Ryan Streeter
We have heard a lot this week about how America is divided on how Congress should extend the Bush tax cuts. But what do America's conservative Republicans think about this and other big issues?
They are not nearly as divided.
Here's a sampling from the Republican Panel, ConservativeHome's weekly poll of more than 2,000 conservatives (you can join the ConservativeHome readers' version of the Republican Panel by taking our introductory survey here):
Extending the Bush tax cuts:
- 86% think the tax cuts should be extended for all income brackets
- 10% think the tax cuts should be extended for all but those earning more than $1million per year
- 4% think the tax cuts should be extended for all but those earning more than $250,000 per year
Reforming Social Security:
- 79% think that people under the age of 40 should be allowed to invest part of their Social Security taxes into private accounts instead of the traditional program
- 55% favor raising the retirement age to 70 for those under 40, while 29% say the retirement age should not be raised
Funding the military during tough economic times:
- 36% say don’t touch the defense budget
- 51% say only touch the defense budget as a last resort
- 10% say to cut defense by the same percentage as the rest of the government
- 3% say that defense should be cut more than everything else
Defining themselves fiscally and socially:
- 58% say they are both fiscally and socially conservative
- 37% say they are fiscal more than social conservatives
- 3% say they are social more than fiscal conservatives
- 2% say they are neither
Thinking about the future of the RNC:
- 39% say Michael Steele should be replaced as RNC leader
- 25% say they have no opinion on whether he should be replaced
- 20% say he needs more time
- 16% say he has done a good job and should stay
