This isn’t the most pressing issue in the world, but a few days ago I suggested that some seemingly contradictory poll numbers on Obama’s mortgage rescue plan might actually be perfectly compatible. Even though it’s counterintuitive, it’s possible that a majority of people approve of his plan and that a majority of people think it’s unfair because it helps out homeowners who were irresponsible.
Today’s NBC/Wall Street Journal poll confirms this. They asked questions about both support and fairness in the same poll and the results are below. The most likely interpretation is that about 20% of the country thinks the mortgage rescue rewards irresponsible borrowers but supports the plan anyway. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise, either. Lots of us have had to swallow hard over the past few months and support interventions of one kind or another solely because, even though we don’t like them, they seem to be necessary to save the economy. This is just one more.
