Poll: Americans Optimistic About Future

CBS News Survey Finds Americans - Including Some McCain Voters - Pleased With Election, Optimistic About Next Four Years

(CBS)  Sixty-three percent of Americans - including roughly one in five voters who supported John McCain - are pleased that Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States, a new CBS News poll finds. Only about one in four are disappointed in the outcome of the election.

And despite the many challenges facing the incoming Obama administration, chief among them a major economic downturn, 71 percent of Americans - including nearly half of McCain voters - are optimistic about the next four years. Just 17 percent are pessimistic.

Americans' reaction to President-elect Obama's victory is by no means unprecedented: About seven in 10 Americans were optimistic about Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton before their first terms began. Six in 10 were optimistic about George W. Bush in December of 2000.

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Read The Complete Poll

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Most Americans believe that Mr. Obama will make the right decisions when it comes to the economy, which voters overwhelmingly cited as their top concern. Seventy-eight percent are at least somewhat confident the president-elect will make the right decisions, and 41 percent have a lot of confidence he will do so.

Meanwhile, 70 percent are at least somewhat confident Mr. Obama will make the right decisions on Iraq, and 42 percent have a lot of confidence in the president-elect on the issue. About one in four have little or no confidence in Mr. Obama when it comes to Iraq.

But while nearly seven in ten Americans believe President-elect Obama has made his goals clear, there is widespread skepticism that he will be able to achieve all of them. Just one in five voters believe Mr. Obama will accomplish all his campaign goals, while 48 percent believe he will not. About one in four respondents volunteered that Mr. Obama will achieve some of his goals, but not all of them.

Nearly seven in ten Americans believe an Obama presidency will bring Americans together, including nearly half of Republicans. Fifteen percent believe an Obama presidency will divide Americans. In December 2000, only 46 percent thought President George W. Bush, who campaigned as "a uniter, not a divider," would bring Americans closer together.

Seventy-eight percent believe "a lot of progress" has been made in getting rid of racial discrimination in the past ten or fifteen years. Mr. Obama's election may not have had much to do with that perception, however: Last July, nearly the same percentage said a lot of progress had been made.

Blacks and whites are divided on the progress question. Less than half of blacks believe a lot of progress has been made in ending racial discrimination, while 45 percent say there has not been much progress. Just 11 percent of whites say there has not been much progress.

Americans have taken advantage of the efforts by many states to expand their absentee and early voting programs, and 29 percent of voters report casting their ballots before Election Day this year.

While 63 percent of early voters say there was at least some wait when they went to vote, a smaller percentage of Election Day voters - 44 percent - reported a wait.

More than a quarter of early voters say they had to wait in line for at least a half hour to vote, while 15 percent of Election Day voters had to wait that long. Ten percent of early voters and five percent of Election Day voters waited more than an hour to vote.

Blacks report waiting in line longer than whites.

The Obama campaign appears to have outdone the McCain campaign in contacting voters and encouraging them to go to the polls. While just five percent of voters say they were contacted only by the McCain campaign, 14 percent were only contacted by the Obama campaign. An additional 14 percent were contacted by both campaigns, while 65 percent were not contacted by either campaign.

Among new voters, 40 percent say they were contacted only by the Obama campaign, while none said they were contacted exclusively by the McCain camp.

Twenty-three percent of those who didn't vote in last week's election said they did not do so because they are not registered to vote. Fifteen percent said they simply didn't want to vote, while 9 percent said they didn't have time and 5 percent cited issues at their polling place. Other reasons offered include illness and not being a U.S. citizen.

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This poll was conducted among a nationwide random sample of 1,220 adults interviewed by telephone November 7-10, 2008. Respondents had been first interviewed October 30-November 3, 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 total sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

[wardoglrs]

Have any of you ever heard of fractured banking this is the banking scam they have implemented in our monetary money google the federal reserve

[robstrck]

Another outstanding report from CBS. It''s right up there with the article "How the Obama Presidency can win over the media. If we weren''t facing such troubling times it would almost be funny. For the last 8 years. we have read endless reports on how suffering the American people were under the Bush Presidency. Funny though, the economy didn''t start the down turn till the Dems took control of the house and Senate in 2006. You fools thought times were so bad these last 8 years. You ain''t seen nothing yet.

[ioweign]

No one is obligated to support this man''''s presidency. We can vote with our pocketbooks. Sell your stock, buy only foreign cars, and fire all left wing employees. See you in four years.

Posted by FreeFla at 07:05 PM : Nov 11, 2008

"Country First" - riiiight...

[hawksprings]

Another cBSnews Poll.

Isn''t this the same poll that had the Dear Leader winning by 14%?
They probably asked the same Democrats for this poll.

[freefla]

Fighting a repressive Marxist regime is all about putting country first. The similarity between the "Hitler Youth" and "Obama Kids" is remarkable. Just as jews did not recognize the threat of Hitler, so they do not recognize the threat of obama. Those who cannot remember the past........

[freefla]

The current tax structure is already a form of welfare. As one of the "Henry"s, my "group" makes up 2.3% of the population and already pays 17% of the total taxes. Under Obama there will be 4 million Americans paying 40% of all taxes. There rest are Democrats and freeloaders. Welcome to Russia

[arthanyel]

""No one is obligated to support this man''s presidency. We can vote with our pocketbooks. Sell your stock, buy only foreign cars, and fire all left wing employees. See you in four years. By FreeFla"

This is the ultimate example of cutting off your nose to spite your face. We are in a time of crisis - and what all Americans need to do is to help move the country forward. Obama will be the President, and whether you like it or not we need to keep Americans working, support American businesses, and join the American President to help climb out of the hole that we are in today.

That does not mean giving up your values, but it does mean being part of the solution, not the problem. People like Freefla will only cause the Republicans and conservatives to be frozen out of the process %u2013 and make it that much easier for extremists on the OTHER side to push through their own agenda.

Benjamin Franking said so well, %u201CWe must all hang together, or we will surely all hang separately%u201D. That has never been truer than it is right now. It is time for everyone to grow up.

[downsteamjim]

I am hopeful that McCain will not be a factor in the next election. He and Bush tried to work with Democrats and look what it got them. We need good, conservatives not half baked centerists like McCain.

[liberalme]

Fighting a repressive Marxist regime is all about putting country first. The similarity between the "Hitler Youth" and "Obama Kids" is remarkable. Just as jews did not recognize the threat of Hitler, so they do not recognize the threat of obama. Those who cannot remember the past........


Posted by FreeFla at 07:22 PM : Nov 11, 2008

A bigger similarity is between Hitler and the Bush wanna be Hitler! (as long as he''s the dictator).

[liberalme]

No one is obligated to support this man''''''''s presidency. We can vote with our pocketbooks. Sell your stock, buy only foreign cars, and fire all left wing employees. See you in four years.

Posted by FreeFla at 07:05 PM : Nov 11, 2008

Boca right?

[liberalme]

who they polling? this country is down the sh*tt*r all ready. barry obama is trying to run a country with NO EXPERIENCE!!


Posted by kevinkkloste

You''re so right!!! Just look at where we got with Bush these past 8 years, manufactured war in Iraq, over 4000 dead troops, over 600,000 dead Iraqi civilians, over 2 million displaced, 10 billion a month for Iraq, we owe China over 500 billion, along with everything else, the taxpayers are now footing a 759 billion bail out, jobs are in the tanker and we still haven''t gotten Bin Laden.

Bush the leader, he never had a business he couldn''t run into the ground.

[systems6-2009]

DOLLAR COLLAPSE COMING SOON..stay tuned folks

[downsteamjim]

Will the media be able to avoid looking at Obama now that he is president? They found out more about Joe the Plumber than the Messiah.

[troutfisher4]

I am hopeful that McCain will not be a factor in the next election. He and Bush tried to work with Democrats and look what it got them.

Posted by downsteamjim


Tried to work with Democrats? Dude, what have you been smoking!?!

[hawksprings]

"who they polling? this country is down the sh*tt*r all ready. barry obama is trying to run a country with NO EXPERIENCE!!"
Posted by kevinkkloste

Au contraire,
Our Dear Leader Obama is getting old Clinton has-beens and guys who have been US Senators since the 1970''s to be in his cabinet.
He''ll have all kinds of Democrat Washington insiders helping him run the county... into the ground.

That''s Change for ya!

[jumkey]

Posted by FreeFla

Yeah, those of us who work for a living are "freeloaders".

You''ve probably never done an honest days work in your life and have done nothing but convince the tinybrains that they should work for your benefit.

Well my intention is to tax you till you squeal little piggy.

Get ready to pay your debt to society,

[downsteamjim]

Troutfisher: Do you remeber the Amnesty bill? Do you remeber Bush & Kennedy''s education bill? Do you remeber campaign reform to cut back on the amount of money spent on elections [which Obama appears to have destroyed]?

[downsteamjim]

Even though many are registered and probably many voted,noone said they couldn''t vote because they were dead!

[countslapula]

Barrack Obama is trying to run a country with NO EXPERIENCE!!
Posted by kevinkkloste

Well we''ve already seen what happens when someone tries to run it with no intelligence or common sense. How on earth could Obama be any worse? Name a single issue that Bush ''handled'' that isn''t worse now.

[neonink]

I just think we are all so damned happy to soon be rid of Bush, it''s hard to be a sore loser.

McCain or Obama... It was always a WIN-WIN situation.

Goodbye and good riddance King George.

[freefla]

Running the country into the ground to insure the failure of Obama is not childish or Un-American. No, not from Boca,not lazy and not uneducated. Worked my way up from the bottom the good old fashioned way. The "we must all hang together" philosophy only applies when we all have the possibility of hanging apart. Right now the only people being threatened are those of us who worked our way to success. The freeloaders have nothing to lose. My choice is to rest, earn less, employ fewer, sock my money away and not pay any taxes for 4 years. Forget about growing jobs for whining Democrats. Grow your own.

[velma179]

FreeFla

Running the country in the ground for ANY reason is un-American.

Period.

[hawksprings]

"How on earth could Obama be any worse?"
Posted by CountSlapula

Obama could be way worse.
Raising taxes and driving the economy into Great Depression II.
"spreading the wealth around" by taxes, ushering Marxist Socialism.
THere''s LOTS of things Obama will do that''s worse.

[paulstewart9]

These are unprecedented times. Obama has unprecedented opportunity and with the right agenda, things will work out. My advice, don''t short change on any objectives.

How will it all be done? "It will come to us." Where there is a will, there is a way. Right now, there is tremendous will. Don''t worry, the way is there. Put everyone to work figuring it out, and get everyone focused on what and how to accomplish it and let ''er rip.

America has the strongest engine on the planet. Yes, it must quit its war in Iraq. It must be cautious about more wars. It must reduce military expenditures. I note this is not protecting America from terrorists anyway. America must invest in its middle class to re float the economy. In its economy in green cars and energy efficiency and alternatives.

Education must be pushed hard. This can never wait - its like child care. You can''t let it go at all. Human life and capital is value one. America is failing to lead in this area and it must do so again. Starting right now. Health care is a must - not only healthy people, and human capital as competitive edge.

Social security is important too, but may have to wait. Getting the financial system stabilized and rebuilt and the economy re floated though helps anyway in this area.

So, I say pursue all these priorities. And, in a way that is synergistic, to produce non-linear results.

Just do it.

[shoebox119]

"Poll: Americans Optimistic About Future"

This headline / story reminds me of another CBS article "Like Abe And FDR, Obama Faces Crises" (November 9).

Pure brainwashing.

Posted by anon00

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So, how does it feel to be among the 17% minority of Americans who are intent on remaining pessimistic for life?

[paulstewart9]

All the whining and some screaming about Obama''s election sounds like sour grapes to me. Why do you not make some wine with it instead of whine.

Now, I believe Obama, he will most definitely be a President among Presidents. If you do not see that, its okay with me. But, I suggest you open your mind a bit to something other than your sour negative inclinations.

Detractors and pessimists need to understand that sitting back and hoping Obama fails is not an option for Americans. There is no good and no value in doing nothing or dragging everyone else down and hoping Obama can be blamed for your collective failure. Just so you can say: I told you so.

America needs all hands on deck, yours included. You all have not just an interest but also an obligation to get with the program, and to energize it and deliver it too. And I would like to remember an old adage to you: God helps those who help themselves. He has given you an energetic, strong young leader in these trying times. A man with a vision, principles and endurance. You can at least step up to the plate and help with a base hit if you cannot be bothered to try for a homer or a grand slam.

Time everyone got off our respective Red and Blue and White buses and got on board the American Red, White and Blue bus. Its high noon, and the battle for a safe and prosperous future for you and your children must be fought.

[eotwrld]

WE NEVER LEARN FROM THE PAST. HE IS ANOTHER JIMMY CARTER ONLY WITH LESS EXPERIENCE THEN ANYONE IN HISTORY. RESULTS: JUST LIKE CARTER, DISASTER.PEOPLE VOTED FOR CARTER BECAUSE THEY WANTED CHANGE THE SAME AS THEY DID FOR OBAMANATION! HE WILL ALLOW THE IRANIANS TO HAVE NUKES. WE ARE TOAST. OBAMA IS THE BEGINNING OF ARMEGEDON!

[shoebox119]

"How on earth could Obama be any worse?"
Posted by CountSlapula

Obama could be way worse. Raising taxes and driving the economy into Great Depression II. "spreading the wealth around" by taxes, ushering Marxist Socialism.

Posted by HawkSprings

_______

Are you paying taxes now? If so, you''re already helping to spread the wealth around. The rich pay far more in taxes, both in percentage and in total amount, than do middle and lower income earners, yet they receive EXACTLY the same level of services.

Before you spout off on the usual sound bites of the right, perhaps you should educate yourself a bit more on the issues and the facts.

[yeswedid]

THere''''s LOTS of things Obama will do that''''s worse.




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Posted by HawkSprings at 08:19 PM : Nov 11, 2008

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Are you a fortune teller HawkSprings? If so, tell me what tomorrow''s Powerball #s will be...

[shoebox119]

So we have the 2 worst presidents in America in a row.

What is going on, these are the best people we can put in charge?

Posted by kevinkkloste

__


You''re half right, but perhaps we should let the President-elect take office, give him a chance to lead this country for four years, and then evaluate his performance.

Stop pouting... the American people have spoken loud and clear and John McCain lost.

[freefla]

PaulStewart9
sounds like a PR spokesperson for the Obama "Airwave Monitoring Team" to fill us with some false pride over our country. A country which allows one million of its most vulnerable people, our unborn children to be more specific, to be ritually murdered because they are inconvenient, is not a country that deserves our support. A president who was the ONLY senator to vote in favor of partial birth abortion deserves to be the leader of a failing country. You reap what you sow.

[neo269]

OBie is a vacuous 2-dimensional Liberal wet-dream wrapped in feel-good cliches. This country is going to get exactly what it deserves.

[yeswedid]

A country which allows one million of its most vulnerable people, our unborn children to be more specific, to be ritually murdered because they are inconvenient, is not a country that deserves our support

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But I bet you support the "War on Terror" which has senselessly taken many innocent lives of LIVING babies. What is your argument on that???!!!

[trillion1]

LOL the same losers that say Obama will ruin the country also said mccain would win. So much for their crystal balls.

[bulldog20081]

People that take these polls seriously make me laugh. Never take these polls seriously, they are always a little skewed. I was just wondering if u wanted some cheese with your wine.

[gdod25]

You idiot, the american people also spoke when they elected Bush, whats your point?

[downsteamjim]

ms-1-1-1: Best example I have seen of Messiah rapture.

[jone775]

ThatGuy56: I''ll bet you any amount of money that people like you were questioned too. I think the best thing for people of all beliefs and/or walks of life to do is work together under an Obama/Biden administration to get the U.S. moving again...

[downsteamjim]

cdfoxtrot: Are you saying that Obama is going to abdicate instead of taking the oath?

[cdfoxtrot5]

The moron-in-chief says he''ll be going straight to Texas once he''s done. And maybe write a book! That''ll be some feat for someone who NEVER reads anything. Even memos titled "Al Queda Planning Attack on US, Using Hijacked Aircraft". This cretin wouldn''t be able to write his name, let alone an entire book.

[downsteamjim]

cdfoxtrot = A classic example of a liberal consumed by hate.

[neonink]

downsteamjim, don''t tell me you are still a rabid supporter of the Uniter, not Divider?

Oh... He united a lot of people. A lot of Democrats.

Bush... Worst Ever.

[cdfoxtrot5]

I''''ll find another country. You socialists have no idea of what freedom really is.

Posted by ThatGuy56

Good luck with that. Try Colombia. It''s even more right-wing than the US became under the moron-in-chief. You''ll enjoy the torture, the incarceration without trial, etc. etc.

[bjcone8559]

Posted by FreeFla



"unborn children" is an oxymoron. Listen carefully... some of us don''t believe the same as you. It''s OK with us if you want to believe those things, but you MAY NOT force your beliefs on the rest of us. It''s called ''FREEDOM'', and the constitution guarantees that you MAY NOT take it away from us. Your religious beliefs do not belong in the courts or the legislature. What a person decides to do based on their religious beliefs should be between them and their God, as long as it does not infringe on others'' rights. In other words, if you believe abortions are wrong... don''t get one!

[yeswedid]

I''''ll find another country. You socialists have no idea of what freedom really is.


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Posted by ThatGuy56 at 08:52 PM : Nov 11, 2008

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And where are you going?

[jone775]

ThatGuy56: I understand you''re upset because your side lost, but we should be able to chat without insulting one another, no?

[yeswedid]

I want to see Obama sworn into office on the Holy Bible and not the Koran. This nation will rise up in rebellion like you''''ve never seen if he refuses to swear of the Holy Bible. Watch and see if I''''m lying. There will be an uproar like you''''ve never heard before.


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Posted by ThatGuy56 at 08:55 PM : Nov 11, 2008

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Uprising like no other...by whom?

[downsteamjim]

neonink: Bush made lots of mistakes. Thinking that democrats would put the good of the country over partisan politics may have been the worst. Remeber the rants of Algore or the screams of Howard Dean.

[bjcone8559]

The moron-in-chief says he''''ll be going straight to Texas once he''''s done. And maybe write a book! That''''ll be some feat for someone who NEVER reads anything. Even memos titled "Al Queda Planning Attack on US, Using Hijacked Aircraft". This cretin wouldn''''t be able to write his name, let alone an entire book.


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Posted by cdfoxtrot5


You misunderstood him. What he said was, "I just finished my first book and I enjoyed it so much... I''m going to color another one."

[daffy64]

I''''''''ll find another country. You socialists have no idea of what freedom really is.


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Posted by ThatGuy56 at 08:52 PM : Nov 11, 2008

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Please don''t come to Canada. We don''t want you.