Gallup Poll: Better Off This Year, but Not by Much

In an extremely close poll conducted by Gallup, Americans were asked about their opinion regarding their personal financial situation this year as compared with last;  are things better, worse, or the same?

38% of Americans described their financial situations as better than last year, jumping for the first time since 2008 over Americans who considered themselves worse off.  Considering the 4% points separating the two opinions, the finding is not abrupt, but signals questionably positive public opinion regarding the economy.

However, this sentiment splits down partisan lines.  62% of Democrats consider themselves better off this year, while only 16% of Republicans describe themselves similarly.  Conversely, 9% of Democrats find themselves worse off this year, while 55% of Republicans responded likewise.  Independents hover somewhere in the middle, with 40% sharing a worse off response and 34% self-describing as better off.  With opinions regarding present situations minimally optimistic, future predictions are quite high;  66% of respondents predict that next year will be better than this one, pulling in 57% of Republicans, 62% of Independents, and 80% of Democrats.

Most Americans Favor Quick Removal of U.S.Troops from Afghanistan

A recent public opinion poll suggests that Americans are increasingly pessimistic about developments in the Middle East.  This report released by Pew Research Center found that the majority of Americans (60%) believe that U.S. troops should leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible.  This number has significantly increased since May 2011, when only 48% of Americans supported quick troop pullout from Afghanistan.  According to the survey issued October 4-7, 2012, 73% of Democrats support quick troop pullout from Afghanistan.  The majority of Independents (58%) similarly support a quick troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.  However, Republicans remain divided, as 48% believe that U.S. troops should remain in Afghanistan until the country is stabilized. Overall, only 35% of Americans believe that U.S. troops should stay in Afghanistan until the country has stabilized.  The presidential candidates will likely respond to American’s growing pessimism about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan as they debate foreign policy tonight in the final presidential debate.