Country Full of Fears Ahead of Midterm Elections

by Warner Todd Huston

Oct 31, 2014 1:15 AM PT

As President Obama's approval ratings continue to fall and scandals and troubles mount for the country, signs the electorate are fearful of what the futures brings are everywhere.

Signs of fear have appeared in stories across the media. CNN, for instance, recently noted that seven in ten voters are angry as they prepare for election day.

A poll taken last week found that respondents were "very angry" (30 percent) or "somewhat angry" (38 percent) about the way things are going in the country. Only 31 percent said they weren't angry.

The poll also found a ten-point gap in party enthusiasm with 36 percent of Republicans saying they were highly motivated to vote while only 26 percent of Democrats say the same.

In another report, Democrats were found to be very worried that minorities might not turn out for the Party by Election Day.

On top of that, the president has lost a lot of support among Americans as his approval rating sinks below the 50 percent margin. The latest Gallup poll shows Obama's approval at a low 42 percent. And while still being relatively popular with minorities, the president has lost ground with them as well.

Finally, a new poll by USA Today discovered that there are a whole raft of issues that have frightened the country. "Voters are rattled by the Ebola virus, braced for years of conflict against the terrorist group Islamic State and still worried about jobs," the paper noted on October 30.

"Two-thirds say the nation faces more challenging problems than usual; one in four call them the biggest problems of their lifetimes," the paper reports.

In its report, USA Today says that one in five are skeptical that either party can handle the growing Ebola crisis, but more seem to trust Republicans where it concerns ISIS and threats of terrorism.

Yet, "By double-digits, they say congressional Democrats would do a better job in handling income inequality and social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage."

Despite that, "the bottom line seems to be that the downbeat mood of the electorate is favoring the GOP, whose backers are more enthusiastic about voting and animated by their opposition to Obama."

The paper also found that a large portion of Obama's base seems poised to stay home on Election Day. Only 7 percent of young voters say they are motivated to vote.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston, or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.

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