Politics & Government
Government Shutdown: Blame the Republicans, Poll Says
Tea party wing of the GOP especially unpopular.
Who to blame for the government shutdown that has left tens of thousands of federal employees and contractors without a workplace? The Republicans, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Americans are far more likely to blame the GOP for the mess in Washington than Democrats, and the trend has been getting progressively worse for Republicans.
Some low-lights in the poll released Thursday:
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- Only 24 percent of Americans had a favorable view of Republicans, the lowest figure in the poll’s history and four percentage points lower than last month.
- The tea party wing of the party fares even worse: only 21 percent of those polled have a favorable view of the tea party.
- 70 percent of Americans said Republicans were putting politics ahead of what was best for the country. Just over 50 percent said that about President Obama.
- The back-and-forth finger-pointing has done little to help the GOP. Americans blamed Republicans by a 53-percent to 31-percent margin.
The president met with Republican leaders on Thursday and was scheduled to meet again Friday.
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