Yes, they really believe that.
A majority of Republicans are so divorced from reality that they actually believe that passing the debt ceiling deadline will not cause economic problems for the United States. In a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center between October 9-13, 2013, Pew noted that unlike the Democrats,
Republican views tilt in the opposite direction, with about half (52%) saying the country can go past this deadline without major economic problems. This includes a 56% majority of conservative Republicans, while moderate and liberal Republicans are divided. Opinions among both Republicans and Democrats have shown little change over the past week.
A sizable share of conservative Republicans say it is not just a matter of when the debt limit should be increased, but whether it should be raised at all. Overall, 43% of conservative Republicans believe the U.S. can not only go past the deadline, but also say that raising the debt ceiling is not needed at all. Roughly half (52%) of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who agree with the Tea Party say it is not necessary, now or ever, to raise the debt ceiling.
http://www.people-press.org/....
I guess this is what happens when you listen to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and follow Tea Party Republicans like Senator Cruz. Unfortunately, unless the Republican Party wakes up and becomes reality based in the next two days, these Republicans will find out exactly how wrong they are. The expected results of a default are likely to include an economic downturn, permanent damage to the U.S. in the eyes of the world, and increased interest rates on money borrowed by the U.S.
By contrast, the Democrats appear to be more grounded in reality.
Two-thirds (67%) of Democrats say that raising the debt limit by Oct. 17 is absolutely essential to avoid an economic crisis. This includes 71% of liberal Democrats and 66% of conservative and moderate Democrats.
http://www.people-press.org/....
The Pew poll was based on a sample size of 1504 which included residents of all 50 states. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9% for the total sample and plus or minus 5.7% for the Republican sample.
There are other interesting findings in the Pew Poll which you can read by viewing the link above. Among the other interesting findings is that Senator Reid's favorability rating among Democrats has increased from 29% in January to 47% today.