State of the Union – Public Skeptical About Compromise

Although it’s important for leaders of both political parties to appear reasonable and open to compromise, the public is skeptical,

• New WSJ/NBC News poll reports most common word selected to describe the State of the Union is “divided” (40%). About half the public rate both President Obama (45%) and GOP in Congress (55%) as “too stubborn.”
• Pew Research finds 71% believe Republicans and Democrats will “bicker and oppose one another more than usual.” Only 22% say they will “work together more.” (In 2009 as Obama took office, only 30% predicted partisan bickering.)
• Pew Research reported in December only 44% expect Obama to cooperate with GOP next two years and only 28% expect GOP to cooperate (after the 2006 Democratic takeover, 48% said newly empowered Democrats would cooperate with Bush.)