The verdict is loud and clear. Americans, men and women, whites and minorities alike, are showing a marked drop in their level of satisfaction about their country.
Merely 25 percent of those surveyed say that things are going in the right direction in the U.S, according to an AP-Ipsos poll this month. That is about the lowest level of satisfaction observed since December 2003 when the survey began.
Hardly have longer-running polls found such a rate since 1992 when the days were even gloomier ahead of the first President Bush’s re-election loss to Bill Clinton, the Democrat.
The widely prevalent dejection is poignant and noteworthy. It is mainly attributed to the public discontent with the war in Iraq and with President Bush.
Women and minorities are found to be less content than men and whites and it has been true for years. But all four groups are at or near record lows for the AP-Ipsos poll, and at remarkably low levels compared to surveys conducted previously.
In April, when they were asked why they felt things were heading in the wrong direction, one-third volunteered the war while one-fourth censured poor leadership and held it culpable. Nine percent blamed the economy, 8 percent a loss of moral values and 5 percent gasoline prices.
Americans through the length and breadth of the country want a swift retreat to normalcy after taking cognizance of the toll that the much debated Iraq war has taken on their people and economy.
Image Credit: michaeltotten.com
