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Big Strides in US Optimism, Poll Shows
Proportion who say country on right track doubles
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Mar 31, 09 6:41 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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American attitudes are showing signs of a turnaround in the 70 days since Barack Obama took the reins, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll reports. The percentage who say the country is headed in the right direction has more than doubled since the end of the Bush era—some 42% say the country's on the right track, up from 19% in January.
While 57% disagree, that’s down from 70% in January. The attitude adjustment coincides with a big drop in the proportion who say the economy’s getting worse: that figure stands at 36%, down from 62% in January. And 64% have at least some faith in Obama's economic plan. But opinions are sharply divided along party lines: the proportion of Dems happy with the country’s direction is up 54 points, compared to 7 among Republicans.