Survey Says: America’s Headed Down the Tubes

January 13, 2009

In an article published on Nov. 10, 2008 (I know this is not breaking news, folks), CNN/Opinion Research Corporation found that 16 percent of those surveyed said that “things are going well in the country today.” In case you doubt and require more proof, here: http://www.pollingreport.com/right.htm. There are about a dozen legitimate polls from independent and network news organizations confirming the majority of people surveyed are either mostly pessimistic about life and just happened to take this survey, or there really is a wide-spread disapproval for what is happening with America right now.

To say that this country is not headed in the right direction conjures up images of a group of hikers lost in the woods – each with their own opinion of which way is the “right” direction. They all agree that they are lost. They may not all agree on how they got lost and they certainly cannot agree on how to become un-lost. Such is the same with the “general direction” of our country.

First of all, money has much to do with the negative emotions. When most Americans had a job, a credit line and possibly more house than they could really afford, then the country was the country headed in the wrong direction? Some of these surveys started back in 2004, before the housing industry and credit lines were shuttered. But it can’t be all about cash flow.

Are the people answering this question based on America’s foreign diplomacy? Europe’s distaste for Bush began around 2002, and these emotions were probably more based on the War in Iraq than our economy. Domestic organizations started calling for a return of our troops in 2006, at least two years prior to the CNN poll.

What are the factors contributing to this 83* percent of people giving “America The Movie” two thumbs down? Did it start with Enron? Iraq? Home mortgages that came out of candy dispensers? None of the polls seem to want to answer this question. If we can’t figure out why we all feel America sucks, how can we come to a common agreement that the country has rounded the corner and is headed in the right direction? Simply put, we can’t.

Saying that our country is not headed in the right direction is a lot like pointing out a bad movie. When a film stinks, it’s easy for lots of people to say so. People who do not share the same values or preferences can all agree when a story should never have been produced. But try getting the masses to agree on what makes a good movie. Good luck. Personal taste, however base or elite, tends to be extremely diverse. The same goes for approval of America’s path. Even when the Academy Award winning path is taken, because people’s priorities are so diverse, you’ll be hard pressed to find a poll reflecting such unanimous approval in a positive direction.


*http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/10/bush.transition.poll/