Down from 34% last month, according to Rasmussen.
Most Republicans (84%) and voters not affiliated with either major political party (61%) still believe the country is heading down the wrong track. A slim majority (53%) of Democrats thinks the country is heading in the right direction.
Most black voters (63%) are confident in the nation’s current course. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of white voters and 54% of voters of other races believe the country is heading down the wrong track.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of the Political Class feel America is heading in the right direction, but 73% of Mainstream voters think the country is heading down the wrong track.
Political Class, eh?
Here's Rasmussen's discussion of that category of people (who are so bizarrely out of synch with the rest of us):
The specific questions used to calculate the Political Class Index are:
-- Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?
-- Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?
-- Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?
To create a scale, each response earns a plus 1 for the populist answer, a minus 1 for the political class answer, and a 0 for not sure.
Those who score 2 or higher are considered a populist or part of the Mainstream. Those who score -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered leaners in one direction or the other.
In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters nationwide are considered Mainstream. Only 4% support the Political Class. When leaners are included, the numbers jump to 83% for the Mainstream and 9% for the Political Class.
Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans are Mainstream voters along with 51% of Democrats and 70% of those not affiliated with either major party. When leaners are included, the numbers are: GOP, 91%; Democrats, 72%; and unaffiliated voters, 87%.
Interesting. Suggests to me that the reason the media seems slanted toward Democrats is that they are "Political Class."
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29 comments:
Hmm it appears that those who depend on government for their livelihood think the country is on the right track. Every one else who has to fend for themselves, not so much.
As Carville so prophetically said 20 years ago "its the economy stupid!" Come November the simple question for the voter to ask themselves is "are you better off now than four years ago?". Judging by the poll it would appear not.
What is the 'political' class? Who gets to define it? If 75% of them think the USA in going in the correct direction, we need a new 'political' class. This one sure has failed the country!
Ann, your link to the definition of the "political class" leads to a page that requires a subscription, unless I'm missing something.
It seems very sad to me that such a large swath of black people assert the country is going in the right direction.
Unemployment, drugs, gang killings (Chicago!) are all up. And yet, the country is going in the right direction.
63% of black say the country's headed in the right direction.
Should be about 95.
53% of Demos say the country's headed in the right direction.
Now there are 2 numbers that strike fear into Axelrod & Co's heart.
Roman said...
What is the 'political' class? Who gets to define it? If 75% of them think the USA in going in the correct direction, we need a new 'political' class. This one sure has failed the country!
The professional (lifetime) politicians and all the consultants, staffers, lawyers, lobbyists, and contractors who feed off them are the political class, along with the Establishment Media and the old campus commandos, and damned straight we need a new one.
Rasmussen's discussion of the Political Class is behind a paywall. Since I am not moved to become a Rasmussen subscriber I suppose I'll not learn the details here. However I can surmise that the Political Class is comprised of persons whose livings come directly or indirectly from those activities euphemistically called public service.
Public service in both elective and appointive office have become immensely lucrative over the decades, so much so that five of the ten wealthiest counties in the United States are bedroom communities of the District of Columbia. The very comfortable residents of these counties have reason to be well-satisfied with the status quo and reason to fear reform since their lavish lifestyles do not pivot on goods or services provided in an atmosphere of competitive entrepreneurship. The earner of the $113,000 median income in Falls Church, Virginia doesn't have to produce a high quality product or a happy customer because those who pay are not those benefit, furthermore the beneficiaries can't go elsewhere, they can't take business to another government except by emigration, nor can the payers refuse to pay except at the risk of imprisonment.
The very existence of an identifiable Political Class reveals that our once-great Republic has decayed into something else -- a kind of feudalism without even the consolation of mutual obligation.
"As Carville so prophetically said 20 years ago "its the economy stupid!" Come November the simple question for the voter to ask themselves is "are you better off now than four years ago?". Judging by the poll it would appear not."
Yet, we know from the response from Obama's base - Black voters - approximately 63% of voters will answer "are you better off now than four years ago?" with a "uh, maybe so, maybe not, but it doesn't matter, we're on the right track," and 27% of "mainstream" voters will answer similarly.
If one's premise is, as mine is, that most Obama voters are proven to be too dim, too stupid, and too selfish to learn from experience to do anything but vote for Obama and Democrats, one should not be surprised, come Election Day, far too many voters will fail the utterly simple question: "are you better off now than four years ago?"
"Seventy-five percent (75%) of the Political Class feel America is heading in the right direction"
Wow. Just Wow.
Nancy Pelosi is a member of the Political Class. In 2010 she increased her net worth 62%, from $21.7 million to $35.2 million. She says it was due to some smart investments.
Let's consider that a moment. On a base salary of $175,000 she parleyed her portfolio into $13 millions of black ink in one year, in the depths of the Great Recession even! If the Former Speaker invested every penny of her salary -- no money for food, housing, taxes! -- her investments returned more than 7000%!
Perhaps Garage Mahal can explain this to me.
Wow. Just wow.
Why, Mike? They're the Inner Party. When you're Inner Party, you always think things are better.
Remember the old joke about the English noble lady having sex for the first time and exclaiming "This is too good for the poor!"? That's our political class. Things such as security, economic prosperity and the pursuit of happiness are too good for the proles and the Outer Party.
And barring wholsale revolution or complete collapse, that is how it will always be. As Romney's "yay, freedom" scrunt demonstrated, "freedom" now means only sexual licence. Nothing else will be allowed.
If I follow the math, to be included in Rasmussen's "Political Class" I would have to answer no or not sure to the question "Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?"
I suppose that we should be happy that only 4% passed that particular test.
"Ann, your link to the definition of the "political class" leads to a page that requires a subscription, unless I'm missing something."
Okay, well, I have a subscription, so enjoy the text I've given you, which is the relevant part.
Okay, well, I have a subscription, so enjoy the text I've given you, which is the relevant part.
"Let them eat cake"
:)
"Rasmussen's discussion of the Political Class is behind a paywall. Since I am not moved to become a Rasmussen subscriber I suppose I'll not learn the details here. However I can surmise that the Political Class is comprised of persons whose livings come directly or indirectly from those activities euphemistically called public service."
Ridiculous! I provided the text. Why won't you read it? The link is there because I provide my source. It works as the citation.
It's like "let them eat cake" if Marie Antoinette was also handing out cake!
Shows how fucking deluded the Democrats are.
Touché.
Do the hoopskirts get in the way of the keyboard when you sit down at your desk though?
(lol)
For both the political class (more accurately the ruling class) and the black poor the cancerous growth of the state trumps EVERYTHING. Trumps over 50% black teenage unemployment and goes without saying trumps the decimation of the white middle and working classes. Hitler would be proud of the giant pincer movement being carried out by the top and bottom against the middle.
"Why, Mike?"
It's hopelessly naive, but I like to think that the Political Class cares about the country, not just their own fortunes.
Kinda like the greenies liking to believe that wind power will restrain GW. You know it's not true, but still ...
We should let Congress invest our Social Security funds. They are brilliant investors based on their personal succcess.
Ann wrote:
It's like "let them eat cake" if Marie Antoinette was also handing out cake!
No. It's like "let them eat cake" if Marie Antoinette was also handing out stolen cake.
And why does Paul Kirchner get a civil response from you and I get a "Ridiculous!"?
You know, Althouse, you do look a little like Marie Antoinette.
In a Kirsten Dunst kind of way.
http://favim.com/image/203072/
I think David Blaska's comment to an audience of credit managers applies here: "Then I asked my audience of credit managers if they had ever heard of a foreclosure against a full-time government employee. No hands."
http://www.ibwisconsin.com/Blogs/Right-On/March-2012/The-Lefts-message-Down-with-the-profit-motive-solidarity-for-teachers-if-it-kills-us/
Seventy-five percent (75%) of the Political Class feel America is heading in the right direction, but 73% of Mainstream voters think the country is heading down the wrong track.
Then how did the fuckers (i.e. Political Class) get so entrenched? Please think about that the next time you go to pull the lever for an incumbent. I know I will.
But Obama is now fast tracking permit approvals for half the Keystone pipeline! Even though no one has asked for half a pipeline!
Game changer!
But Obama is now fast tracking permit approvals for half the Keystone pipeline! Even though no one has asked for half a pipeline!
...and the half he is "fast tracking" is handled on the state level with the Feds having virtually no input one way or the other.
The part of the pipeline that he DOES need to fast track, however, is being ignored still.
Perhaps the "Political Class" is trying to manipulate the poll. They talk about polls all the time, so it's hard to believe that they wouldn't give the answers that they want the poll to reflect.
My father had a Nielson rating box connected to his TV. He'd leave the TV on when he wasn't at home, usually on Fox News. People are aware that polls matter and they try to subvert them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_them_eat_cake claims that Marie Antoinette never said "Let them eat cake" and credits Rousseau in a book published when she was only nine.
Andy successfully sucks all the air out of the room :)
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