According to US News Americans haven’t been this pessimistic since Jimmy Carter was president.
It’s February, nine months before a presidential election, and only 22 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going. Voters haven’t been this unhappy with the country since George H.W. Bush’s presidency, when only 21 percent of Americans reported being happy with the country’s direction. And before that, the lowest approval rating was 19 percent during Jimmy Carter’s first term.
What do the two presidencies have in common? Neither of them won re-election. And, if the trends holds true, Obama looks to be in an equally precarious situation.
Maybe Obama will deliver the equivalent of a “malaise” speech, or he could just keep urging us to strive for mediocrity.
Now, I know a lot of the polls lately show Obama doing pretty well. Not to worry, Don Surber used his way-back machine to look at polls from races past.
President Obama’s leads of 5.7% to 13.9% over each candidate do not scare me. In fact, they are rather puny.
At this point 8 years ago this month, John Kerry was ahead of Bush by 12 points in the Gallup Poll: 55%-43%.
And in January 1980, the Gallup Poll showed:
Carter 63%
Reagan 32%That was followed 8 years later with a July 1988 poll by Newsweek that had Mike Dukakis up by 17 points over the first President Bush. (Read More)
Don’t fret. At least not yet.
Update: Linked by Katy Pundit – thanks!
Tags: Jimmy Carter, obama, pessimism, polls
…and Dewey Defeats Truman…sometimes the pollsters are way off track with the American people. There is still much carnage to endure before the election, and if Team O continues this hard progressive push (free birth control and vacations in Aspen for the anointed class) perhaps we will wake up in the right mood that day…
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
The only way odumb-dumb can get re-elected is if he can figure out how to disqualify all the homeless and people out of work from voting.
Ah hell, I just gave him a bright idea!
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
[...] Americans Haven’t Been This Pessimistic Since Jimmy Carter [...]
Like or Dislike:
0 
0