Economy, Jobs Dominate Voters' Minds
CBS News/New York Times Poll Taken During Period Of Grim Financial News Shows Continuing Pessimism About Condition Of Economy
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Forty-eight percent of these voters cited "the economy and jobs," an increase of eight points from one month ago. That's more than 30 percentage points higher than the second most cited issue, "terrorism and national security," cited by 14 percent of registered voters. Another ten percent pointed to "gas prices and energy," while an equal number pointed to health care. Just 8 percent of registered voters cited the war in Iraq.
The poll was conducted between September 12th and 16th, a period of days that was witness to the collapse of Lehman Brothers - the largest bankruptcy in the history of the country - followed by the largest one-day stock market plunge in seven years.
Click Here To Read The Complete PollAmericans have a slightly more optimistic view of the economy than they did a month ago, but they remain extremely pessimistic. Only 22 percent of Americans say the condition of the national economy is even somewhat good, and six in 10 think the economy is getting worse, not better. About a third of all Americans say they are worse off now than four years ago, and one in five say they are falling behind financially.
Barack Obama rates slightly higher than John McCain in voter confidence in handling the economy, though most voters are at least somewhat confident in both candidates. Sixty percent of voters are very or somewhat confident in Obama's ability to handle the economy, while 53 percent say the same of McCain. Forty-six percent say they are not too confident or not at all confident in McCain, while 39 percent have that opinion of Obama.
Thirty-nine percent of Americans describe the state of the economy as "very bad," down two points from August. Sixty-one percent say it is getting worse, up three points from two months ago.
One in three Americans says their family's financial situation is worse than it was four years ago. Twenty-nine percent say their family's financial situation has improved, while 36 percent say it hasn't changed.
Thirty-seven percent of Americans say they are making enough to save or buy extras. But 44 percent are making just enough to get by, and 17 percent say they are not making enough to pay their bills and meet their other financial obligations.
The unemployment rate has risen steadily over the past year and a half, and in August it rose above 6 percent for the first time in five years. Twenty-nine percent of Americans say that someone in their household has been out of work and looking for a job at some point within the last twelve months. This percentage has been generally consistent over the past twenty-five years during periods of recession and economic hard times.
One in five say they are very concerned that someone in their household will be out of work in the next twelve months, and another one in four are somewhat concerned. More than half are not concerned at all.
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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1133 adults nationwide, including 1004 registered voters, interviewed by telephone September 12-16, 2008. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample and registered voters could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 182 CommentsNow that the whole thing has turned to $#!^, they either want to blame Democrats outright or, at the very least, try to spread the blame around.
Typical.
I was on this very web site months ago explaining how it is important to learn to grow and can your own food-like I know, ...and how it''''s important to learn to hunt and smoke your meat(that means preserve your own food for you yankees who are about to have to pimp out your wives to provide a can of beans for your family as the dominoe effect takes out your job, your 500K house and your daughters ***** riding lessons.),.
My point is---Invest in gold,..learn to grow your own food, and get ready to pay survivalist''''s(though I also happen to be married with a college degree too)like me $20 for a can of beans, or $100 for a "beef roast from my smokehouse.)
Ha!!!!!!
Obama made $3,200,000.00 last year.
Hey Vote for Socialist Obama if you want the good ''ol Jimmy Caters days back.
Hey Vote for Capitalist McSame if you want the same old Bush days to continue.
I get it... McCain is cramming for the big test in Econ 101 while his partner/mate, Sarah Palin is down the hall cramming for the big test in Foreign Policy 101. And they want my vote of confidence? LOL
McCain + Palin = McPain
Too bad for Grandpa. I''m sure he''d rather talk about lipstick!
Phil Gramm attacked Americans, and despite a public rebuke, remains close to the candidate and the campaign.
Carly Fiorina attacked John McCain, and has now been quietly banished from the campaign by a furious John McCain.
Moral of the story: McCain First.
Havent you been trying that lie for several days now?
1) Terrorism
2) Abortion
3) The liberals war on Christmas
Posted by mr22581 at 02:40 PM : Sep 17, 2008
Well what about the lies used to get them into Iraq in the first place. You turn a blind eye to that. I say Impeach the P and VP. Should have been done years ago!!
The repubs impeached Clinton for lying about ***, but Bush lying about reasons for war goes unpunished. Congress needs to grow a backbone.
Don''''t lie, my friend.
You will eventually wear it.
Posted by gun_tower
Yesterday on RCP Obama was just 8 points ahead in the electoral vote, today he is 34
Posted by BlameGovt
LOL, probably. On the other hand, you have a lot of unemployed people sitting around with extra time on their hands.
Posted by BlameGovt at 03:04 PM : Sep 17, 2008
Oh Sparky are YOU in for a surprise!! I do now know ANYONE who is NOT fed up with Bush, McSame and the ENTIRE Republican Party. You MUST remember they turned a Government with a Balanced Budget and a Surplus over to these LOSERS!! You have NO idea how much anger there is out here... NONE at all.
Republicans no longer represent "conservative" views. They represent corporate fascism. The REAL conservatives are voting for Bob Barr.
Republicans: all lies, all fraud, all the time.
I get it... McCain is cramming for the big test in Econ 101 on Nov. 4th while Palin is down the hall cramming for the big one in Foreign Policy 101.
McCain + Palin = McPain
Posted by mr22581 at 03:06 PM : Sep 17, 2008
Why? Why would anyone with a brain vote for the same thing they have NOW! LOL You need to get that foil changed there sparky! I''m serious YOU are on the WRONG channel... big time.
Henry Paulson was clearly afraid A.I.G.''s demise would take out too many other big players and wreak massive damage on the economy. The move will be very controversial since it risks public money to protect bad investments made by A.I.G. management. The political fallout will be immense.
This nationalization poses an especially large challenge for John McCain, who is now railing against corporate greed and lack of government regulation of the financial industry. What he doesn''t talk much about is how deregulation happened. It was the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act that repealed the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act and thus eliminated the depression-era walls between between banking, investment, and insurance that made this crisis possible. Glass-Stegall erected walls between banking, investment management, and insurance, so problems in one sector could not spill over into the others, which is precisely what is happening now. The primary author of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act was none other than McCain''s economic advisor, former senator Phil Gramm (who thinks the country is in a "mental recession"). McCain fully supported the bill and has a decades-long track record of opposing government regulation of the financial industry. His new-found conversion to being a fan of regulation is going to be a tough sell as Obama is already pointing out that McCain got what he wanted (deregulation) and this is the consequence.
Posted by mr22581 at 03:09 PM : Sep 17, 2008
Oh no! I AM NOT going to wait and see. I''m going to talk to every neighbor I have, I''m going to tell anyone I come in contact with that WE NEED TO PUT SOME DIFFERENT in office.
Quit wasting everyone''s time with this contrived "interview". Cite a source, link it, or just go away.
Posted by mr22581 at 03:14 PM : Sep 17, 2008
You are the biggest fraud I''ve ever come in contact with. Day after day you come on here, usually during my Break and say this same thing. EVERY day I ask you to tell us WHO they are and every day you sit and snivel. You are a very disgusting excuse for a human, do you know that!? You KNOW next to NOTHING and are trying VERY hard to make others believe YOU are Superior. Well take it from me loser YOU have failed... BADLY!!
Posted by dubya_luvr at 03:15 PM : Sep 17, 2008
You are about the 20th one to tell this Trailer Dweller this. I don'' think he has the Intelligence to understand or lacks the intelligence to care. Sure does clutter up things though.
Where''s your backup today? Is terror-salami on the ABC forums all morning?
Maybe McCain''s astroturfing efforts have been de-funded. It must be painful having to read the opinions of REAL voters, instead of just spamming the forums endlessly with your RNC talking points.
Republicans: all lies, all fraud, all the time.
Posted by andrew_693 at 03:18 PM : Sep 17, 2008
You make a very good point. We''ve lost over 600,000 under Trickle Down this time, wonder how many thousand we''d loose under McSame??
Posted by mr22581 at 03:19 PM : Sep 17, 2008
More mindless one-liners from a GOP cheerleader.
So, brainiac, how much did Bush spend on his campaign in 2000? 2004? I imagine it was comparable, if you adjust for Bush-driven inflation.
Posted by gop_will_win at 03:18 PM : Sep 17, 2008
Can I break something to you? People like myself could give a tinkers da@n if your town gets to post the nativity!! Put it in your Da@ned YARD!! I have a Son who is trying desperately to survive with his two kids and Wife. Your right to put up your idol display is NOT high on my list of NEEDS!!
Posted by gop_will_win
Christmas has it''s roots in paganism, you don''t want our government pushing pagans, do you?
Posted by mr22581 at 03:21 PM : Sep 17, 2008
Perfect example of the seething hatred McCain voters harbor against other Americans. These are the same people who believe they are the True Americans, by virtue of their hatred for the brown peoples of the earth.
Republican: you don''t have to be a racist to be one...but it doesn''t hurt!
The Bridge to Nowhere
The thing is that someway, somehow, all these programs Obama wants to institute, including the Global Poverty program, will need to be paid for somehow. How? By taking it from the backend of our employers. Those people who sign our paychecks. But those businesses can only stay afloat if they make a profit, basic economics. So they keep those profits by taking away raises, benefits, new employees and so forth. Obama will destroy business, but he does not care as long as he is President. Pathetic.
[Posted by twalk1122 at 03:29 PM : Sep 17, 2008]
this is either tongue in cheek ... or you''re completely delusional.
+ report abuse
Oooh, look! jaxsterling5 can log in as another username!
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Posted by mr22581 at 03:28 PM : Sep 17, 2008
I love you moronic types. I''ve got nothing valuable to add to a debate, so I''ll just call him racist!
So there!
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Posted by dubya_luvr
???? - Your assessment is seriously flawed - must be a Obama Supporter?
[Posted by BlameGovt at 03:30 PM : Sep 17, 2008]
is this a problem for you now? has it been for the last eight years?
what''s pathetic is a whole party of idiots calling themselves conservatives ... and ignoring it completely when the economics favor themselves.
every program that has been approved and signed off by gwb ... including all the war funding ... is in the same category ... the category of ''we dont have it''
GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND SEE JOHN MC CAIN TELL TIM RUSSERT THAT THERE''S ALOT HE DOESN''T KNOW ABOUT THE ECONOMY HE STILL NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED.
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/39179-mccain-s-youtube-problem-just-became-a-nightmare
OR, YOU CAN SIMPLY GOOGLE :
"JOHN MC CAIN''S YOUTUBE PROBLEM JUST BECAME A NIGHTMARE"
barry obama''''s campaign is spending like there is no tomorrow...
Just a little out of touch with reality?
Posted by funzie50 at 03:32 PM : Sep 17, 2008
LOL, another incredibly stupid comment...so, genius, what is a campaign supposed to do with their campaign money? Put it in the stock market?
Quick primer on elections: campaigns raise money to be spent on campaign costs.
What is McCain doing with his money? Something noble? NO. He''s spending every last cent on his campaign, as he is supposed to.
D-
Very poor, even for you.
See me after class.
Posted by BlameGovt at
How come anytime money is spent on some program for US citizens there''s big worries about where the money is coming from and whose going to pay it back? Yet, when we spend a trillion dollars bailing investment houses out of their greed fest, or spend 1 trillion first flattening and then rebuilding Iraq, cost or repayment is never part of the equation for Republicans.
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Posted by omega40
======================
Christmas is the exact day Jesus was born you liberal! It has nothing to do with paganism.
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Posted by skyk239
=========================
Well he shouldnt have had the two kids until he was darned sure he could afford them!
The thing is that someway, somehow, all these programs Obama wants to institute, including the Global Poverty program, will need to be paid for somehow. How? By taking it from the backend of our employers. Those people who sign our paychecks. But those businesses can only stay afloat if they make a profit, basic economics. So they keep those profits by taking away raises, benefits, new employees and so forth. Obama will destroy business, but he does not care as long as he is President. Pathetic.
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Posted by BlameGovt at 03:30 PM : Sep 17, 2008
My oh my, so, all knowing one"...what do you propose? Somebody has to pay...you think any president is really going to cut federal spending by enough to balance the books? I got an idea, let''s stop spending $5k/second in Iraq. That might be a good start. You think McCain can balance the books by the end of his first term while we are over in Iraq spending that much EVERY SECOND? Yeah...doubt it. We''ll be no better then Haiti if we have it McCain''s way
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