The number of Americans who say things are going badly in the country, at 75 percent, is higher than it has been on the eve of any midterm election since the question was first asked in the mid-1970s, according to a new national poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday also indicates that the economy remains, by far, the top issue on the minds of Americans. Fifty-two percent of people questioned say the economy’s the most important issue facing the country.
“That’s more than the deficit, education, health care, terrorism, energy, illegal immigration and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq combined,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “No other issue was named as the country’s top problem by more than 8 percent.”
The economy has been the issue most on the mind of Americans in CNN polling since the end of 2007.The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted October 27-30, with 1,006 adult Americans — including 921 registered voters and 542 likely voters — questioned by telephone. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
