Katie Couric's Notebook: Anger

By: Katie Couric
Topics: Katie Couric's Notebook

It's one of the most memorable lines in Hollywood history. "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Republican pollster Frank Luntz says that's exactly how 72 percent of Americans are feeling right now. In an interview for my web show, we talked about what might be motivating all that anger. Luntz says people are mad at Washington for not listening to them and mad at Wall Street for not respecting them.

We saw it firsthand during those town meetings as healthcare reform got caught in the crosshairs of all that loaded emotion.

Frustration and fear about debt, the economy, and excessive spending are legitimate feelings - and shouldn't be dismissed by elected officials. But if, as Frank Luntz believes, Americans want to be both heard and respected, we must continue to extend those same courtesies to others.

Multiple voices in a debate is democracy. Multiple voices shouting at once is cacophony.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

9 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment


by formerdem-2009 October 16, 2009 7:28 AM EDT: One other reason for the anger is that a much higher percentage of Americans are finally seeing through the smokescreen of cover and biased coverage that mainstream media has been providing for the democratic and liberal agendas and then use the costume of journalism to justitfy it.; Reply to this comment


by JayAdlerMusic October 15, 2009 2:48 AM EDT: Katie: I just do not feel like blaming Barack Obama for the calamities we are going through. I have an intuitive sense about people mostly because I have basically always worked in sales and it was door to door in the beginning. I was a NYC cab driver and in the hippie years I lived in a commune in Mill Valley. I know people. It may be just conjecture, but not only did Obama hang around with those associations before he won, but he also brought the gang into his administration. Maybe, just throwing up a trial balloon, bad advice is to blame or worse yet, maybe he is in a toehold which is destination unknown. Obama is a descent, family man and a former State and US Senator and a Harvard Lawyer. So with all his attributes,where is this unprecedented Dante's Inferno in our country coming from? I know I am grasping for straws based on my own unmitigated frustration.; Reply to this comment


by petersemkiw October 14, 2009 8:13 PM EDT: Book? Book? What book? When does he have time to write books?; Reply to this comment


by shylove2 October 14, 2009 6:45 PM EDT: If you want to see anger look at George Will's column where he is angry at people getting angry in the Whole Foods parking lot for having ttrouble finding a parking spot and then he is even mad as a bristling porcupine about heirloom tomatoes being too pretentiously liberal and demanding more rights than they rightly deserve!! That certainly trumps being angry about lost jobs, homes, soldier and civilian collateral lives, injuries and PTSD!!! What we could use is some social responsibility that actually cares and responds to these later needs as well as the need for healthcare before profits for self-satisfied CEO's and stockholders. Cares more for the solvency of Iceland than Wall Street scams!; Reply to this comment


by casey_abbott October 14, 2009 9:41 AM EDT: That's an interesting presumption.; Reply to this comment


by JayAdlerMusic October 14, 2009 4:03 AM EDT: I have gone on the record many times as expressing my fondness and admiration for President Obama personally. I find him to be a good family man and someone who has done a good job in furthering inclusiveness in all segments of our society. When you spoke of the anxiety and frustrations of Americans who either feel left out of the system or consider themselves dismissed, remember that Obama's chicken little the sky is falling rhetoric for vital legislation contributes to this alienation. I do not think America would have imploded if we would have tacked on another month of discussion to two bills. No one in the administration seems to be impetuous about the current important decision.; Reply to this comment


by rufusfan October 14, 2009 12:05 AM EDT: We give a dollar to the US Treasury, the Congress spends three dollars and we get 50 cents worth of services. I am mad as hell with our imperial government from Obama on down.; Reply to this comment


by kenhamlett October 13, 2009 8:45 PM EDT: The part I didn't like about the Luntz interview was... everything. He apparently absorbs the comments of others and regurgitates what was said but with his own interpretation and meaning. Thus I can do the same and end up with yet another interpretation but I won't write a book- really.
Fear and frustration are out there but that does not lead to the anger. There are two main sources of the current anger. One is instigated like with the town hall meetings. Another is because people have seen their lives ruined with little chance of getting their assets back and even less chance that the thieves of the banks and Wall Street will be punished. We should start with the Heads of the SEC and FBI for killing investigations prior to the crash. Once replacements are found for them have them prosecute every person who scammed the little guy. That is the cause of the anger and the only cure for the anger. Luntz sidestepped that.
People are not mad at Washington simply for not listening to them. They were shouted down by planted agitators when they tried to be heard. They are also mad because Washington created the environment which led to the bilking of their investments. They know it was not some random incident.

Luntz may have all of these things in his book but since he sidestepped the truth of what is behind what people are feeling during the interview I won't buy the book to find out.
Nice interview though. I enjoyed the Couric insights more than the guest's. With that in mind I will trot out and buy some Dove!; Reply to this comment


by John_Merritt October 13, 2009 8:35 PM EDT: Katie, I love the way you present the news and you try to be balanced, but in this respect there is a slight misperception of the common person. The anger has always been there but now people are fed up and they are speaking out. There is a stark difference when you have a clearcut distinction in the classes of people.

Whereas the wealthy do feel the pinch or strain on many fronts, the middle class and the poor are now sandwiched between that perrenial 'rock and the hard place'. I do not mean to besmirch or be smug about my statements but the rich really can digest and tolerate things better because there road is fairly free of obstacles and there is less stress on their daily life.

Anyway, thank you Katie for your insightful interviews and I loved you outfit today/yesterday with Mr. Luntz. You look as though you stay healthy and get a lot of exercise. Have a great evening.; Reply to this comment