There are some fascinating poll results today from USA Today/Gallup.
When asked whom they blame more for the poor economy, 64% of Americans name the federal government and 30% say big financial institutions.
One should not be surprised that the anointed disagree with the great unwashed:
On whom to blame for the economy, only one educational group — people with some post-graduate schooling — were more likely to blame Wall Street instead of Washington. All others — college grads, people with some college, people who never went to college — pointed more at Washington.
So, one might ask, why don’t people mobilize on Washington instead of New York? Assuming they went to Pennsylvania Avenue, what would they demand? Obvious answer: the rich should pay their “fair share.” Interestingly, the poll reveals something that fails to make the evening news:
Asked what the wealthiest 1% of Americans — the ones excoriated by Occupy Wall Street —should pay in taxes as a percentage of their income, more than a quarter of people — 28% — have no opinion. Another 21% say the richest should pay 10% or less, and only 18% say they should pay more than 30%.
The results of this poll seem to paint a far more complicated picture than is reported on the evening news—no great surprise.
