Politicians, be careful talking about shared sacrifice, pollster says (VIDEO)
| Washington
It makes voters nervous when candidates talk about sacrifice, says Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg.
鈥淪acrifice is an elite term,鈥� Mr. Greenberg said at a Monitor-hosted breakfast for reporters on Friday. He conducts a variety of polls and focus groups for political and corporate clients as well as for Democracy Corps, a liberal polling and strategy organization he cofounded with James Carville. Greenberg served as Bill Clinton's pollster. 聽
When asked at the breakfast whether voters would be willing to sacrifice to solve America鈥檚 budget problems, Greenberg noted that they had seen 鈥淐EOs who drove down their companies at the trough, getting their bank bonus.鈥� Meanwhile, he said, the average worker鈥檚 inflation-adjusted wages have declined.聽
鈥淲hen they hear it is time for sacrifice, they are cautious about, Is there really going to be shared sacrifice; can we trust them?鈥� he said. 聽
At the same time, sacrifice by the wealthy is a popular concept. 鈥淭here is one bipartisan issue in the country 鈥� that rich people ought to pay more for addressing our problems,鈥� Greenberg said. 鈥淓ighty percent of the country favors increased taxes鈥� for the rich. 聽
Still, he said, 鈥減eople want to address the [budget] deficit because they think the deficit is endangering Social Security.鈥� So, despite being nervous when politicians talk about sacrifice, voters 鈥渁re very much for ... a bipartisan deal on Social Security ... making changes that will make it secure.鈥� 聽
In that context, he said, voters "will support changes that could include retirement age, could include a range of things."
