Thfire.com Everyday news that matters 
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that roughly 3 out of 4 Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and nearly half fear that the “worst is yet to come.”
The poll appears to reflect a swirling set of worries and frustrations troubling the average American, including a plummeting stock market, high unemployment and a feeling that Washington cares more about playing politics than it does about voters’ pockets.
And such worries are mounting: 47% fear that the economic and political crisis hasn’t hit rock bottom yet, up 13 percentage points from a year ago when the question was last raised. The poll also found that President Obama’s approval rating fell to 45% from 49%.
Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said the results reflected displeasure with both political parties, adding that “you can’t say it’s a predictor of how Obama will fare” in 2012.
Other highlights from the poll suggest that all political parties are paying a penalty for their actions:
— A majority of those surveyed — 53% — had a negative view of the recent compromise agreement regarding national debt. That compared with 38% who held a positive view.
— President Obama was viewed negatively by 42% as a result of the compromise, while House Speaker John A. Boehner, the top U.S. Republican, was viewed negatively by 37%.
— Nearly 1 in 2 Americans, or 49%, held a negative view of Republicans after the deal, 42% held a negative view of the “tea party” movement and 40% had a negative view of Democrats.
The poll questioned 1,055 adults, including 885 registered voters, and reports a margin of error of 3 percentage points for all respondents and 3.1 percentage points for registered voters. Polling took place between Thursday and Monday.
via Latimes
