Two words: Fed up.
NBC News and Wall Street Journal debuted the findings of their nation-wide poll, and the results showed a lot of very frustrated Americans.
– Six out of 10 are dissatisfied with the state of the economy
– More than 70% believe America is headed in the wrong direction
– Nearly 80% are “down on the country’s political system”
“We’re in the summer of our discontent,” said pollster Peter Hart, who conducted this survey with fellow pollster Bill McInturff. “Americans are cranky, unhappy… It is with everything going on the world.”
And the source of their discontent? The lingering effects of the recession and failed leadership.
These numbers show more than just Americans’ opinions – they are results of personal experience. Seventy-one percent said the recession personally impacted them, and 64% say it’s still having an effect on them. And breaking down the numbers even further paints a very scary economic picture:
– 40% say someone in their household lost a job in the past 5 years
– 27% say they have more than $5,000 in student-loan debt for either themselves or their children
– 20% have more than $2,000 in credit card debt they are unable to pay off month to month
–17% say they have a parent or a child over 21 years old living with them for financial or health reasons.
Yet the reason behind these dismal numbers was made equally clear by those polled: 71% believe the economic problems are due to the inability of Washington – and President Obama’s received his lowest approval rating yet – 40%.
Americans are frustrated and angry – they’re “Fed Up” with their Federal government. People are looking to their leaders for solutions – but so far, President Obama has not delivered. What Americans need are policies that will empower Americans – not make life harder. They need solutions like the ones House Republicans are introducing and passing. Solutions that will empower individuals, improve our economy, and build a stronger America.
