An overwhelming majority of Americans want to avoid the fiscal cliff with a deal that features tax increases and spending cuts, according to the latest national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and political independents all supported a deal to avert going over the cliff.
The poll seems to indicate a thawing of partisan gridlock as the fiscal cliff looms, with two-thirds of respondents willing to accept an increase in taxes or cuts in federal government programs they care about in order to avert the cliff.
Just 28% believed that leaders should stick to their traditional positions in the negotiations
The poll also remarkably found a majority of Republicans (59%) that wanted their elected officials to make compromises to gain a consensus. Just a year prior, a majority of the party said they preferred the GOP stick to their guns.
“At this point what does anybody have to loose but to come together and make a deal?” Morning Joe host Mika Brzezsinski asked. If a deal is not struck, 56% of respondents said they would blame both sides, while 24% said they’d blame Republicans and 19% said they’d blame the president and the Democrats. Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough pointed to this number as indicative of national feeling. “The benefit of the doubt will always lie with the Democrats until Republicans change that,” he said
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