Poll numbers reveal a divided, frustrated, and worried America

image
Published: 05 Jul, 2010
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Based on several early polls in July, our nation remains polarized over President Obama, frustrated with Congressional performance, and pessimistic about the future. 

In an RCP poll and a Gallup poll, President Obama's approval/disapproval ratings were evenly divided at around 47%.  In a Rasmussen Reports poll, 45% approved, while 55% disapproved of his performance.  In the RCP poll, a mere 22% approved of Congressional performance, while 71% disapproved.  In addition, only 32% believed America was headed in the right direction, while 62% believed it was headed in the wrong direction. 

These numbers continue to lend credibility to the growing prospect of a viable third party emerging by 2012.  With the nation mired in $13 trillion of debt, 16.5% effective unemployment, a stalling, post-stimulus economy, $1 trillion overseas wars, and a perpetual cycle of media-stoked partisanship, deep voter frustration appears to be intensifying. 

Seeing that, since 2001, both parties have exploded the national debt, bailed out Wall St., continued the $1 trillion Iraq-Afghanistan-Pakistan wars, polarized the electorate, and failed to stem the tide of the Great Recession, voters may increasingly consider a more multi-partisan, independent-minded third party in the not-too-distant future. 

Recent polls demonstrate such a scenario is not far-fetched, with 31-35% of voters supporting a third party in order to challenge the Republican-Democrat duopoly and put America on a new path.  If these numbers continue to rise, the next few years may usher in an era of political revolution that far surpasses the 1992 Ross Perot campaign.

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read