Poll: Taking tax cuts and the economy hostage isn't working out well for GOP

Some revealing numbers From the new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll:

The GOP's fav/unfav rating in the poll now stands at 30%/45% (minus-15), which is down from 36%/43% (minus-7) right before the election. That's compared with the Democratic Party's 44%/35% rating (plus-9). And other than self-described Republicans and conservatives, just two other groups have a net positive view of the GOP: folks who live in rural America (39%/33%) and folks who live in the South (39%/38%), that's it. What's more, asked to give a word or short phrase to describe the Republican Party, 65% offered a negative comment, including MORE THAN HALF of Republicans. The top responses: 'Bad,' 'weak,' 'negative,' 'uncompromising,' 'need to work together,' 'broken,' 'disorganized' and 'lost.'

For context, that 65 percent figure is nearly twice the 37 percent who gave a negative word or phrase to describe the Democratic Party. And while the poll shows President Obama with his best approval rating in nearly two years (53 percent approve and 43 disapprove), just 19 percent have a positive view of John Boehner.

The Democratic advantage isn't just about personal popularity or partisan preferences, however. Not surprisingly, 65 percent of poll respondents prefer a compromise to cut spending and raise taxes to the automatic cuts and increases of the so-called fiscal cliff. What is surprising is that 66 percent of Republicans agree with this position, according to NBC internals reported by Greg Sargent. Overall, more than 76 percent say they would support a deal that included a tax increase on income above $250,000.

And stepping away from the spectacle that is the fiscal cliff, voters side with Obama on the tax issues looming before Congress. Sixty-eight percent say voters gave him a mandate to extend current rates on all income below $250,000 and 59 percent say he has a mandate to let the Bush tax cuts on income above $250,000 expire.

The poll of American adults was conducted from Dec. 6-9 with a margin of error of 3.1 percent.