Worry, Blame, Anger — and a Little Optimismgraphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/weekinreview/...Oct...
1
Worry, Blame, Anger — and a Little Optimism In the spectrum of voter emotion, anger has gotten the most press this election cycle. And there is plenty to go around, with low opinions of politicians past (the second President Bush) and present (just about everyone, including President Obama). But the country is by no means of a uniform mood, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released last week. Dividing the electorate by political philosophy, age, income, gender, race and education yields at least one positive for the president: Many of these groups, unhappy as they may be, nonethless express optimism about the second half of his term. Herewith, the poll’s findings on the contours of the national mood. BILL MARSH MARJORIE CONNELLY AND BILL MARSH/ THE NEW YORK TIMES DREW ANGERER/THE NEW YORK TIMES TIM SLOAN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES ANDREW SPEAR FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES MONICA ALMEIDA/THE NEW YORK TIMES On the President On the Government On Fear On Blame Stoking the Anger: TV Ads 71% 63 63 60 57 57 57 56 56 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 48 46 33 10 Conservative White Over age 64 College grad Age 45-64 $30,000-50,000 No college education $75,000-100,000 Male $50,000-75,000 Female Age 18-29 More than $100,000 Some college Age 30-44 Moderate Post grad Under $30,000 Liberal Black Black Liberal Moderate Age 18-29 Age 30-44 Under $30,000 Post grad Some college Female More than $100,000 College grad $75,000-100,000 Male $30,000-50,000 $50,000-75,000 No college White Age 45-64 Over age 64 Conservative 89% 75 67 65 65 63 63 59 57 56 56 56 55 55 53 53 50 49 43 39 Are disappointed with the Obama presidency so far: Are optimistic about the next two years of the Obama presidency: 70% 64 64 60 60 60 59 59 58 58 57 55 55 55 54 54 51 47 43 $75,000-100,000 Some college Conservative Male White No college $50,000-75,000 Under $30,000 Age 30-44 Female Moderate $30,000-50,000 Age 45-64 College grad More than $100,000 Over age 64 Liberal Post grad Black Age 18-29 74% 72 72 72 71 71 71 70 68 67 67 66 65 64 64 63 62 62 61 58 Conservative White Female Some college Over age 64 Age 45-64 $50,000-75,000 $75,000-100,000 College grad Moderate Age 18-29 Post grad More than $100,000 No college Less than $30,000 $30,000-50,000 Male Liberal Age 30-44 Black Say it is time to replace one’s own representative in Congress*: Say they trust the gov’t to do the right thing only some of the time: 77% 69 67 66 66 66 66 62 62 61 61 60 59 57 56 55 53 47 39 19 Conservative White Age 45-64 Over age 64 $75,000-100,000 Under $30,000 No college College grad More than $100,000 Female Male Some college $30,000-50,000 Moderate Age 18-29 Age 30-44 $50,000-75,000 Post grad Liberal Black 50% 45 43 41 41 40 39 37 36 36 33 33 33 31 31 29 23 22 22 20 Under $30,000 No college $30,000-50,000 Age 45-64 Conservative Black Female Age 18-29 Some college White $50,000-75,000 Male Over age 64 Age 30-44 Moderate Liberal Post grad College grad $75,000-100,000 More than $100,000 Say things in the U.S. are on the wrong track: 62% 39 37 35 32 32 32 32 31 31 29 29 28 27 25 23 22 21 21 17 BUSH ADMINISTRATION WALL STREET/BANKS CONGRESS OBAMA ADMIN. 13% 23 20 15 17 21 24 21 25 28 20 21 28 24 29 20 25 18 32 32 6 5 15 10 12 15 10 11 12 11 14 14 10 16 16 15 15 22 22 19 % % 5 4 4 9 9 6 7 9 5 4 6 9 6 6 7 14 9 13 7 10 Black Liberal Age 18-29 Under $30,000 No college Post grad $50,000-75,000 Female Some college Moderate $30,000-50,000 Age 45-64 Age 30-44 Male More than $100,000 Over 64 White Conservative $75,000-100,000 College grad Who they think is mostly to blame for the current state of the nation’s economy: Pro-Republican ads Are very concerned someone in household will lose job in next year: 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% Insufficient data Attack 56% Promote 25% Contrast 19% '10 '08 (no 2006 data) '04 '02 '00 Pro-Democrat ads 10 20 30 40 50 60% OF ALL HOUSE AND SENATE ADS '10 '08 (no 2006 data) '04 '02 '00 Attack 50% Promote 29% Contrast 20% *Based on registered voters only. Poll data based on a nationwide New York Times/CBS News poll conducted by telephone Oct. 21-26 with 1,173 adults. Income is based on total family income in 2009. College grads are respondents with a four-year degree. Post grad are respondents with any education beyond four years of college. Sources: 2010 figures based on Wesleyan Media Project with data from Kantar Media/CMAG. 2000-2008 figures by Wisconsin Advertising Project with data from CMAG. Ads studied are for House and Senate by all sponsors (candidates, parties, groups, and coordinated). Politics on TV is getting more negative. A continuing study of political television advertising finds that in this election cycle, attack ads — those solely about a candidate’s opponent — increased to half or more of all commercials. The share of ads that promote a candidate has fallen steadily since 2002; those that contrast candidates (using only part of the ad to attack an opponent) are consistently the least numerous. Figures are for all ads that aired between Sept. 1 and Oct. 20 of each election cycle.
Transcript of Worry, Blame, Anger — and a Little Optimismgraphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/weekinreview/...Oct...
WK 3THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2010
Worry, Blame, Anger — and a Little OptimismIn the spectrum of voter emotion, anger has gotten the
most press this election cycle. And there is plenty to go around, with low opinions of politicians past (the second President Bush) and present ( just about everyone, including President Obama).
But the country is by no means of a uniform mood, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released last week. Dividing the electorate by political philosophy, age, income, gender, race and education yields at least one positive for the president:
Many of these groups, unhappy as they may be, nonethless express optimism about the second half of his term. Herewith, the poll’s findings on the contours of the national mood.
BILL MARSH
MARJORIE CONNELLY AND BILL MARSH/THE NEW YORK TIMES
DREW ANGERER/THE NEW YORK TIMES
TIM SLOAN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
ANDREW SPEAR FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
MONICA ALMEIDA/THE NEW YORK TIMES
On the President
On the Government
On Fear
On Blame
Stoking the Anger:TV Ads
71%63636057575756565353525150494848463310
Conservative
White
Over age 64
College grad
Age 45-64
$30,000-50,000
No college education
$75,000-100,000
Male
$50,000-75,000
Female
Age 18-29
More than $100,000
Some college
Age 30-44
Moderate
Post grad
Under $30,000
Liberal
Black
Black
Liberal
Moderate
Age 18-29
Age 30-44
Under $30,000
Post grad
Some college
Female
More than $100,000
College grad
$75,000-100,000
Male
$30,000-50,000
$50,000-75,000
No college
White
Age 45-64
Over age 64
Conservative
89%75676565636359575656565555535350494339
Are disappointed with the Obama presidency so far: Are optimistic about the next two years of the Obama presidency:
70%646460606059595858575555555454514743
$75,000-100,000
Some college
Conservative
Male
White
No college
$50,000-75,000
Under $30,000
Age 30-44
Female
Moderate
$30,000-50,000
Age 45-64
College grad
More than $100,000
Over age 64
Liberal
Post grad
Black
Age 18-29
74%72727271717170686767666564646362626158
Conservative
White
Female
Some college
Over age 64
Age 45-64
$50,000-75,000
$75,000-100,000
College grad
Moderate
Age 18-29
Post grad
More than $100,000
No college
Less than $30,000
$30,000-50,000
Male
Liberal
Age 30-44
Black
Say it is time to replace one’s own representative in Congress*: Say they trust the gov’t to do the right thing only some of the time:
77%69676666666662626161605957565553473919
Conservative
White
Age 45-64
Over age 64
$75,000-100,000
Under $30,000
No college
College grad
More than $100,000
Female
Male
Some college
$30,000-50,000
Moderate
Age 18-29
Age 30-44
$50,000-75,000
Post grad
Liberal
Black
50%45434141403937363633333331312923222220
Under $30,000
No college
$30,000-50,000
Age 45-64
Conservative
Black
Female
Age 18-29
Some college
White
$50,000-75,000
Male
Over age 64
Age 30-44
Moderate
Liberal
Post grad
College grad
$75,000-100,000
More than $100,000
Say things in the U.S. are on the wrong track:
62%39373532
3232323131
2929282725
2322212117
BUSH ADMINISTRATION WALL STREET/BANKS CONGRESS OBAMA ADMIN.
13%23201517
2124212528
2021282429
2025183232
65
151012
1510111211
1414101616
1515222219
% %54499
67954
69667
149
137
10
Black
Liberal
Age 18-29
Under $30,000
No college
Post grad
$50,000-75,000
Female
Some college
Moderate
$30,000-50,000
Age 45-64
Age 30-44
Male
More than $100,000
Over 64
White
Conservative
$75,000-100,000
College grad
Who they think is mostly to blame for the current state of the nation’s economy:
Pro-Republican ads
Are very concerned someone in household will lose job in next year:
50% 50%
50%
50%
50%
50%
Insufficient data
Attack56%
Promote
25%
Contrast
19%
'10'08(no 2006data)
'04'02'00
Pro-Democrat ads10
20
30
40
50
60% OF ALL HOUSE AND SENATE ADS
'10'08(no 2006data)
'04'02'00
Attack50%
Promote
29%
Contrast
20%
*Based on registered voters only. Poll data based on a nationwide New York Times/CBS News poll conducted by telephone Oct. 21-26 with 1,173 adults. Income is
based on total family income in 2009. College grads are respondents with a four-year degree. Post grad are respondents with any education beyond four years of college.
Sources: 2010 figures based on Wesleyan Media Project with data from Kantar Media/CMAG. 2000-2008 figures by Wisconsin Advertising Project with data from CMAG. Ads studied are for House and Senate by all sponsors (candidates, parties, groups, and coordinated).
Politics on TV is getting more
negative. A continuing study of
political television advertising
finds that in this election cycle,
attack ads — those solely about
a candidate’s opponent —
increased to half or more of all
commercials. The share of ads
that promote a candidate has
fallen steadily since 2002; those
that contrast candidates (using
only part of the ad to attack an
opponent) are consistently the
least numerous. Figures are for
all ads that aired between Sept.
1 and Oct. 20 of each election
cycle.
C M Y K NYxx,2010-10-31,WK,003,Bs-4C,E1
