Dick Morris has been wrong about a lot of things. But he can read polls. His recent piece focuses on the crucial irony of today's politics: Americans are increasingly opposed to a bigger role for the federal government at precisely the moment when the federal government is growing faster and larger than at any time in its history:
- Rasmussen Poll asked voters if they wanted an economic system of complete free enterprise or preferred more government involvement in managing the economy. By 77-19, they voted against a government role, up seven points from last month.
- And in the Fox News poll — the very same survey that gave Obama a 62 percent approval rating and reported that 68 percent of voters are “satisfied” with his first hundred days — voters, by 50-38, supported a smaller government that offered fewer services over a larger government that provided more.
- By 42-8, the Fox News poll (conducted on April 22-23) found that voters felt Obama had expanded government rather than contracted it (42 percent said it was the same size) and,
- By 46-30, reported believing that big government was more of a danger to the nation than big business (Fox News).
- By 62-20, they said government spending, under Obama, was “out of control.” (Fox News)
The key driver behind the tea parties is not the taxes people are paying today. It is the sense that government is growing too big, too fast, and is involved in too many facets of our lives.