Hillary-land
Is Hillary Clinton a positive role model for American women? Nearly six in ten Americans say yes, according to a poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal in November. The pollsters have asked this question six times since 1992 and the results have varied considerably. In 1992, immediately after Bill Clinton’s election, two-thirds described Hillary as a positive role model. Her low point came in June 2000, when only 44 percent described her that way.
In a separate question in the November poll, 26 percent of respondents said that they were enthusiastic about the prospect of Hillary Clinton becoming the first woman president. Twenty percent said they were comfortable with it, 8 percent had some reservations, 18 percent were uncomfortable, and 27 percent said it made no difference to them.
Source: NBC News/Wall Street Journal, November 2007.
A Healthy America
Large majorities of Americans say that they are healthy, especially when it comes to their mental faculties. In a Gallup poll conducted last month, 87 percent of respondents described their mental health as “excellent” or “good,” compared to 81 percent who described their physical health that way. On average, respondents told Gallup that they had experienced four days in the past month in which their physical health was not good—but only on 2.9 days did poor health keep them from doing their usual activities. Source: The Gallup Organization, November 2007.
Winter Warming?
Although winter won’t start officially until December 22, temperatures have already dropped in many areas of the country. What are Americans expecting the season to bring? According to a recent Harris Interactive poll, a plurality (39 percent) of Americans expect temperatures to be about the same as normal. Twenty-seven percent think temperatures will be warmer than normal, the same percentage that think they will be cooler than normal. Among the 54 percent of Americans expecting a temperature change, 33 percent say that they “definitely” believe global warming is the cause, 36 percent think that global warming may be the cause, and 20 percent that global warming is not to blame. Source: Online survey conducted by Harris Interactive, November 2007.
Military Honors
In a new Institute of Politics survey, young people ages 18-24 were asked about how much they trusted various institutions and individuals. The military far outranked most other institutions (as it did when the question was asked in 2006), with the Supreme Court a close second. Politicians didn’t fare as well and the media did especially poorly. Within the general population, the military is also held in high esteem.
Source: Institute of Politics, Harvard University, October-November 2007.
The Confidence Gap
According to the University of Michigan, consumer confidence has fallen markedly this year, especially among America’s lowest income groups. Michigan’s Sentiment Index, widely considered to be a reliable barometer, now stands at 76.1, down significantly from 92.1 a year ago. Among consumers with incomes in the bottom third of the distribution, 60 percent said that their finances had worsened, compared to 22 percent of consumers in the top third who said the same thing. Consumers with incomes in the bottom third of the distribution said high gasoline and food prices had contributed to their negative outlook. Source: University of Michigan survey of consumers, November 2007.
