There's an interesting new poll that was just done by Democracy Corps and the results aren't a surprise to us. they would be to the Villagers and the RWNM. (check out the pdf)

The voters have a clear and dramatic message for the new Republicans in Congress and the President on the eve of his State of the Union Address: focus on jobs and the economy and show how America is going to be economically successful again. This is not a nuanced poll. If Democrats did not get the message in 2010, voters are ready to send a message again, according to the first Democracy Corps-Campaign for America’s Future survey of 2011.

The media pundits and Washington conventional wisdom say deficit reduction and cutting government spending are the top priorities for the nation; yet, the Republican Congress has prioritized health care repeal and Social Security cuts (which are on the table for the first time.) They could not have it more wrong. It is jobs, stupid.

What, the deficit isn't driving people to write Obama is a Nazi/Socialist signs and harm each other? I'm just stunned. Stunned, I tell you.

Digby:

Democracy Corps has released a new poll in anticipation of the impending assault against social security and it turns out that Washington is once again focused on the wrong problems:

Which TWO of the following do you think are the most important economic problems facing the country right now?

High unemployment...................................41
Outsourcing of jobs.................................33
The budget deficit is big and growing...............23
Wages and salaries have not kept up with the cost of living..............................................18
The economy is not growing..........................17
Taxes are too high..................................15
The government focused on bank bailouts and not on the middle class...............................................14
America is not keeping up with China and other countries...........................................12
The economic stimulus is not working................11
(Don't know/refused)................................ 4

And they know what they want the government to concentrate on:

Now I am going to read you a list of issues and I would like you to please tell me which TWO should be top priorities for the new Congress.

Economic recovery and new jobs................................46
Protecting Social Security and Medicare.......................34
Making sure that our children receive an education for these times.........................................................27
Cutting spending and the size of government...................25
Repealing the new health care law.............................17
Reducing the federal budget deficit...........................15
Keeping taxes low.............................................14
Investing in infrastructure, like roads and bridges, and in new industries....................................................14
(Don't know/Refused)...........................................2

Now I suppose if what you really want to do is please big business and Wall Street, this sort of thing would be irrelevant. But it's not the way one would normally go about winning elections.

I hope the President and his speech writers have had a chance to see this latest poll and make changes to the SOTU where necessary. Making the case to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits to save it will not fly if that is indeed what President Obama has in mind,. I don't know this for a fact. I only wish to pass on valuable information because in reality Republicans only care about their free markets.

Ralph Reed's army, teh gays, returning to the gold standard and freaking out about the federal deficit are not what Americans are really concerned about. People want jobs and their safety net when they get get old enough is more important. When I say old, I don't mean 66 and above either. To be fair, the media has been harping about job creation, but they shudder when they talk about the deficit. Then they tell us, along with Conservative politicians, that the working class will have to feel the pain, make tough decisions, have an adult conversation about entitlements while the super elites fight over what villas to buy. Have you ever heard a talk show host even mention this article -- The Rise of the New Global Elite? Because we're also witnessing the Fall of the Middle Class.