by Mark Silva
Here's some food for thought, in the midst of the worst financial crisis since Great Depression:
Most people say things are going badly for the country these days, yet most people say things are going pretty well for them personally.
And most people are scared.
It sounds like, perhaps, only some people are suffering from an economic downturn that has cost millions their jobs, but most are worried about where all this headed.
Asked last week, in a survey released today by CNN and Opinion Research Corp. how things are going in the country today, 79 percent said somewhat or very badly - 47 percent pretty badly, 32 percent very badly.
Yet, asked how things are going for them personally, 57 percent said fairly well and 20 percent said very well - roughly the same percentage as the other reply.
Seventy-one percent said they are somewhat or very angry about the way things are going today. And 73 percent say they are somewhat or very scared about it all.
The survey of 1,046 adults was run Feb. 18-19 and carries a possible margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points: CNN poll results.doc
Comments
In other words, people are doing well, but with the media nonsense they hear on tv and read in the newspaper they think everyone else is doing badly.
As to why this is, perhaps reporters should look at themselves in the mirror every morning.
Posted by: Bruce | February 23, 2009 11:30 AM
Yes. And if you live in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan---or any other place "helped" by the military mobsters--your life really blows.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=13471
Why are we stuck on stupid regardless who we vote for?
Posted by: 13 civilians killed today = 650 'militants' tomorrow--HOME NOW! | February 23, 2009 12:12 PM
First off, for the pin heads like Bruce, one must understand how the human mind works in order to get the full belly chuckle out of this article. Americans are a proud people.....probably 80 percent are. If a polster asked me how I am doing now, I would probably say OK too. First off for the knuckledragger pugs out there.....the "how are you doing personally" question is much broader than an economic question.....so it is like comparing apples to oranges. Maybe the test subject just had a baby, or a grandkid, or celebrated a wedding....the question is not exclusively about the economy. I gaurantee that if that question was exclusive, it would not be 77%. I do not know ONE SINGLE person that is prospering in this economy. NOT ONE. None of my lawyer friends, none of my financial investment friends, none of my professor friends, none of my teacher friends, none of my farmer friends, and none of my fellow tradesment friends. NO ONE. For idiots like Bruce, that is equal to 0% of people that are happy with this economy. I don't know of ANYONE that is bragging about their stock portfolio right now.....0%. Only the smart ones have managed not to go in the red ink and maybe kick a 2% gain if lucky....which would be laughable a few years ago.
Mark, if you want to do an interesting story sometime, intead of this drivel, you should have a report by a psychologist that is juxtaposed against a survey such as this. But then again, the trib is not intersted in doign in depth stories....they just want to fan the flames of ignorance.
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 23, 2009 1:14 PM
What is ignored is that 93 percent of the people who wish to work do indeed have their jobs. 98 percent of home owners are NOT in foreclosure. Perhaps Obama and the media should focus on what's RIGHT about America instead of continually denigrating our country. Our spirits need lifting, not the trashing that we get in every Obama speech. And it's not just me; Bill Clinton said the same thing.
Posted by: Danforth | February 23, 2009 1:24 PM
Maybe the pollsters can't reach the people without jobs or homes because they also no longer have phones or internet access to answer the poll questions.
Posted by: Cheryl | February 23, 2009 2:11 PM
Danfroth, your numbers are absolutely bushit. Post a link if you think they are still true, but the FACTS are that at last reporting there were some 13% of displaced American workers. Currently, I believe that number is closer to 20% or one in 5 Americans for those that do not understand statistics well. You my friend are being lied to....again. I'm sure you miss schrubs daily propoganda about how strong our economy is. Look how well his bushit worked. For the educated out there, we prefer to hear the REALITY of what is going on, not some propoganda bushit.
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 23, 2009 3:30 PM
"Xcellentform", in the process of calling anyone who disagrees with him a "pinhead" or an "idiot", mis-spells the words "doign" (doing), "intead" (instead), "polster" (pollster), "tradesment" (tradesmen), and "intersted" (interested).
Obviously, America needs a "stimulus" in remedial spelling classes.
Posted by: Bruce | February 23, 2009 3:32 PM
There is no cause for bad manners to the Swamp writers. The 4th estate has a major responsibility to keep us informed with facts, not opinions. Of course, the Swamp is actually both!
So here is the deal Mark.
Nothing changes. I was born just after WWII and my Mother came over on the boat as a war bride. I know how hard life has been in this country.
Never have I seen so many greedy and horrid members of Congress take money that we do not even have to feed their separate petty cash funds($93,000) or raises. For example, Ms.Pelosi and cohorts go to Italy at the taxpayer expense. And we pay for a millionaire and others to celebrate Black History Month by paying for a trip to India.This is complete disrespect to the taxpayers and voters of America. I am angry at this waste.
Now our President wants us to pay for people who were greedy thinking they could get a mortgage for 125%LTV and no down payment? NO!
If folks lost their jobs due to Wall Street greed and mismanagement or the housing market or ill health and no insurance, maybe offer refinance. The rest--too bad. I have no mercy.
My husband just lost half of his annual wages and the majority of his company penion.We pay our bills and manage very carefully! I am on Social Security to which I have paid into for over 40 years. He will never gain his wages or pension back before he retires.
Get rid of fraud in healthcare-Medicare has about $30billion estimated alone. Medicaid is not much better as states like Illinois have not made many payments to nursing homes and laboratories or doctors for a while.
Americans must be put to work in long term jobs like the old TVA and other work programs. And it must be Americans. Education and re-education is imperative. People should nag and demand their state and federal legislators to have E-VERIFY as law no voluntary participation.
Quit whining about the media and blaming them. Whine and nag and never let up until Congress and the President wake up and listen and tell the truth to us and quite the greed.
Posted by: Sue | February 23, 2009 3:40 PM
If you have a job, many things purchased now are discounted and that makes the paycheck go farther. If I see my neighbor--who has two new cars and a recently new kitchen--end up getting help for his mortgage while I am driving an older car and responsibly making do with my 1940s kitchen--while getting nothing from Obama for my mortgage--I will really know that things are bad. I'll cry, say it's not fair, that the bailout was poorly planned, shout it to the world forever and ever, and do what I can to have Obama, those in the House and in the Senate NOT REELECTED. The housing "bailout" needs to be better thought out. leaders appear to be stupid, lazy and want a quick stupid fix. Reward everyone or no one. And, it is total BS that those with 600,000 dollar houses will get taxpayer help. More Bush help for the wealthy on Obama and Biden's watch. I don't care if there are vacant houses on my block. Fumigate them every once in a while. I don't want to pay to have losers live in them while responsible people get the shaft.
Posted by: Vivian | February 23, 2009 4:05 PM
Horrible Form,
.
"I do not know ONE SINGLE person that is prospering in this economy." I thought we have met. I am doing just fine in this economic downturn. I refuse to participate in the recession. Sorry to see you are unemployed or at least work is slow since you seem to have time to blog all day.
.
In addition you call on Danforth to provide a link for his "bushit" statistics, but yet you don't provide any link for your your 13%. I've got to get to bed so I can get up for WORK in the morning.
Posted by: Terry | February 23, 2009 10:57 PM