WINNABLE? MAYBE, BUT ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT BY OUR TEAM

I wish I could second DougJ's assertion that "this fight is winnable," which is his comment on a new Greenberg-Quinlan-Rosner poll:

...battleground voters are currently split on the Republican plan to cut domestic programs by $61 billion, with 46 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed. This would be a dramatic decline in support from January when Democracy Corps found 60 percent support for the Republicans' budget cuts.

And after a balanced debate on the issue, support for the Republican budget plan drops sharply, to 41 percent, with a 52 percent majority opposed. The more voters hear from the Republicans on this issue, the less they like. In fact, after hearing the budget debate, 53 percent agree, the more they hear from Republicans like their incumbent, "the less I like." Just 39 percent say the more they hear, "the more I like." And this is reflected in the vote, as it moves a net of 5 points towards the Democrats, giving them a 47 to 44 percent lead on the ballot.

Not good enough for the cowards of the Democratic Party. As I said a couple of weeks ago, for scared-of-their-own-shadow Dems, not even 60% is really 50% -- they had the polls on their side in the run-up to the 2010 midterms, but they didn't dare force the Republicans to vote on the highly unpopular extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich, because, heck, everybody knows that voters really hate tax increases on anyone, including filthy-rich fat cats, even if a solid numerical majority say otherwise. Or at least Democrats feel it's terrifying not to labor under such restraints. Democrats know they don't see any fat-cat-tax-hating monsters under the bed, but they're sure those monsters must be there. MOMMMMYYYYY!!!!!

This poll isn't good enough -- the best Democrats do is (gulp!) 53% approval of their position, and a 47%-44% plurality (not even a majority!!!) on the generic congressional ballot for 2012. To yellow-bellied Democrats, that adds up to a GOP landslide.

And besides, this happens only if we have "a balanced debate on the issue." How the hell is that going to happen? When Democrats have the popular position on their side, and the issue is (eek) taxes and spending, they don't want to talk about the issue. That's nuts, of course, but there you are. When Republicans aren't taking the popular position, they sensibly want to change the subject. So, since both sides will want to avoid talking about it, our debate about budget cuts is going to be: "Defund NPR! Defund Planned Parenthood and the AARP! Why so many Obamacare waivers? Where's the birth certificate?"

Right?