Poll: Majority say GOP should compromise more

A new poll finds a majority believe Republicans should do more to work with President Obama and Democrats as both sides look for a solution to avoid January’s “fiscal cliff.”

Fifty-three percent in a new CNN/ORC International poll say that the GOP should compromise more to help find solutions to the nation’s problems. Forty-one percent say Democrats should give up more to reach bipartisan consensus. 

The poll’s findings come as Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) appear deadlocked in talks to reach a deficit-reduction solution. On Wednesday, both sides accused the other of not offering serious proposals and Boehner pushed forward with plans for a House vote on his “Plan B” tax proposal.

The poll finds that a majority, 53 percent, also pegged the GOP’s policies as “extreme.” Thirty-seven percent said the same of the Democratic Party’s policies.

Boehner also has a lower approval rating than the president, with 34 percent approving of the Speaker’s job performance to 52 percent approval for Obama.

Voters also say they will blame the GOP more if the two sides fail to reach a deal, with 48 percent saying congressional Republicans will be at fault. Thirty-seven percent said they would blame the president and 11 percent both sides equally.

The poll was conducted from Dec. 17-18 and has a 4-point margin of error.

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