Public opinion and the filibuster

… Identical questions repeated over time — the only way to be certain about change — are hard to find. However, a United Technologies/National Journal poll in November revealed a 7-point margin in favor of changing the filibuster rule, while a CBS/New York Times poll pegged the advantage of anti-filibuster forces at 6 points.

Moreover, a survey experiment conducted by professor David Doherty of Loyola University found that a senator who achieved a victory through filibuster was less highly regarded than one who did so as part of a simple majority.

Why the malleability? Attitudes toward filibusters stem from both an enduring value preference and a grant of political expediency to the side you consider “right.” CONT.

Mark Mellman (Mellman Group), The Hill

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.