Americans Back Obama In Fiscal Cliff Negotiations By 2-To-1 Margin

A new Gallup poll has revealed that Americans support President Barack Obama in the “fiscal cliff” negotiations by a margin of 2-to-1.

Little progress has been made in the negotiations, which have remained gridlocked since the “Plan B” proposed by Speaker John Boehner and congressional Republicans failed last week. Should an agreement not be reached by the time 2013 ticks over, a combination of automatic spending cuts and expired tax cuts will kick in, raising taxes for the vast majority of Americans.

Should such a scenario unfold, Gallup‘s poll suggests the majority of Americans will pin the blame on congressional Republicans. The poll reveals that 54% of Americans approve of Obama’s handling of the negotiations, up from 48% a week ago. That contrasts sharply with the approval ratings for Boehner – only 26% of Americans are happy with Speaker Boehner’s performance in negotiations.

A similar pattern can be found in the approval ratings for each party. 45% of Americans approve of how congressional Democrats have handled the negotiations, while only 26% are content with the performance of congressional Republicans.

A second Gallup poll reveals that Americans are pessimistic about any budget agreement being reached before January 1 in the negotiations. While 50% (down from 57% on December 16) still believe an agreement can be achieved, 48% are doubtful, up from 40% on December 16.

Earlier this week, President Obama cut short his vacation in Hawaii to head back to Washington and continue negotiations.

Should the economy head over the dreaded fiscal cliff, who do you feel should shoulder most of the blame? Sound off in the comments!