Poll: Obama begins second term facing pessimistic public

The president delivers remarks alongside Biden Jan. 1 (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)As President Barack Obama heads into his second term, he faces a pessimistic and weary public, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released late Tuesday.

The percentage of Americans satisfied with the direction of the country stands at a paltry 23 percent in a poll of Americans surveyed Dec. 14-17. By a margin of 50 to 47 percent, respondents said the country's best years are over.

Fifty percent of respondents said it is somewhat or very unlikely that today's youth will have a better life than their parents.

That pessimism and negativity extends to president, according to the poll.

When respondents were asked to choose adjectives to describe their feelings about the president's re-election, the poll showed that the excitement and pride many Americans felt about the president's first term has diminished.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents in November 2008 said they felt optimistic about the president's election and 67 percent said proud. Last month those numbers fell to 52 percent for optimistic and 48 percent for proud. Forty-three percent of Americans surveyed now say they are pessimistic about the president's re-election and 36 percent said they were afraid-- both increases from 2008.

The president's approval rating hovered at the key 50 percent threshold in the USA Today/Gallup survey-- one percentage above George W. Bush as he headed into his second term, below the 58 percent rating held by Bill Clinton and 59 percent rating held by Ronald Reagan.

The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/poll-obama-begins-second-term-facing-pessimistic-public-132253142--election.html

masters tickets one direction tulsa news scalloped potatoes the ten commandments charlton heston moses