Americans Are Hopeful

One thing that I have always been impressed with America is that we are a pretty hopeful nation. A poll out today by the Associated Press shows that Americans are skittish about the economy’s immediate future, but the poll also shows that many are optimistic about what a year out holds, despite economists’ widespread expectations that a serious recession is brewing. Most respondents expect the economy to generally be better and the stock market to rise three months from now when Bush is out of the office. People were asked how they think seven aspects of the economy would be behaving in three months and a year from now. They gave mixed responses for the near-term, but in nearly each case foresaw stronger performance in a year.

Many said the upcoming presidential election will affect the economy’s performance. Forty-four percent said they think the economy will improve if Democrat Barack Obama is elected, while 34 percent said it would get better if Republican John McCain wins.