Government Shutdown Not Impressing Americans, Most Blame Republicans, Polls Say

Polls show the US government shutdown, which began officially Tuesday morning, is not moving the American people. Either against the shutdown or simply uninterested in the political struggle over the federal budget, most Americans aren’t behind the Republicans-lead charge to delay or defund Obamacare this way.

In one CNN/ORC International poll 69 percent of Americans said that they saw the GOP as behaving like “spoiled children,” reports Huffington Post. 58 percent of poll responders said Democrats in Congress were also acting like “spoiled children,” while slightly less than half say this applies to President Obama too. The poll also shows that 60 percent of Americans, whether they support the Affordable Care Act or not, do not support shutting down the government to try to defund the controversial bill.

Those poll results came from a sample of general American citizens. How do registered voters — the Americans’ whose opinion will determine the outcome of elections in 2014 — feel about the budget brawl in Washington? Turns out most of them are not on board with the GOP’s push to dismantle Obamacare with a government shutdown too.

Only seven percent of polled voters said they want to see the healthcare bill stalled or defunded, Think Progress reports. The poll, from Morning Consult group, also found that nearly 30 percent of voters want to keep Obamacare but say Congress should improve it. Another 39 percent say that the bill should stay as-is or even be expanded.

A recent Gallup poll asked Americans how they viewed the shutdown. While the battle over funding Obamacare is painted by some politicians and talking heads as a struggle over principles, most Americans disagree. The poll shows that 47 percent of see the debate as political posturing, not an ideological stand.

All of these polls, it should be noted, were conducted before October 1, the first day of the shutdown.

What do you think? Do you support the government shutdown now in effect? Do you believe this is an important and effective way of attacking Obamacare, or are you against the effort entirely? Share your opinions below!

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