New Poll: 1 in 5 Americans Trusts Washington

posted at 9:45 am on April 19, 2010 by Howard Portnoy
[ Polls ]   

The results of a new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center reveal that nearly 80% of Americans have no trust in the federal government to solve the country’s problems going forward. This represents one of the lowest ebbs in public confidence in government in 50 years.

An article by the Associated Press quotes Andrew Kohut, whose organization conducted the survey, as saying, “Trust in government rarely gets this low. Some of it’s backlash against Obama. But there are a lot of other things going on.”

To be sure, the poll might interpreted as a warning to “both benches” that Americans are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it any more. This is certainly the view embraced by Claire McCaskill (D) a senator from Missouri, who is quoted by the AP as saying, “This should be a wake-up call. Both sides are guilty.”

Yet, there is no denying that the party in power is currently seen as owning the lion’s share of the blame for the feelings of uncertainty and distrust of government. There is also no denying that this hostility seems likely to favor the Republicans as an election issue this fall.

Which makes doubling baffling Barack Obama’s recent remarks before a crowd of supporters, in which he claimed to “amused” by the actions of Tea Party members. To add further insult to injury, he added “I think they should be saying thank you.” Obama received an enthusiastic response from his audience, but this should come as cold comfort in light of today’s poll findings. It is not, after all, the 48% of Americans who rate his job performance as favorably that he has to worry about in terms of the fall midterms or his own reelection chances in 2012. It is, rather, the majority who disapprove that may turn out to be Obama’s worst nightmare. He has already defied the wishes of a vast majority of the American electorate by pushing his ill-advised health care reform agenda down through Congress via a process that many viewed as unethical and underhanded. Whether he can now afford to laugh in their faces, much less expect their gratitude, is hardly a point open to debate.

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