Surprising poll also shows what's not on Americans' minds
It seems like new polls come out daily, focusing on President Obama (he's very popular, he's average popular, he's slipped a little) and on the economy, which is issue No. 1 these days. Last spring it was rising (gas) prices.
Not surprisingly, given the job losses, the 8.1% unemployment rate, the fear of job losses and the president's recent rhetorical agenda, the economy remains primary on the American mind. This week's CNN/Opinion Research Poll found the economy was by far the top concern of Americans, at 63%.
What gets less news coverage, however, is what Americans are not thinking about. What's not worrying them?
The topics might surprise you. According to the same CNN/ORC Poll of 1,019 adults between March 12 and 15, Americans are currently the most unconcerned about energy -- only 2%. The second least thing on their minds is a tie at 5% between terrorism and education, despite Obama's much-touted recent education reform announcement.
Of course, an unexplained car bomb in Baltimore could radically change that terrorism number in a few hours.
Close by are two other topics that once were Topic One: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with only 6% concerned about them.
The next least important reported concern for Americans is the federal deficit at 8%, followed closely by healthcare, which the president wants to spend hundreds of billions of dollars reforming. Yet it's of concern to only 9% of this survey, barely a fraction of the 63% concerned over the economy. If such numbers endure, they could make the president's legislative sales job more difficult.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Interest in specific issues might be spread thin right now, but one thing everyone wants is for the President and Congress to lead...to DO something and have ideas. (Notice how congress's approval doubled when they actually started passing laws.)
In the ideas department the President is stocked full, and that is what the public will respond to.
Posted by: Daniel | March 17, 2009 at 09:04 AM