Bad news for Democrats on spending

Rasmussen Reports:

For nearly four-out-of-five U.S. voters, the problem is not their unwillingness to pay taxes. It’s their elected representatives’ refusal to cut the size of government.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of voters say the bigger problem in the United States is the unwillingness of politicians to control government spending. Just 14% say the problem is that voters are unwilling to pay enough in taxes, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

These findings parallel results in California just before voters there rejected several ballot initiatives aimed at raising taxes. After that vote on Tuesday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested the state might need federal financial help, but voters nationwide oppose any bailouts for California and other economically troubled states.

Just 28% of all voters say, generally speaking, that increases in government spending help the economy, down seven points from February. Fifty-three percent (53%) now believe spending increases hurt the economy, and seven percent (7%) say they have no impact.

Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Republicans and 61% of unaffiliated voters believe increased government spending hurts the economy. Democrats tend to hold the opposite view--49% of those in Barack Obama’s party think more government spending is good for the economy, while just 27% say it hurts.

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The Democrats are losing the independents. The swing of independents to Democrats is what gave them majorities since 2006, but spending maybe fatal to their majority. It was one of the main reasons why independents swung to Republicans in 1994. If this trend holds look for big gains by the GOP in 2010.