Gallup: Most Americans unsatisfied with country’s direction
Americans Unsure if Best Times for U.S. Are Past or to Come
Many predict 2013 will be a year of difficulty
by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are split when asked if the country's best years are ahead of us or behind us, with views on the future quite differentiated across party lines. Republicans are much more pessimistic about the future of the country than are Democrats.
These sentiments, measured in a Dec. 14-17 USA Today/Gallup poll, come at the end of a tumultuous political and economic year -- one which included a contentious presidential election, continuing sparring over the nation's economic policies, and the prospect of dramatic tax increases and government spending cuts as elected leaders argued over avoiding the "fiscal cliff" at year's end. The finding that Democrats are much more positive than Republicans about the future of the U.S. most likely reflects the fact that Democrats control the White House; Democrats are also currently much more positive about the status of the U.S. economy.
The same poll included several questions asking Americans to predict what the year 2013 will bring on economic, governmental, social, and international fronts.
Three of these questions focused on the economy, with results showing mixed predictions about the nation's economic state in 2013. Americans believe by almost a 2-1 margin that 2013 will be a year of economic difficulty rather than a year of prosperity. At the same time, they tilt toward the belief that 2013 will be a year of full or increasing employment rather than a year of rising unemployment. Americans also believe that 2013 will be a year in which prices will rise at a reasonable rate rather than at a high rate.
Yep, because of Obama and the left, Americas best days are in the past. I think Obama would be pleased with these results. The more despondant people are the more willing they are to believe things are hopeless and willing to just go with the flow of being taken care of by the Government.
Yeah, that's the trouble with people these days. They have no clue what's going on. Kinda like another era that didn't end well for some. It's hard for me to believe people can be so cluless.
Quoting -Celestial-:
How many polls, blogs, media outlets, etc.. did we have 31 years ago?
When I turn my tv and internet off, my world is peachy.
Quoting jcrew6:
It's newsworthy that since 2011, optimism about the future has been at all time lows. Prior to 2011, it hadn't been so low since 1983.
Quoting -Celestial-:
This isn't news. This country is always headed in the wrong direction.
Too many people with their own views on how they'd like it to be.
Congress has a 12% approval rating.
The economy was in the tank and Obama still won.
LOL-The GOP really need to retool. The last election was prime for the pickings... They lost the election by picking a worse candidate than Obama-
The country is unsatisfied, yet would not make a change- really tells you that Americans want what the GOP were shoveling even LESS!
What was the excuse in 1983, 1991, 2007?
Quoting itsmesteph11:Yep, because of Obama and the left, Americas best days are in the past. I think Obama would be pleased with these results. The more despondant people are the more willing they are to believe things are hopeless and willing to just go with the flow of being taken care of by the Government.
Quoting jcrew6:
It's newsworthy that since 2011, optimism about the future has been at all time lows. Prior to 2011, it hadn't been so low since 1983.
Quoting -Celestial-:
This isn't news. This country is always headed in the wrong direction.
Too many people with their own views on how they'd like it to be.
Which is interesting, because both 1983 and 2011 were bad economic years, and both Presidents won their re-election the following year. I also think that the Obama-era is leading to a change in how we think about Government, in much the same way (but in the opposite direction) that the Reagan years changed how Americans thought of Government then.
But, overall, I think there are good reasons to be both optimistic and pessimistic. The fact that there is such polarization in the country and in Congress are good reasons for pessimism (along with the fact that redistricting suggests that that polarization isn't going away anytime soon).
But the fact that compromises happen despite such polarization is reason for optimism, I think.
Quite frankly, I feel good about 2013.
Quoting MsDenuninani:
Quoting jcrew6:
It's newsworthy that since 2011, optimism about the future has been at all time lows. Prior to 2011, it hadn't been so low since 1983.
Quoting -Celestial-:
This isn't news. This country is always headed in the wrong direction.
Too many people with their own views on how they'd like it to be.
Which is interesting, because both 1983 and 2011 were bad economic years, and both Presidents won their re-election the following year. I also think that the Obama-era is leading to a change in how we think about Government, in much the same way (but in the opposite direction) that the Reagan years changed how Americans thought of Government then.
But, overall, I think there are good reasons to be both optimistic and pessimistic. The fact that there is such polarization in the country and in Congress are good reasons for pessimism (along with the fact that redistricting suggests that that polarization isn't going away anytime soon).
But the fact that compromises happen despite such polarization is reason for optimism, I think.
Quite frankly, I feel good about 2013.
proof that republicans are miserable and full of sour grapes
Quoting jcrew6:
Quoting sweet-a-kins:proof that republicans are miserable and full of sour grapes
Quoting jcrew6:
Quoting sweet-a-kins:proof that republicans are miserable and full of sour grapes
Quoting jcrew6:
Sorry, Republicans — Nobody’s Getting Impeached
Women do not belong in Politics
- jcrew6
on Jan. 2, 2013 at 10:07 PM