Most People Angry And Upset With Washington? Who Knew?

by William Teach | February 11, 2010 10:00 am

Hard to believe, eh? What could possibly make the American people so upset and angry in the era of Hopey Changey[1]?

Two-thirds of Americans are “dissatisfied” or downright “angry” about the way the federal government is working, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. On average, the public estimates that 53 cents of every tax dollar they send to Washington is “wasted.”

It would have been nice had the Washington Post spent a wee bit more time about what is creating the dissatisfaction and anger. Instead, they turn a good chunk of the article into a story about the TEA Parties and Sarah Palin. Amazing how someone who is considered such a lightweight, someone to be ignored, with no shot at running for president, is still discussed so darned much.

Despite the disapproval of government, few Americans say they know much about the “tea party” movement, which emerged last year and attracted voters angry at a government they thought was spending recklessly and overstepping its constitutional powers. And the new poll shows that the political standing of former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin[2], who was the keynote speaker last week at the first National Tea Party Convention, has deteriorated significantly.

The WP spends 7 paragraphs on Palin and 6 on the TEA Party movement, including the above paragraph. On the anger? Three, including the first excerpt and the second to last paragraph

Overall, two-thirds of all those polled are dissatisfied with or angry about the way the government works, the highest number to say so in periodic polling since March 1996. Eight in 10 conservative Republicans hold negative views about the way government works, but by contrast, 59 percent of liberal Democrats said they were “enthusiastic” or “satisfied” about the role government was playing.

Hmm. Interesting. How about mentioning that (link to poll[3])

• only 29% approve of the way Congress is doing its job
• 57% think it is a good thing that Republicans can now block the Dem agenda in the Senate
• 88% do not think that the recession is over
• 55% want KSM and the other 9/11 defendants tried in a military tribunal
• 48% are dissatisfied, 19% angry, only 29% satisfied (interestingly, the WP hasn’t asked that question since 2003. I wonder why?)
• In the poll, 36% say they are moderate, 37% say Conservative, on 24% liberal

Perhaps in the future, ABC-Washington Post could ask some questions on why people are dissatisfied and angry.