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Grim Voter Mood Turns Grimmer
Keywords:
Two thirds of Americans are becoming pessimistic about the economy. This is one of the results of a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. This is up from 53% in January. Voters are losing confidence in the idea that the Democrats can come up with better solutions than the Republicans. Only 24% of those polled have positive feelings for the Republican party, with Democrats doing only slightly better. Democratic pollster, Peter Hart- who along with Republican pollster Bill McInturff conducted the survey- calls it the JetBlue election. This description is from the JetBlue flight attendent who ran from the plane after exiting through an emergency chute. There is a sense of severe discomfort and looking for the exit, he says. With 6 in 10 of those polled expressing a loss of confidence in the policies of the Obama administration to improve the economy, including 83% of independents, and a quarter of Democrats. The situation has deteriorated on the confidence level with the war in Afghanistan as well. 68% of those polled say they are less confident now that the war in Afghanistan can be brought to a successful conclusion.
Polls showing approval ratings for the U.S. Congress and the U.S. President- 2013
08/11/2010
A July 2013 WSJ/NBC poll shows a 83% disapproval rating for the U.S. Congress and more people saying Republicans put partisan interests above the national interest. President Obama's approval rating dropped to 45%.
Grouped Articles
Approval of Obama, Congress Falls in New Poll
Wall Street Journal 07/24/2013
Radicalized Center Emerging in American Politics
Wall Street Journal 11/12/2013
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
Robert J. Samuelson - The dysfunction of American politics
Washington Post 10/25/2010
Wall Street Journal 09/20/2014
Polls showing approval ratings on the U.S. Congress and the U.S. President - 2011
08/11/2010
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
Obama ratings sink to new lows as hope fades - The Washington Post
Washington Post 09/06/2011
April 2010 Defense Department biannual report on the war in Afghanistan.
04/29/2010
It shows little progress from the escalated effort, and the critical fact of the lack of acceptance of the Karzai government remains. Of 92 districts assessed in this report none are sympathetic to the Karzai government.
Grouped Articles
Gates Faults Obama Over Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal 01/08/2014
U.S. Report on Afghan War Finds Few Gains in 6 Months
New York Times 04/29/2010
Strategy vs. Tactics in Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal 06/02/2010
Official Admits Militancyâs Deep Roots in Pakistan
New York Times 06/02/2010
McChrystal article renews attention to split with Biden over Afghanistan
Washington Post 06/23/2010
McChrystalâs Fate in Limbo as He Prepares to Meet Obama
New York Times 06/23/2010
David Obey, U.S. Congressman of the seventh District of Wisconsin.
12/13/2009
David Obey wants to see a war surtax to pay for the $30 billion Obama wants to spend for additional troops buildup in Afghanistan. He says he's damn tired of seeing only military families take on all the burdens of the war.
Grouped Articles
Legislator Sees Echoes of Vietnam in Afghan War
New York Times 12/13/2009
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
Obama, Empathy and the Midterms
New York Times 09/25/2010
How Did Wisconsin Become the Most Politically Divisive Place in America?
New York Times 05/24/2012
Fresh thinking for U.S. involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries, and foreign policies to match the 21st century global architecture.
01/05/2009
The single issue engagement with global partners and rivals is from the 20th century. The USA has to work with other large economies who face the same problems we do, whose biggest challenges are similar to ours.
Grouped Articles
U.S. to Send Up to 300 Military Advisers to Iraq
New York Times 06/19/2014
Chuck Hagel - Why Going It Alone No Longer Works
Washington Post 09/03/2009
Setback in Afghanistan: The Right Response Is Not a Retreat.
Washington Post 09/03/2009
New York Times 09/16/2009
New York Times 09/25/2009
Economist 09/24/2009
The democracy project in Afghanistan misconceived and badly executed. But is it unmanageable to begin with?
10/25/2009
Grouped Articles
Afghanistan Presidential Rivals Sign Power-Sharing Deal
Wall Street Journal 09/21/2014
The Great American Arm-Twist in Afghanistan
New York Times 10/25/2009
Kerry Calls for Patient Strategy in Afghanistan
New York Times 10/27/2009
McChrystalâs Fate in Limbo as He Prepares to Meet Obama
New York Times 06/23/2010
Rethinking the Afghanistan Warâs What-Ifs
New York Times 07/31/2010
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
A crucial test of leadership of President Obama for the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan- 2009-2010
09/23/2009
Obama has to look at the unofficial reports on the ground to get the facts, and be willing to change completely with the facts, if he is to accept Vice President Biden's view and advisor Reidel's view that counterinsurgency fight is not possible without a credible and legitimate Afghan partner.
Grouped Articles
Pakistan Gives Sharif a Mandate
Wall Street Journal 05/12/2013
Pakistan's New Top Diplomat Heads to Kabul
Wall Street Journal 07/19/2013
Gates Faults Obama Over Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal 01/08/2014
Obama Is Considering Strategy Shift in Afghan War
New York Times 09/23/2009
In Poll, Public Wary of Obama on War and Health
New York Times 09/25/2009
New York Times 09/25/2009
Public support for President Obama and Obama administration policies in April 2009 during the global financial crisis
02/15/2009
The New York TImes/CBS News polls and other public approval information.
Grouped Articles
Approval of Obama, Congress Falls in New Poll
Wall Street Journal 07/24/2013
New York Times 02/15/2009
New York Times 02/15/2009
Survey Reveals Broad Support for President
New York Times 02/24/2009
In Speech to Congress, Obama Outlines His Plans for Economic Recovery
Washington Post 02/25/2009
Obama Vows, ‘We Will Rebuild’ and ‘Recover’
New York Times 02/25/2009
Martin Feldstein on the risks for the American Economy after failures in the Obama Economic plan.
09/12/2007
Failures to address problems on the housing front, especialy the problems for 15 million homeowners under water- see the links to opeds by Feldstein suggesting focus on these issues throughout 2008-2009. And the focus on health care which diverted attention from this problem and the problem facing bad loans in commercial real estate. Other problems are failure to get bank lending up for businesses. And the failure of Obama health care plans to control the increase in the nation's surging health care spending, instead increasing the deficit to unsustainable levels. Public sentiment as shown in WSJ/NBC polls confirm Feldstein's sense of the situation.
Grouped Articles
New York Times 12/08/2013
From President Obama, Economic Clarity but Little Courage
Washington Post 04/15/2009
Wall Street Journal 09/12/2007
How to Stop the Mortgage Crisis
Wall Street Journal 03/07/2008
Wall Street Journal 02/20/2008
Enough With the Interest Rate Cuts
Wall Street Journal 04/15/2008
Robert Shiller on the Mood of America and the Economy.
03/02/2008
Its the hearts and minds of the people that are the thing takes makes an economy or country tick not just use or overuse in recent years of financial incentives. Shiller and other economists make this point.
Grouped Articles
Robert Shiller: A Skeptic and a Nobel Winner
New York Times 10/19/2013
How a Bubble Stayed Under the Radar
New York Times 03/02/2008
The Real Mandate Is to Bridge the Wealth Gap
New York Times 11/09/2008
To Build Confidence, Aim for Full Employment
New York Times 12/14/2008
Animal Spirits Depend on Trust
Wall Street Journal 01/27/2009
It Pays to Understand the Mind-Set
New York Times 03/29/2009
Declining public support in the U.S. for the war in Afghanistan- 2011-2013
08/11/2010
Public opinion polls showing a steep fall in support for the war in 2012, with 69% favoring withdrawal.
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
U.S. Military Eyes Afghan Force of 10,000, or a Pullout
New York Times 01/21/2014
U.S. Will Complete Afghan Pullout by End of 2016, Obama Says
New York Times 05/27/2014
Obama Details Plan for Forces in Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal 05/28/2014
Amid Drawdown, Fears of Taliban Resurgence and Economic Collapse
New York Times 05/28/2014
U.S. and British Troops End Operations in Key Afghan Province
New York Times 10/26/2014
CBS/New York Times poll in August 2011 and polls in 2013 showing public dissatisfaction with Congress
08/11/2010
The CBS poll shows 82% of respondents showing dissatisfaction with the way Congress handled the debt ceiling extension. Polls in 2013 reflected similiar dissatisfaction with Congress and handed more of the blame to Republicans.
Grouped Articles
Poll Finds GOP Blamed More for Shutdown
Wall Street Journal 10/11/2013
Wall Street Journal 10/10/2013
Radicalized Center Emerging in American Politics
Wall Street Journal 11/12/2013
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
Robert J. Samuelson - The dysfunction of American politics
Washington Post 10/25/2010
Public Views Congress as Top Culprit in Debt Debate, Poll Finds
New York Times 08/04/2011
Costs of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq reach $1 trillion by 2010.
07/24/2010
Estimate by the Congressional Research Service.
Grouped Articles
The Wars That America Forgot About
New York Times 10/17/2010
The War: A Trillion Can Be Cheap
New York Times 07/24/2010
Rethinking the Afghanistan Warâs What-Ifs
New York Times 07/31/2010
New York Times 07/31/2010
Wall Street Journal 08/11/2010
Afghanistan's troubled national army: Fixing the unfixable
Economist 08/21/2010
Pakistan's view on the debate in Washington about sending more troops and expansion of war in Afghanistan.
10/01/2009
Foreign Minister Qureshi at the Journal's offices in New York says it would mean the Pakistani Taliban would threaten Islamabad, there would be more misery, suicide bombings, and hurt the economy badly. But Qureshi speaks for an increasingly unpopular Zardari administration. The army, opposition parties, and the Intelligence agencies, and increasingly the public sentiment is against an expanded American presence in Afghanistan, or a bigger American footprint in Afghinstan and Pakistan. See Rosenberg in WSJ.
Grouped Articles
How the Pakistani Taliban Became a Deadly Force
New York Times 12/16/2014
Wall Street Journal 10/01/2009
Several Afghan Strategies, None a Clear Choice
New York Times 10/01/2009
Reconciliation Efforts in Afghanistan Flounder
Washington Post 10/14/2009
Pakistan Attacks Show Tightening of Militant Links
New York Times 10/16/2009
U.S. deeply split on troop increase for Afghan war
Washington Post 10/21/2009
The Afghanistan war in mid to late 2010.
06/02/2010
Some successes in counterinsurgency do not make up for the lack of an alternative in governance that wins credibility in Afghanistan, among the people.
Grouped Articles
Strategy vs. Tactics in Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal 06/02/2010
Official Admits Militancyâs Deep Roots in Pakistan
New York Times 06/02/2010
McChrystal article renews attention to split with Biden over Afghanistan
Washington Post 06/23/2010
McChrystalâs Fate in Limbo as He Prepares to Meet Obama
New York Times 06/23/2010
The Fury of a General, Released by Nature
New York Times 06/22/2010
Sharp Words Expose Rift Over War Policy
Wall Street Journal 06/21/2010
The view of Colin Powell on the expansion of the war in Afghanistan.
09/27/2009
Will more troops make a difference is the crucial question asked.
Grouped Articles
New York Times 09/28/2009
Plan to Boost Afghan Forces Splits Obama Advisers
New York Times 09/27/2009
Gates Doubts U.S.'s Afghan Strategy
Wall Street Journal 10/01/2009
Several Afghan Strategies, None a Clear Choice
New York Times 10/01/2009
Report Cites Firefight as Lesson on Afghan War
New York Times 10/03/2009
Reconciliation Efforts in Afghanistan Flounder
Washington Post 10/14/2009
A much diminished Al Quaeda in Afghanistan next to a growing Taliban focussed on local issues.
01/06/2008
This factors into whether it makes sense for the US to commit large forces in Afghanistan with no clear mission as General Powell suggests.
Grouped Articles
Leader of Pakistani Taliban Killed in Drone Strike
Wall Street Journal 11/02/2013
Wall Street Journal 06/10/2014
Around an Invisible Leader, Taliban Power Shifts
New York Times 12/28/2014
Unruly Factions Hurt Taliban’s Bid to Capture Afghan Hearts, and Territory
New York Times 01/02/2015
Taliban Leader Mullah Omar Is Dead, Afghan Spy Agency Says
Wall Street Journal 07/30/2015
Al Qaeda's Diminished Role Stirs Afghan Troop Debate
Wall Street Journal 10/06/2009
China and pollution of air and water.
05/10/2006
Use of coal-fired plants and more automobiles on Chinese streets and highways are worsening air quality in Chinese cities. Industrialization is taking its toll on air and water quality. 25% of lakes, rivers and streams have water too contaminated to be used for drinking water, according to areport by the China Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Grouped Articles
Pollution Is Radically Changing Childhood in Chinaâs Cities
New York Times 04/22/2013
China Seeks to Calm Anxiety Over Rice
Wall Street Journal 05/22/2013
Cadmium-Tainted Rice Discovered in Southern China
New York Times 05/21/2013
Wall Street Journal 06/06/2013
Air Pollution From Coal Use Cuts Lifespans in China, Study Shows
Wall Street Journal 07/09/2013
Paying Auditors for Honest Appraisals
Wall Street Journal 07/18/2013
Growing Risks for the U.S. Economy in 2010-2012.
01/04/2010
Risks of another hit from losses on home equity loans to bank balance sheets in latter part of 2010. The situation with local and state governments in the USA cutting back significantly. The situation in Europe and an overheating Chinese economy.
Grouped Articles
The Home-Equity Hurt Ahead for Banks
BusinessWeek 04/14/2010
Beware a Bernanke-Fueled Market Bubble
BusinessWeek 05/13/2010
Don't Rule Out a Double Dip Recession
Wall Street Journal 05/24/2010
Wall Street Journal 05/22/2010
Real Disposable Income: Bad News for Democrats?
BusinessWeek 06/03/2010
Wall Street Journal 06/12/2010
Voices of caution about the economic recovery in the U.S. as underlying problems remain.
04/20/2008
Underlying problems in foreclosure rates, job losses, and toxic assets at banks remain unresolved, even as the stimulus spending plans and the Fed's putting money into the economy fast have helped restore some degree of confidence.
Grouped Articles
New York Times 10/10/2010
The Wage That Meant Middle Class
New York Times 04/20/2008
A Trap in Obama’s Spending Plan
New York Times 12/21/2008
In Japan’s Stagnant Decade, Cautionary Tales for America
New York Times 02/13/2009
New York Times 02/13/2009
New York Times 03/06/2009
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