Voters like the Tea Party more than Congress

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of likely U.S. voters say that when it comes to the major issues facing the country, their views are closer to the average Tea Party member as opposed to the average member of Congress. Just 22% say their views are closest to those of the average congressman. Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters think that the Tea Party movement is good for the country. Forty-five percent (45%) say that the average Tea Party member has a better understanding of the problems America faces today than the average member of Congress does. One-third of voters continue to have ties to the Tea Party movement. That includes 22% who say that they themselves are members and 12% more who say they have friends or family who belong. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Republicans - and 54% of voters not affiliated with either major political party - say the movement is good for the country. Voters continue to view the Republican agenda in Congress as more mainstream than the agenda of the Democrats. Capitol Hill is deadlocked over how deep to cut the current federal budget with Republicans hoping to cut nearly twice as much as Democrats. Yet while voters like the idea of big spending cuts, 53% don’t think even the GOP cuts will make much of a difference. But 57% think making deeper spending cuts in the federal budget for 2011 is more important than avoiding a government shutdown. Most voters have consistently said for years that cutting taxes and reducing government spending are best for the economy.