Is it really that bad? 81 percent say America on 'wrong track'

Americans' views on the economy and the general state of the country have hit an all-time low in the history of the CBS News/New York Times poll. Eighty-one percent of those polled say the country is on the wrong track, while only 14 percent believe it is heading in the right direction. Are things really that bad?

Ben likes: Depends which direction you’re talking about

Gregory Phillips/From Fay to Z blog

Here’s the thing to bear in mind about a survey saying 81 percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track: Not everyone agrees what track that is.

Some people will say the country is going to the dogs because of the war in Iraq and an incompetent president.Others will point out America is going wrong by not deporting all illegal immigrants and erecting a Great Wall of Texas.

Joel likes: The track

Matthew Yglesias/The Atlantic

It's just really difficult for me to imagine the incumbent party holding onto power in the face of an unpopular war and a bad economy. Count the fact that 81 percent of voters think the country is on the wrong track as further evidence along those lines.

Given the prevailing mood, it seems obvious that the average voter is going to want to vote for a candidate who can credibly promise that he'll pursue substantially different policies from those of George W. Bush. But McCain has promised to follow Bush on Iraq, promised to follow Bush on taxes, promised to follow Bush on housing issues, and shows no sign whatsoever of even understanding why people are frustrated with Bush. So how's he going to win?

You state:

Some people will say the country is going to the dogs because of the war in Iraq and an incompetent president.Others will point out America is going wrong by not deporting all illegal immigrants and erecting a Great Wall of Texas.

Seems to me these are all stemming from the same problem - George W. Bush and his mismanagement of the Federal Government. He's not smart enough to effectively manage each department.

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