Next week, there are going to be major gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Many political observers will look at these races and will try to understand how their results foreshadow what the national mood will be in the midterm elections next year. However, even before the election, one can get a sense of where the national mood might be heading by the results of a recent Wall Street Journal/ NBC News poll that was released earlier this week.
The article about that poll noted that "The survey found a country in a decidedly negative mood, nearly a year after the election of President Barack Obama." The article also noted that "For the first time during the Obama presidency, a majority of Americans sees the country as being on the wrong track." In recent weeks and months, many people have been disappointed by the policies of the 44th President as the president pushes forward on his agenda so the "wrong track" result is not completely surprising. For instance, one main item on Obama's agenda this year is his health care plan which, as the WSJ article noted, "continues to face a plurality of opposition -- 42% say it is a bad idea, against 38% who say it is a good idea." This poll was conducted late last week and early this week so it reflects people's opinions about the subject before the recent news stories about Senator Reid's support for the public option and the release of the Nancy Pelosi-backed health care plan. This poll, though, does show that after more than nine months in office, the mood of the nation is clearly getting more pessimistic about the future. Those feelings reflect poorly on the 44th president of the United States who often spoke on the campaign trail last year about the importance of "hope" and optimism.
Next week will be a major week for the president as voters in two states elect their Governors. Even if Obama's party wins both races, a highly unlikely scenerio considering how Obama's candidate of choice is polling in Virginia, the results will not be able to overshadow how many people have are feeling pessimistic about the future. The WSJ / NBC news poll shows the growing frustrations of many Americans, frustrations that will likely continue in the weeks and months ahead as Obama tries to push forward on his top priorities, including health care, much to the disapproval of many Americans.