Poll: Americans Agree That Debt Ceiling Debate A Problem, But Disagree On Solution

In a poll by YouGov, taken earlier this month, both Republican and Democratic Americans agreed that the possibility of the government defaulting on their bills is a problem.  They disagree, however, on how to solve it.  The poll of 1000 registered voters shows just how partisan politics have become of late.

As you can see 77% of respondents admit that the federal government defaulting on their debt would become either a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem:

When it comes to actually raising the debt ceiling, though, Americans are clearly divided.  48% of Democrats say "Yes", while 74% of Republicans say "No".  And that's just the beginning.  When it comes to what measures should be included in legislation if the ceiling were raised, the two sides seem to be on different planets.  60% of Democrats would be willing to raise taxes, while only 19% of Republicans were willing to.  Instead, 48% of Republicans want entitlement cuts (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid), while less than a quarter of Democrats felt the same.

If taxes were to increase, 72% of Dems said to just raise them on the wealthiest Americans.  53% of Republicans said to raise them for everyone.  63% of Democrats want the Bush tax cuts (the taxes on the richest 1%) to end, while 67% of those who vote Red do not.

Most disturbing of all is how Republicans and Democrats in this country differ in their beliefs as to how this issue should be handled.  68% of Democrats would like to see their representative in Congress compromise with their GOP counterparts to garner a deal to avoid a government shutdown.  Republicans?  Stick to your beliefs no matter what.

We're all going to die...