One year out from the 2008 election, Americans are deeply pessimistic
and eager for a change in direction from the agenda and priorities of President Bush, according to a new Washington Post ABC News poll.Concern about the economy, the war in Iraq
and growing dissatisfaction with the political environment in
Washington all contribute to the lowest public assessment of the
direction of the country in more than a decade. Just 24 percent think
the nation is on the right track, and three-quarters said they want the
next president to chart a course that is different than that pursued by
Bush.Overwhelmingly, Democrats want a new direction, but so do
three-quarters of independents and even half of Republicans. Sixty
percent of all Americans said they feel strongly that such a change is
needed after two terms of the Bush presidency.
As ThinkProgress points out, this brand of pessimism after a two-term presidency is unprecedented in recent history. Reagan and Clinton never failed their country the way George W. Bush has. This is not to say 2008 is a “lock” for the Democrats, if anyone is capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory it is them, but if I were putting money on the table, I wouldn’t wager on the elephant.
