposing the extension of unemployment benefits. The majority of moderate/liberal Republicans are in favor, as are most Democrats, regardless of ideology.
What the tax deal most represents is, Washington yet once again writing a check it can't cash. That might seem pleasing to some soft middle. Unfortunately, many of them tend to be so called low information voters, perhaps not thinking about what results from such compromises. They are, in effect, precisely how America has gotten to the point it has, looking at staggering debt because Washington loves this kind of politically convenient compromise.
The deal would have been fine assuming it had included some form of spending offset to pay for yet another extension of unemployment benefits. Is there really nowhere in this vast government conscientious actors couldn't have looked to cover the cost?
What the Left does, or did here, doesn't concern me much. But it troubles me that Republicans have already shown themselves so quick to punt on a core principle, deficit spending. If they continue down the politically attractive and convenient, yet potentially disastrous, road of unprincipled compromise in 2011, voters will be looking to throw them, as well as more Democrats, out of office by 2012.
The GOP leadership needs to ask itself if it is ready to lead in 2011. If it isn't, it's more likely to be trampled by both Left and Right, than followed by anyone for very long going forward.
