Thursday, July 07, 2022

Democrats, Republicans alike say US moving in wrong direction: poll

By Mark Moore | New York Post

REUTERS/Nacho Doce

Americans of all political persuasions are frustrated with the state of the nation, with 85% saying that the country is heading in the wrong direction — including nearly eight in 10 Democrats, according to a new poll. 

The deep dissatisfaction is reflected in both parties, with 92% of Republicans saying the economy is performing poorly — and 78% of Democrats saying the same, an increase of 35 percentage points since March, according to an Associated Press/NORC survey released on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as the nation prepares to vote in midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress, President Biden’s job approval rating continues to tank. 

Overall, 60% of Americans disapprove of the job Biden is doing in the White House, including 73% of independents. 

More than a quarter of Democrats (27%) disapprove of Biden, while fewer than three-quarters (72%) approve of him.

Dorothy Vaudo, 66, of North Carolina said she voted for Biden in 2020, but plans to switch parties this year.

“I’m a Democrat so I had to vote Democrat, but that’s going to change,” she told the Associated Press.

Skyrocketing food and gas prices, the highest rate of inflation in four decades and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on Americans, and they are expressing their displeasure with the president. 

While a majority in the AP-NORC poll credit Biden’s response to the pandemic — with 53% approving — Americans took the president to task for his handling of the economy. 

More than two-thirds of Americans (69%) disapprove of the White House’s economic policy, including 93% of Republicans, 84% of independents and 43% of Democrats.

The president also gets failing marks on his approach to gun policy, with 62% of Americans disapproving, including 91% of Republicans, 71% of independents and more than a third of all Democrats (34%). 

Chuck McClain, 74, of Las Vegas, said Biden was “doing the best he can” but added he can’t say “he’s doing a good job,” while also faulting Democrats for not taking advantage of their majorities in Congress.

In the end, faced with the price of gas and food, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the stark political divisions across the country, McClain, who describes himself as a loyal Democrat, feels ignored by Washington.

“My wife and I are very frustrated with where the country is headed, and we don’t have a lot of hope for the political end of it to get any better,” he said. 

https://nypost.com/2022/06/30/democrats-republicans-alike-say-us-moving-in-wrong-direction-poll/