Poll: Virginians want cuts, but not in defense, entitlements

Most Virginians are of two minds when it comes to how to reduce federal budget deficits: They want spending cuts, not tax increases, but they don't want to touch defense spending or major entitlement programs, according to a new poll by Old Dominion University and The Virginian-Pilot.

The split personality demonstrates the problem facing politicians as they attempt to trim the amount of money the United States borrows each year to pay its bills.

Several members of Congress have said that cutting spending and raising taxes without touching defense, Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid would be very difficult. The four areas account for almost half of the federal budget.

The other half includes discretionary spending, interest payments, other entitlements and the cost of special tax breaks or deductions.

Old Dominion University's Social Science Research Center surveyed 608 voting-age Virginians by phone July 21 through Aug. 16 in consultation with The Virginian-Pilot. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Sixty-five percent said the best way to reduce federal budget deficits is by cutting spending, not raising taxes. More Republicans than Democrats or independents tended to favor cutting, but all three political groups preferred it to increasing taxes or a combination of cuts and tax hikes.

Yet a majority of those polled said they oppose cutting spending on Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. About 1 in 5 others said they want more money spent on those programs.

If younger people need to pay more for Social Security to keep it solvent, so be it, most respondents said.

When considering defense, 53 percent favored maintaining spending at current levels or raising it, while 46 percent favored cutting military spending.

About 1 of every 5 people surveyed said they favor higher taxes. Nearly 1 in 7 said a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts is needed.

A majority - 60 percent - said the richest Americans, those in the top 5 percent of income earners, pay too little in taxes. About 1 in 4 said the wealthy are paying the correct amount, and 1 in 7 said they pay too much.

The survey found differing views on the roots of the national debt and the leadership of President Barack Obama.

About a third of those surveyed blamed former President George W. Bush for the country's debt problems. Smaller numbers blamed Obama or Republicans or Democrats in Congress. About 1 of every 5 people polled said all are at fault.

When respondents were divided by their party affiliations, most Republicans tended to blame Democrats, and Democrats blamed the GOP.

Obama's job performance was positive, with 55 percent saying they approve or strongly approve of the job he's doing and 44 percent expressing disapproval.

"This number appears to bode relatively well for the president's prospects of winning Virginia in 2012," said Jesse Richman, an ODU assistant political science professor who analyzed the results. But Richman noted the poll indicates Obama's support might be somewhat soft.

"Passion is on the side of his opponents," he said, noting that Obama's supporters mostly said they "approve" of him rather than "strongly approve." Most who dislike him "strongly disapprove" of his performance.

The president's popularity varied significantly among people of different racial backgrounds. Respondents who identified themselves as black or African American tended to support Obama in large numbers, but white respondents were split.

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com