Poll: Everybody unhappy about everything

[Jobber of the Week 0]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7407269/

 

Over the past several weeks, the American public has watched Washington tie itself in knots over whether or not to get involved in the case over Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube, over the role of the judiciary in such situations and over Social Security’s future. And according to the newest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, the public doesn’t necessarily like this whole picture: Only a third believes the country is headed on the right track, an overwhelming majority says Congress should not intervene in cases like Schiavo’s and overall support for President Bush’s proposal to overhaul Social Security is declining.

 

Despite it all, however, a strong plurality says it still approves of President Bush’s job performance.

 

The poll, conducted by Hart/McInturff, shows that only 34 percent of those polled believe that the country is headed in the right direction, compared with 51 percent who say it’s headed in the wrong direction. That’s a significant drop from the last survey in February, when 42 percent said the nation was on the right track.

 

In addition, approval of Bush’s handling of the economy has declined 5 points, from 46 percent in February to 41 percent in this survey — the lowest point of his presidency. (Bush’s economic-handling approval also reached 41 percent in the May 2004 NBC/Journal survey.)

 

Criticism of White House, media, Congress

“The public’s not very happy with the way things are going,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart. Yet he attributed this attitude to several “outside atmospherics” that have made Americans uneasy, such as rising gas prices, the school shootings in Red Lake, Minn., the Schiavo battle and an even longer-than-expected winter.

 

Indeed, Republican pollster Bill McInturff suggests that these ratings could “bounce back” once these matters fade away or become forgotten.

 

But for the moment, it seems, the public isn’t too pleased with how Congress, the White House and even the media have handled the Schiavo case. The poll shows that a whopping 71 percent say that Congress should not be active in cases of family illnesses and health such as  Schiavo’s. Moreover, 51 percent say the Schiavo case made them lose respect for the media, while 50 percent lost respect for Congress, 46 lost respect for the courts and 35 percent lost respect for Bush. McInturff says the Schiavo matter had an “anti-Midas touch.” “Everyone who touched it, people lost respect for,” he said.

 

The poll was conducted from March 31 to April 3. It surveyed 1,002 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

 

Public tracks Schiavo battle

It also notes that the American public was tuned into the Schiavo affair. Forty-seven percent say it was one or two of the stories they followed with the greatest interest. That’s compared with 28 percent who cited the rising gasoline prices, and 27 percent who focused on the debate over Social Security.

 

On Social Security, the poll shows that support for the president’s plan to partly privatize the government program has dropped, even though the Bush administration has spent the last few months campaigning aggressively for it. Fifty-five percent believe that it’s a bad idea to allow workers to invest their Social Security contributions in the stock market, while 35 percent think it’s a good idea. That’s a drop from the February survey, which found that 51 percent opposed Bush’s plan versus 40 percent who supported it. “Opinions are hardening, and they are hardening in a way that makes Bush’s job more difficult,” McInturff said. “It reflects the caution that you’ve been hearing from members of Congress.”

 

Despite the numbers for Bush regarding the nation’s direction, the economy, the Schiavo case and Social Security, the poll finds that a plurality — by a margin of 48 percent to 46 percent — approves of Bush’s job performance. That’s a slight decrease from February, when Bush enjoyed a job rating of 50 percent to 45 percent. “There’s a real core stability in this guy’s standing,” McInturff said.

 

 

48 to 46. Woof. C'mon, second term curse!

[Guest Brian]

Are people's sense of how the economy's headed based on gas prices? Not saying it's either good or bad, but it just seems to move with the gas prices.

[Vyce 0]

Are people's sense of how the economy's headed based on gas prices? Not saying it's either good or bad, but it just seems to move with the gas prices.

Pretty much.

 

Which is ridiculous, when you think about it. Outside of the gas prices, our economy is doing quite well for itself (it's not gangbusters, but it's far from being at the level where people should be largely negative about it).

 

It's rather silly, but one factor pretty much affects people's entire moods, even though most of the other evidence indicates that the economy isn't that bad. This is all part of why, in general, I loathe people as a species.

[Guest CronoT]

The average person knows next to nothing about Gross National Product, or the Price Index, or the Import/Export Ratio; but as soon as the gas prices start going up, every Tom, Dick, and Harry are up in arms about it.

 

This nation is quickly becoming overrun with slack-jawed good-for-nothing fuckwits.

[The Czech Republic 0]

This nation is quickly becoming overrun with slack-jawed good-for-nothing fuckwits.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

This thread title is deceiving.

 

Now where am I going to be able to pick La Parka?

[Guest CronoT]

This nation is quickly becoming overrun with slack-jawed good-for-nothing fuckwits.

I rest my case.

[MrRant 0]

How do you rest what you don't have?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm unhappy about this thread...

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Gas prices affect me directly. Therefore they matter more to me.

[The Czech Republic 0]

How do you rest what you don't have?

 

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Gas prices affect me directly. Therefore they matter more to me.

Everything affects you directly. In terms of personal welfare, you *should* be more concerned with interest rates and mounting federal debt. Those problems will hurt much more than $3 gallons of gas.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Not really, considering I don't invest a dime of what I get, nor do I borrow money. I do buy a lot of gas, however.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

The poll shows that a whopping 71 percent say that Congress should not be active in cases of family illnesses and health such as  Schiavo’s. Moreover, 51 percent say the Schiavo case made them lose respect for the media, while 50 percent lost respect for Congress, 46 lost respect for the courts and 35 percent lost respect for Bush. McInturff says the Schiavo matter had an “anti-Midas touch.” “Everyone who touched it, people lost respect for,” he said.

 

Thank frikken god.

My reaction was exactly the same. That whole thing was the most idiotic thing to ever fill the news airwaves. I hope everybody involves, media, politicians of both parties, everybody suffers fallout.

This actually raises my faith in the American public.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

$3/gallon gas does hurt quite a bit, but at the same time, I'd agree with SJ.