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POLL: Who do you blame for the economy?

November 22nd, 2009, 6:00 am · 74 Comments · posted by Mary Ann Milbourn

Americans apparently have declared a pox on both political parties for the state of the economy, but opinion rapidly is shifting to holding the Democrats more to blame, according to a new CNN poll.

cg1baNearly two in five Americans — 38% — say it's the Republicans'  fault the economy is in such bad shape, down from 53% in May.

Just over a quarter of those polled — 27% — hold the Democrats responsible, up 6 points from May.

And 27% blame both parties equally.

"The bad news for the Democrats is that the number of Americans who hold the GOP exclusively responsible for the recession has been steadily falling by about two to three points per month," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "At that rate, only a handful of voters will blame the economy on the Republicans by the time next year's midterm elections roll around."

So tell us:

Which party is to blame for economy?
View Results

The poll, conducted Nov. 13-15, included 1,014 American who were surveyed by telephone.

Read more about the CNN poll HERE.

Did you miss these recent stories on jobs and the economy ...

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 74 Comments

  • Average Joe says:
    November 22, 2009 at 6:16 am

    We have horrible irresponsible leadership in America.

  • olsrfbum says:
    November 22, 2009 at 7:18 am

    The private sector is drained by the cost of government.

  • matt says:
    November 22, 2009 at 8:11 am

    trade is not sitting on a dollar bill ( investing )
    its a service or a product

  • tomasina says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:39 am

    We are in really big trouble with this present government. Hopefully we can have our voices heard when we vote in 2010. Unfortunately, we will be replacing one problem for another when we do that. But it might give us some breathing room while we get "big brother" out of our lives.

  • tortuga says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:41 am

    spend money on American citizens not war

  • Cesar says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:48 am

    call it like it is: It's George Bushes fault, 100%... Thx for sleeping on the job, you moron.

  • harajukugal2 says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:50 am

    I blame corporate America for sending the jobs overseas.

    • Dina says:
      November 23, 2009 at 6:06 am

      agree

    • Loufca says:
      November 23, 2009 at 6:21 am

      You are so wrong harajukugal2.

      You have to look at the root problem. Jobs going off shore, yes, but ask why
      1. Some of the highest taxes in the world.
      2. Some of the hightes fees in the world (try to open a business in OC and see how man "fees" you have to pay to fed, state and local governments.
      3. Unions wages

      Look to your government for some of the answers (at al levels). Then ask yourself, why are some states like Texas still doing well in this economy?

      Answer, lower taxes, business friendly and less government intrusion.

      You need to take the blinders off.

      • alterego58 says:
        November 23, 2009 at 9:36 am

        Loufca: Wrong. It is because they can pay $5 per day for blue collar labor, without regard for basic human and workers' rights. There is no way to compete with that economically.

        Incidentally, it is the same pay Henry Ford gave his employees in 1913.

  • se says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:50 am

    They're all crooks. Both parties. I've been a Republican all my life, but not anymore. Nor am I a Democrat. A lot of the enabling legislation began during the Clinton regime (and even further back but mainly during Clinton, and nothing was done to reverse it or tighten it up during Bush's reign.

  • Kathy says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:54 am

    We are doomed.

  • Ollie says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:00 am

    Well, I think the entire country in general is to blame, especially if we are living way beyond our means and depending on credit to meet our day to day personal and business expenses. Just because we qualify for credit, doesn't mean we should always use it. Yes, we need intelligent regulation of our economy, but without having the government taking over businesses. This type of legislation is what our leaders struggle with. The government works for us...not us for them. We are their employers. If every qualified citizen exercised their right to vote during the midterm elections, perhaps we can get the right people in office who would act on our behalf.

  • Les says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:05 am

    Greenspane with his years of low interest that sent all the minimum wager chasing something that they can not afford, and at the end it's up to all of us to bail them out.

  • Gentwelve says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:06 am

    Nobody cared when we were getting our ever increasing paychecks, our houses were non-stop appreciation, gas and goods were cheap. Government does have a part, but to completely blame government and thnk it's gonna get fixed by voting in some other monkey of a different party is a a joke.

    Face it people, the goldenage following WWII is over, and if we don't change and adapt our policies; energy, defense spending, entitlements, immigration, trade defecit....., etc.......

    The rest of the world, lead by China, will continue take us piece by piece.......

  • bobexoc says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:08 am

    You mean CNN ran a poll that turned out to be critical of Democrats and they are actually making it public? What's going on?

  • sangell3 says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:15 am

    Our entire Congress is corrupt and has been for years. They have gone from being small time chiselers and thieves ( remember the House Bank scandal and stealing postage stamps) to major criminals engaged in the wholesale looting of this nation on behalf of banking, real estate and union interests.

    Yes there are few in both parties who see the corruption but they are not in charge of anything and won't be as long as the real crooks are running the show.

  • Federico Ruiz says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:20 am

    Whew, CNN, actually not in bed with the Democrats today. I am marking this one down. How does it feel to be a non-parisan news media again????? Er, if you don't know what that means, look in the dictionary under N O N-P A R T I S A N....

  • andrew says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:34 am

    it's combination of things. the economy took a hit with 9/11. then spending all this money outside the county in fight a war on terror, how do you win a war on an ideologoy. while all our money was in another county. jobs were taken overseas because people wanted a global source products and services to keep the costs down. at the same time the jobs that were left here were being taken by imigrants who use the governmental and public programs without paying taxes. it was only a matter of time before the economy imploded.

    to solve the program... limit the amount of money spent outside the usa economy on aide, war, etc. make telemarketing and customer service calls legal in the us. just do not answer the phone if you do not want to be pestered by them. then, secure the borders so no one can get in anymore. make everyone who is here legal and have them payback all thier back taxes for all the work they have done. if they cannot pay cut their services. sorry, if you cannot pay the taxes that pays for the public school your childern attends or the health care they receive, they do not get the services.

    it is harsh. but in a matter of time things will get better. money needs to stay in this county and people need to pay into the system if they are going to use the system.

    • Dwoods says:
      November 22, 2009 at 11:21 pm

      If we're not buying things from other countries, do you think they will buy from us? The US domestic market is too small to sustain the industrial base. We must sell our cars in Canada and Mexico. We must sell our entertainment products outside this country to be profitable.

      Creating Fort America is not the answer.

      • Loufca says:
        November 23, 2009 at 6:26 am

        One correction Dwoods, You said the US domestic market "is to small to sustain the industrial base". Without the US domestic market, Chinas economy would still be semi feudal. The US domestic market is still the largest in the world. If we stopped buying goods from China and India, their economies would implode.

        May this change in the future, yes, based upon population base, but no, not based upon GDP or average income.

      • alterego58 says:
        November 23, 2009 at 10:09 am

        Everyone should boycott companies such as Wal-Mart who put other retailers out of business through collusion with China.

        And legislate against companies who keep their executive and operational HQ in the US, but incorporate in other countries (mostly Bermuda) to eliminate US taxes.

        Nabors Industries, $40 million in taxes lost
        Ingersol-Rand, $40 million
        Tyco Industries $?
        Global Crossing $?
        Cooper Industries $?

  • drowning says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:35 am

    Americans are drowning in a sea of illegal aliens and all of their anchor baibes. We MUST stop giving away our American citizenship to any baby born here. We then give these babies and their illegal mother the next 18 years of welfare, food stamps, medical, housing, schooling, etc.,etc. We don't even do this for the Americans that have worked and contributed to the American economy.Deport the mothers and their babies back to the mothers country from the hospital where they are born. Make the mothers country responsible for their citizens.

    • Ollie says:
      November 22, 2009 at 6:37 pm

      I hope your statement includes white European and Canadian anchor babies and not just Blacks and Hispanics.

  • wheresthebeef says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:40 am

    Both parties are to blame, along with their incestuous relationship with Wall St. and big business. What we have seen in the last 15 years is unprecedented. The middle class of this country gets smaller everyday and the majority of the wealth is held by the very elite few. It will be too late if major, wholesale changes aren't made very soon.

    • Loufca says:
      November 23, 2009 at 6:31 am

      Don't forget their incestuous relationship with the big Unions. Which group was best served by the Auto Bailout. It wasn't the consumer or GM/Chrysler management (they should have all been fired anyway). It was a way to save all the union jobs at those companies.

      This isn't "free enterprise" any longer. Nor is it capitalism. Don't put all the blame on big business. They do share the blame, but add the government stooges and the unions to the list.

  • common sense says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:43 am

    I know this might sound UN-American, but what if there wasn't anyone to blame, and WE took accountability?

  • Donkey says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:46 am

    Both parties are responsble for the economic mess we are in. We had a choice after Ronald Reagan in Ross Perot, but the public chose instead a man that would give our corporate leaders the freedom to move any manufacturing to anywhere in the world they like with little in the way of thought of what it would do to the citizens left behind.
    The same can be said of all immigration, both leagl and illegal. We are importing workers to compete with native workers while we are sending quite a few jobs overseas. And both parties are still pushing for amnesty in the middle of an ongoing depression. If you don't believe it is a depression then you work for the government.
    Ross Perot was right! That big sucking sound we are hearing are all the jobs that left our nation when NAFTA was pushed on the American citizens and then Clinton went one step further and gave most favored nation trade status to China to complete his madness at distroying the American worker.
    California is right now at the edge of a cliff with these pensions and benefits for its army of retired workers and the politicians that were bought and paid for by the government worker unions are so morally bankrupt they have not one once of integrity left to make the needed reductions and corrections or even to suggest that the GWU's have gone too far in raping the taxpayers.
    We need to clean house but the PC crowd has all the young voters believing there is no right or wrong. Anyone that speaks of honesty, integrity, hardwork, tuff choices or truth are met with the sound-bytes of the multi-cultural crowd that "you values are not my values."
    For 200 years our nation plugged along with the values that made our nation the envy of the world. For the last 34 years people of greed and stupid misplaced ideas have done a very good job of tearing it down.

  • Surprised says:
    November 22, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    I was shocked reading the Register's business section this morning where the Chairman of the National Assoc. of Realtors said no Realtor has any blame. She said Realtors did not encourage people to buy homes they cannot afford. That was such crap. I could not believe the pressure realtors were putting on my secretary in 2007. She could not afford free. But it was all the same, never been a better time to buy. Prices are cheap when compared to Rome and Tokyo, etc. etc.

    So you can't just blame be Repubs. and Dems.

    Blame Realtors, public employee unions, stupid people, the price of oil, normal ecconomic cycles, etc., etc. Lots of blame.

    • ocobserver says:
      November 22, 2009 at 1:04 pm

      The realtors own Jon Lasner's blog.

      They play the music and old Jon dances! hah!

      Realtors are just part of the greed bezzle in america. They know it. They know it quite well. But their excuse is "well, everybody else is doing it. Why not us?"

      That is what will collapse America in the end. Pure greed like this.

  • longcat says:
    November 22, 2009 at 12:13 pm

    You are an idiot if you blame one party over the other. Both are to blame.

  • dingo says:
    November 22, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    Blame the dems - if the dems put as much effort into improving the economy as they do their goofy health plan - the economy would be thriving - they seem more concerned about pushing their own agenda than helping the constituants.

  • ocobserver says:
    November 22, 2009 at 1:00 pm

    FINALLY!!!

    A POLL WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE "GET IT"!!!!

    You people are finally beginning to understand that 'democrat - republican' are simply TWO SIDES OF THE SAME EVIL COIN!!!

    Congratulations!!!

    THAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO 'CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN"!!!!

    • Jc says:
      November 22, 2009 at 8:49 pm

      Ufff!! Finally you say so OCO

      Both are the same monster with two heads. That once in a while toss us a bone.

  • dingo says:
    November 22, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    Blame the banking industry instead? During the dot.com boom - banks, generally speaking, were conservative when loaning $, believing that the dot.com boom would eventually fade - which it did.
    This is why the dot.com crash didn't cause the economy to crash so badly.

    For some reason, the banking industry was much more willing to lend $ for mortgages and didn't see the potential collapse of real estate and its consequences.

  • ocobserver says:
    November 22, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    For the biggest heist in the history of the world to happen it took planned complicity between government and the Wall Street crooks.

    Government simply turned it's ugly head aside while the bandits ran off with the loot. Of course, that was after the bandits rewarded your elected reps with nice big bribes.

    Sort of like the cops in mexico turning their heads their other way while the drug runners make billions.

    Just multiply the bribery and heist by trillions.

    Mexico's got nothing on us. Nothing at all.

  • Jc says:
    November 22, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    And NOT to mention the wasted 30 years from Reagan (mediocre-actor) and his Free-Enterprise excuse enough to send americans jobs overseas for cheaper labor costs.
    And make everybody believe that by going to the bank get loans (and in debts) you will be a millionaire on your own.

    Then Clinton (the Illussionist) with his (bridge to the millenioum) sank us in a 5 trillon debt.

    And last the Aberration of all times "The Decider" Bush creating the Homeowners-Society"

    Perfectly Orchestrated for 30 years. And the funny part is that the same people whom decontrol the whole system are now back in to make us believe that the way it is.

    In any Country of the world when 1% is holding the wealth of the country, and the 95% is sank into poverty. That is call Communism.

    And that is what happen the last 30 years. The creation of the Corporate-Comunism-Country.

  • Les says:
    November 22, 2009 at 9:13 pm

    i knew we were in big trouble, when Joe Biden said "we have to spend money, to avoid going bankrupt". Printing money, with nothing to back it, is going to cause hyper inflation, making the recession look like child's play. ( think Jimmy Carter)

    • C. C. says:
      November 23, 2009 at 9:45 am

      Current government spending is another bubble in the making & will likely explode in a bigger mess than the current credit / housing bubble that they claim they're trying to fix.

      Simple economics: one cannot spend when one doesn't have the funds or credits & borrowing to sustain spending is what leads to the current fiasco.

  • Les says:
    November 22, 2009 at 9:23 pm

    We have turned into a greedy, lazy, gotta have it now, society. We want everything, as long as someone else is paying for it. China now holds over $900 Billion of our debt.How is this a good thing? $780 billion stimulus package? $1 trillion health care plan, all on borrowed money.

    How can the economy turn around? We don't make anything anymore. Our economy is based on insurance, banking services, and oher service industries. We have lost our industrial base, and it isn't coming back.

  • Craig Nordstrom says:
    November 22, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    Blame the "Baby Boomers" Baby Boomers represent 25% of the populace. For the last 30 years Boomers have been working to pay off their homes, and pay into their retirement accounts. Whether they're school, city, county, state, federal, employees or union members paying into pension funds, they have had huge sums of money withheld from their take home pay for the last 30 years. Fund managers were under tremendous pressure to constantly get that one or two basis points extra, especially as interest rates declined. This surplus of money created our current mortgage debacle along with accompaning derivitive specualtion. The short sighted investment firms made money "churning" these accounts and with little responsibility for the principle. So in the end, blame the Boomers, they paid off their homes, and paid diligently into their retirement pension funds. Apparently that money was the root of all evils.

    • rob says:
      November 23, 2009 at 9:39 am

      WHAT????

    • ocobserver says:
      November 23, 2009 at 12:17 pm

      I am a boomer. An honest one at that. And I agree with Craig Nordstrom (any relation to the dept store owner, btw?)

      The boomers have really laid the screws to the younger people (unless you happen to be a sibling to a wealthy boomer).

      Greed has taken over. The same hippies of the 1970's who were anti-establishment are now the Wall Street crooks and banksters who sold out. They are ruined the future for america. Forget about the american dream. They stole it from you.

    • alterego58 says:
      November 24, 2009 at 8:13 am

      The problem was caused by mortgage backed securities that were obfuscated into trading instruments (derivatives) that had their own speculative value based upon market prices totally independent of the value of the underlying asset. Wall Street created these instruments, knowing exactly what they were doing.

      Except for a small percentage of real growth in good economic times, everything else is speculation. That is why there is real growth followed by frienzy followed by the fall. It happens over and over again.

      In the short term, it is a zero sum game. For every winner there is a loser. The winners are the Wall Street folks with their financial experts and trading computers. They have created an environment where the average Joe has to manage his financial assets. Then they take it away and pick the bones clean.

  • Carlos says:
    November 23, 2009 at 12:27 am

    The worst has yet to come. California and Orange County are facing bigger crisis ahead.
    Federal law requires states to build up unemployment insurance trust funds in good times so they can pay benefits during downturns. The idea is to avoid having to raise taxes or cut benefits in a recession.

    California government "borrows" from trust funds for their own agenda and lavish spendings.

    Behind the trend are widespread layoffs. The number of people claiming jobless aid has tripled since the recession began. The demand has drained the funds that California uses to pay jobless claims.

    Now the bills are coming due. California reset their unemployment insurance taxes at the end of each year and will raise them next year. The CA' tax revenue in the last fiscal year fell few billion short of what's needed for unemployment aid.

    Simple Solutions: Higher state taxes on companies to pay for unemployment insurance claims in 2010.

    Result, forecast, outlook: Employers say the extra costs make them less likely to hire. That could be a worrisome sign for the economic recovery. Other employers say they'll cut or freeze pay.

    No Job. No Money. No Honey. No Health Insurance. More Problems and Crisis.

    • Loufca says:
      November 23, 2009 at 6:35 am

      Carlos, you're pretty much on target. The only othe thing employers will do will move to state with lower taxes such as Nevada and Texas.

  • Andy says:
    November 23, 2009 at 1:42 am

    people who associate with the democrats are the ones who pressured banks into loaning people money to buy houses they can't afford...

  • Adolph H says:
    November 23, 2009 at 2:01 am

    How about those who took mortgages they can't afford, bought cars on credit, carry credit card debt and have no liquid net worth. Dead beats.

    And now we get to spend more than Bush spent on the war to provide Health Care to the 15 % of Americans without coverage and I get to pay more taxes "because I can afford too" . Thanks Dumb O'crats for telling me how to spend my money.

    Bush made me money, Hussein wants to take it back.

    Still can't believe in less than one decade we hanged a Hussein and elected one.

    • alterego58 says:
      November 23, 2009 at 4:36 pm

      You and I seem to be cut from the same mold. I am successful and comfortable. I work out of my home most days and don't have to fight the commute traffic.

      Your mold must have had its head or heart missing. Regardless of the advantages I enjoy, I realize I am fortunate and I have an obligation to help those who are less fortunate. I don't mind my taxes being increased a couple of percent as long as it isn't going to line the pockets of Goldman Sachs executives. I'm the kind of person who gives a buck to every panhandler I come across, without judgement.

      Bush sucked the money out of the less fortunate to give to the most fortunate. You unthankful economic maniac.

  • Adolph H says:
    November 23, 2009 at 2:03 am

    The Socialist Governer and his Dumb O'Crat friends Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein have really done a great job with our California budget haven't they?

  • Larry Palmer says:
    November 23, 2009 at 2:44 am

    Don't live in the past. It doesn't matter who is at fault. The question should be "Who is going to fix it!"

  • Jed says:
    November 23, 2009 at 4:17 am

    Blame the Federal Reserve and our monetary system for bankrupting the country.

  • rob says:
    November 23, 2009 at 4:18 am

    Everyone forgets or just wants to forget it was the deregulation of wall street that started all of this. We would not need a stimulus package if G.W.B. and the GOP didn't vote for deregulation. When Clinton left office there was a surplus. what happened to that? Bush and the GOP cut taxes for there pals on wall street. Then he said hay there' is money left. Let's start a war. that will burn it up. NO reason to go to war. We will make one up and go anyway. That is why we are in this mess. As for unemploment? don't worry about that. when the GOP held up the unemployment ext. they put 7000 people a day into poverty. People are now being kicked out of there homes because they have no money to pay the rent,bills or even buy food (checks are still not going out) Tha state of Ca, will not send you a check if you don't have an address.

    • Loufca says:
      November 23, 2009 at 6:40 am

      Wrong Rob, it started with the introduction of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the Clinton administration. Ask Barney Frank why he wouldn't let investigations occur into both companies in 02, 05 and 07. Fannid and Freddie were the first big dominos to fall in the melt down.

      Where do you get your "7,000 people a day into poverty" ifgure and who is it attributed too?

  • deedee says:
    November 23, 2009 at 5:15 am

    Lets all drink some Jim Jones Kool-Aid.

  • olsrfbum says:
    November 23, 2009 at 5:32 am

    I often wonder where our economy would be today if Ross Perot had been elected 20 years ago.

  • Idontbuyit says:
    November 23, 2009 at 6:34 am

    ALL POLITICIANS ARE SCUM! They ALL lie and would sell their own mothers off to secure their votes! They ALL accept bribes to further their own personal interests above their constituents voices! What's even scarier is that they don't even fear God. We the people have gotten the shaft and no longer have a voice other than two bit blogs to release the frustrations we feel. If you vote one out, another cockroach fills the chair. Wake up America, they have us right where they want us, so get used to it. It is a very sad time in this nation's history..

  • SC2 says:
    November 23, 2009 at 6:57 am

    Looks like barbara boxer had to be corrected on Meet the Press re program costs oh, your right, that was "trillion" not "billion" - no wonder this state is so screwed up with monkeys like boxer and feinstein running around taking your money and burning it. sad thing is even dumber monkeys keep voting these dumb monkeys back in. dumb and dumber monkeys...

  • mrgmorgan56 says:
    November 23, 2009 at 8:00 am

    This all started with deregulation of the financial institutions. This led to those same fiancial institutions doing anything and everything to make money at the cost of the economy. Reagan is the guy who deregulated these financial institutions and is solely to blame for this mess. You nutjobs that criticise the government need to read a little and use what little brainmatter you have left.

  • Lucifer'sFlowers says:
    November 23, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    AMERICA, YOU ARE TO BLAME.

    Now get off your asses and do something besides pointing fingers.

  • Bluewaterbabies says:
    November 24, 2009 at 9:23 am

    It is the liberal mentality that raises taxes to throw good money time after time at bad programs and entitlements. Instead of solving our problems we just add another layer of regulation, pay too much for most everything from paperclips to our highway infrastructure. It costs too much to start and maintain a business in California and it is getting worse, add the politically correct era we are living in this will squash like a bug what is left of the middle American lifestyle. Our government wants us to be dependant on them. It is called power! They will call the shots on everything. I used to laugh at that old line...."Power to the people", but maybe we need to be shouting this again. In no other time of my life have I had such great concern for our economy and the people who are running it.

  • marley says:
    November 24, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    Both...

    LOU DOBBS for president... come on 2012!!!

  • right-on says:
    November 24, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    the problem with both parties is that they are acting like democrats

  • neil says:
    November 25, 2009 at 9:14 am

    immigrants and bush