Majority of Americans Still Oppose Auto Bailout

Last night, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the Michigan primary, despite being against the auto bailouts. Rick Santorum's attempt to slam Romney for his opposition to the bailouts (the same bailouts Santorum also opposed) by robo calling democrats and urging them to vote against his opponent, failed. A new National Journal poll is an indication of why opposing auto bailouts not only didn't affect Romney's chances in Michigan, but how his opposition won't hurt him in the future either. Fifty-five percent of Americans still believe auto companies shouldn't have received government money in return for bad business practices.

A majority of Americans think the federal government should not have helped out U.S. automakers that were in financial trouble, but rather should have allowed them to go it alone, according to a new United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll.

Thirty-six percent of Americans think the government should have provided help, but 55 percent think “these companies should have been allowed to succeed or fail on their own,” the poll shows. The results echo other surveys, including a May 2010 poll conducted by CBS News in which a third of respondents thought the government should have helped, while 61 percent thought they should not have.

Democrats are, as usual, in favor of the bailouts while Independents are firmly against.

Republicans are more likely to oppose the auto bailout, with 73 percent saying the government should not have helped the automakers, bolstering Romney’s position as he seeks the GOP nomination. Democrats are split: A slim 51 percent majority say the government should have helped, and 42 percent say it should not have.

Independents tilt against the bailout, with 55 percent saying the automakers should have been allowed to succeed or fail on their own. Just 35 percent of independents say the government should have helped.

Even the Midwest region as a whole is against: