Riding a rising tide of raw, unfocused anger
“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 75% of likely voters now say they are at least somewhat angry at the government’s current policies, up four points from late November and up nine points since September. The overall figures include 45% who are Very Angry, also a nine-point increase since September.
Just 19% now say they’re not very or not at all angry at the government’s policies, down eight points from the previous survey and down 11 from September. That 19% includes only eight percent (8%) who say they’re not angry at all and 11% who are not very angry…..
Male voters are definitely angrier than women. Voters earning $60,000 to $100,000 per year are more frustrated than those in any other income group.
Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Republicans are angry with the government’s current policies, which is perhaps not surprising with the White House and Congress both in Democratic hands. But 78% of voters not affiliated with either major party agree.
Sixty-one percent (61%) of Democrats share that anger, but Republicans are three times as likely as Democrats to be Very Angry.”
The thread below, I noticed, morphed pretty quickly into a Sarah Palin discussion. In the minds of many, Palin has become the mouthpiece of the raw, unfocused anger that Rasmussen describes. She’s certainly a perfect fit for the role. She’s an obvious Washington outsider — Wasilla is a 4,259-mile drive from the nation’s capitol, and you can’t get further away than that. And she doesn’t have to — and couldn’t if she tried — advocate policies that would ease the anger she stokes. She merely has to express that outrage, to share in it, and that’s sufficient to make her a hero in the eyes of some.
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527 comments Add your comment
thomas
February 8th, 2010
12:45 pm
its also apparently enough from her to get you to write something about her every other week.
Who is placing Sarah Palin as the mouthpiece of that anger? Besides liberals.
Which elected official, or nationally know columnist has called for this from palin?
Now how many journalist or politicians who consider themselves liberal have done the same?
Matilda
February 8th, 2010
12:46 pm
Indeed! It was the raw, unfocused anger of the mouth-frothing rightie Palin lovers in my neighborhood and their narrow definition of “real Americans” (and blaming ME for all their woes, even though I pay taxes, collect no welfare, and am ignored by every “representative” I have) that caused me to see the second ammendment light and arm myself. Who says an open mind is a bad thing?
joe matarotz
February 8th, 2010
12:48 pm
Jay, I think that if you spoke to people that you would find the anger transcends party lines. It does with me. I have written several scathing letters to our esteemed Senators, knowing even as I did that it wouldn’t change anything. But if enough people make noise, it does get their attention. I truly believe that every Senator and Congressman will say anything to get reelected. What a sad state of affairs this is.
Granny Godzilla
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
well, i am angry too.
mine is focused on the legislative branch.
and, imho, justified.
jewcowboy
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
“Who is placing Sarah Palin as the mouthpiece of that anger? Besides liberals.”
Judson Phillips? And, of course, Ms. Palin herself.
Mick
February 8th, 2010
12:56 pm
I’m angry too – I really would like to bag 100k for forty minutes worth of work. How’s that socialistic plot workin for ya?
jefferson
February 8th, 2010
1:01 pm
I see humor in the anger…
Joey
February 8th, 2010
1:01 pm
Bookmans Definitions:
Unfocused; being directly aimed at a Democrat lead Congress and a Democrat President.
Brad Steel
February 8th, 2010
1:01 pm
The stupid leading the angry.
I predict a riot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84qWb8i_Q_A&feature=channel
Jess
February 8th, 2010
1:02 pm
Don’t know how you managed to weave you favorite whipping boy into this but you did. I assure you the anger is not stirred up by Palin. We have watched this administration bankrupt our country, and saddle our children with a huge burden for years to come in order to pay for programs to secure their voter base, and as payback for support. The entire stimulus bill is a sham, and it takes about three seconds to see through the claims of jobs created or saved. All this in just one year. You think this may have something to do with it.
jewcowboy
February 8th, 2010
1:02 pm
“But 78% of voters not affiliated with either major party agree”
Perhaps the anger is derived from the fact that everyone in the Senate thinks they are 41st Senator, and decide to hold up all legislation until they wring out every concession they can extort from each other.
Last week it was Senator Chris Bond who held up the nomination of Martha Johnson to head the GSA, not because she was unqualified, but because he wanted a building project in his state green-lighted.
Next was Richard Shelby who shelved all remaining 70 nominations because he wanted to make sure tankers are built in his state.
It could just as easily be Ben Nelson or Joe Lieberman or any other member of the Senate…both parties in the Senate are doing their damnedest to make sure this country is brought to halt, while their selfish interests are addressed.
Granny Godzilla
February 8th, 2010
1:03 pm
thomas
“Who is placing Sarah Palin as the mouthpiece of that anger?”
She does.
“Which elected official, or nationally know columnist has called for this from palin?”
Erik erikson. michele bachman.
(of course “called for” is kinda’ weak)
Now how many journalist or politicians who consider themselves liberal have done the same?
called for Palin to be mouthpiece? none
recognized it…. uh, all of them
Outhouse GoKart
February 8th, 2010
1:03 pm
The Rasmussen poll left out one category…The extremely angry and/or those born angry aka Finn McCool, which would consist of < 1%.
Joey
February 8th, 2010
1:03 pm
Regarding being paid for speaking engagements, I think Palin should have followed the examples set by Clinton, Gore, Edwards…………..
Davo
February 8th, 2010
1:05 pm
The only part of Bookman’s screech that wasn’t lifted vebatum from another source is itself a gross exageration. The anger is very much in focus and very controlled. I have yet to see any tangible civil disobedience on the part of the anti-establishment front. The fact is that people of both parties are coming to realize what a cluster we’re in and have decided to turn away from the status quo.
Sarah Palin is still an oppurtunistic idiot, though. I will give him that much. Anyone that follows a quitter should know better.
Granny Godzilla
February 8th, 2010
1:06 pm
Joey
and W too….he finally got an offer in Canada….
Kamchak
February 8th, 2010
1:08 pm
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
I think it was clear from the start that the populist and anti-Beltway rage fueling these gatherings was being diverted (absurdly) into standard Republican dogma, by the same party that ran the country with virtually no restraints for the last decade. And a large faction of this movement from the beginning was driven by the same ugly nationalism, Christian fanaticism, and Limbaughian hatreds that have long shaped the American GOP Right. There’s a reason why the Bush-revering Fox News embraced it from the beginning. But whatever else is true — whatever authentic elements once existed here — it is now nothing more than a vehicle for rejuvenating the standard GOP, draped with even more neoconservative extremism and religious fervor than drove it for the last ten years. That’s why Sarah Palin is their most beloved leader.
Outhouse GoKart
February 8th, 2010
1:08 pm
I think democrats are angry…
1 Because they assisted in electing a loser.
2 Because their loser keeps losing.
3 Because they cant believe how badly they were duped by the loser.
4 Because the loser, for which they voted, will hand over the reigns of power.
5 Because they have yet to receive their loser check.
6 Because the loser, like themselves, has no clout.
Jenifer
February 8th, 2010
1:08 pm
“Palin has become the mouthpiece of the raw, unfocused anger that Rasmussen describes.”
RUN, SARAH, RUN!
pat
February 8th, 2010
1:09 pm
The anger is not unfocused…It’s multi faceted, but not unfocused. You see, democrats are trying to screw up multiple things simutltatneously, so we have to be angry at all those things…
For instance, terrorism…Call it what it is, first and deal with it properly. How’d that letter to Iran work out, hmmm…not good. That sucks.
Economy…where to start with this one?! Keynes was an idiot. His philosophies never worked in reality even though they sounded good on paper. See filling in the gaps with government money isn’t a bad idea all together, but where you get it and how you spend it, and how much you spend makes all the difference in the world. He failed tobe specific leaving a-holes to interpret it for their own selfish gain.
Health care…needs to be fixed, but not taken over by the government. The policies and practices by this administration has paralyzed much needed reform. Thanks, now we will have to wait longer to get health care fixed.
Environment…Nobody wants to breath dirty air or live in a dirty place, but curtailing my freedoms, trying to ruin what’s left of industry in this country for the myth that we can make the Earth cooler by doing so, where all we really are doing is moving the pollution to 3rd world countries where we can see it. It’s a feel good move that means and does nothing.
I could go on….
The liberals here are just going to whine about Palin. So go for it, whine about Palin and call her names; I don’t care for her much either. While your doing that we’ll worry about the issues and hopefully get them fixed someday.
You see, we know exactly why we’re mad and we know exactly how to fix it…The problem is getting the momo’s in Washington to do the correct things.
Granny Godzilla
February 8th, 2010
1:09 pm
better a mouth piece than a cod piece….just sayin’
Outhouse GoKart
February 8th, 2010
1:11 pm
While the dummycrats focus on Ms Palin, the Reps will focus on taking the majority of seats in the 2010 elections then its on to the Whitehouse.
Granny Godzilla
February 8th, 2010
1:11 pm
“we know exactly how to fix it”
bull feathers
yep, just like John McCain knew how to find OBL
Joey
February 8th, 2010
1:12 pm
Granny Godzilla;
W1, W2, Cheney, Kerry, Carter,…………
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
February 8th, 2010
1:14 pm
Well, us Tea Party people are very angry because we’re good and mad.
But if we can elect enough Conservatives to Congress this year, our anger will go away. The problems in our country will still be the same, but we won’t be angry anymore.
We’re just sick of being out here in the wilderness just because we lost a lousy election or two. The voters just don’t understand us good enough. We just don’t like how things are being run. But if we get to run them, then to heck with the problems. We’ll be back in charge and that’s all that counts.
People will still be out of jobs. The economy will still be lousy. People in the world will still hate us. But that will all be OK because we’ll have the reins again.
Have a good day everybody.
Whacks Eloquent
February 8th, 2010
1:14 pm
“called for Palin to be mouthpiece?”
who would y’all rather it be? liberals should like her because they can lambast her, justified or not. conservatives should like her because she does acknowledge issues that have been bugging them, even if she does not have full solutions. Let her be the mouthpiece for the anger, and let somebody competent rise up and set a calmer tone for the elections. I am pretty sure Sarah knows her electability factor is lower now…but as a spokesperson, she works. And she is a lot prettier than Pat Buchanan!
Mick
February 8th, 2010
1:16 pm
I think Repubs are angry losers:
1. they lost to a mixed race candidate
2. defend millionares from paying higher taxes
3. have no realistic programs other than oppose
4. destroy public services
5. Think privitization is the answer
6. want more tax cuts, tax cuts the answer for every issue
jewcowboy
February 8th, 2010
1:17 pm
pat,
“You see, we know exactly why we’re mad and we know exactly how to fix it…The problem is getting the momo’s in Washington to do the correct things.”
Then why didn’t they do it 8 years ago?
jewcowboy
February 8th, 2010
1:19 pm
“And she is a lot prettier than Pat Buchanan”
Darn tootin!
Mick
February 8th, 2010
1:19 pm
I forgot:
7. afraid that the big bad terrorists are gonna get you
Jenifer
February 8th, 2010
1:21 pm
Funny how from Jan. 2001 to Jan. 2009 republicants never made an attempt to fix health care. Gee, that was 8 LONG years there. Now they claim to be all about it. Hmmmm……
jefferson
February 8th, 2010
1:21 pm
Palin should learn some new cheers…since she’s trying out for varsity.
Peadawg
February 8th, 2010
1:22 pm
IMO, everyone who voted for Obama should be angry w/ him right now. Economy still sucks, deficit still rising, troops still in Iraq. Where’s the “change” he promised?
Ragnar Danneskjöld
February 8th, 2010
1:22 pm
By any measure, we can all agree that Obama has brought us all together. Against the dems and their misguided policies, but together.
The Seeker
February 8th, 2010
1:24 pm
Unfoucused anger? I don’t think so. I would speculate most of those polled know exactly where their anger is focused. As for Palin, as long as she’s nothing more than a mouthpiece, fine. As a conservative voter I would not however support her as the GOP candidate.
Joey
February 8th, 2010
1:25 pm
It is good to see that Progressive/Democrat pundits remain convinced that the genuine concerns being voiced by a large chunk of the voting public is nothing more than a tantrum. As Jay describes it “raw, unfocused anger”.
Jay, please, do not stop delivering that message.
Outhouse GoKart
February 8th, 2010
1:25 pm
Sorry girls…cry all ya want but come 2012 your boy is goin down and there will still be no fix to HCare…AHH HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAAAAA!
Jenifer
February 8th, 2010
1:26 pm
Bachmann’s Plan: To Deal With Debt, We Must ‘Wean Everybody’ Off Social Security, Medicare
I support the republicants 100% in attempting to end Social Security and Medicare. In fact, I think Sarah Palin should make this a priority in her 2012 run.
RUN, SARAH, RUN!
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/08/bachmann-remove-socialsecurity/
Mick
February 8th, 2010
1:26 pm
Ragnar
Come together, right now, over me…
Granny Godzilla
February 8th, 2010
1:26 pm
we need to print this out, roll it up like a newpaper
and swat the noses of all the sad puppies who just don’t get it
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2010/02/house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-compares-job-losses-under-presidents-obama-and-bush.php?page=1
Outhouse GoKart
February 8th, 2010
1:27 pm
oh…I almost forgot…NOV 2010 will be here quite quickly. Keep shoveling Obama!! YOU GO GIRL!!
TaxPayer
February 8th, 2010
1:30 pm
China’s sovereign wealth fund quietly snapped up more than $9 billion worth of shares last year in some of the biggest American corporations, including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Citigroup.
Although most of the stakes were small, China Investment Corp., the government’s $300 billion investment fund, now owns stock in some of the best-known American brands, including Apple, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Motorola and Visa.
They don’t want to alarm the masses so they buy a little here, a little there. I’ve heard that those exercises that folks in Chinese and Japanese and Korean and Vietnamese owned companies like to do are actually pretty good for you. I wonder when Cokes will start be labeled with more than one language or maybe their future owners just require us to learn their language and keep all the labels in Chinese.
Mick
February 8th, 2010
1:30 pm
**cry all ya want but come 2012 your boy is goin down**
Outhouse Nostradumas horse cart
Peadawg
February 8th, 2010
1:30 pm
Ok, Granny. Not as many people are LOSING their jobs, but how does that explain the unemployment rate still over 10%?
Peadawg
February 8th, 2010
1:32 pm
Granny, the job loses don’t happen as often, but what about the people that have been jobless for months now? How’s Obama doing in the “creating jobs” department, not the “preventing job loss” department?
Jenifer
February 8th, 2010
1:34 pm
GG, 1:26,
This, or something like it, will be posted soon:
Nancy Pelosi tells lies, lies, nothing but lies.
md
February 8th, 2010
1:35 pm
And the anger is about to compound exponentially:
“A report from the Congressional Budget Office shows that for the first time in 25 years, Social Security is taking in less in taxes than it is spending on benefits.”
Wasn’t supposed to be in trouble for several more years – wrong again.
Must be time to raise that debt ceiling again and again and again……….USSR here we come.
@@
February 8th, 2010
1:37 pm
The American people are tired of being outsiders in their own house. The elitist dems have been slow to realize that fact. All indications are they still don’t.
The dems have controlled the spending in THAT house for the last three years. They’re about to get a well-earned lesson in PAYBACK as THEY go.
I have never seen a political party blow an opportunity in such short order.
Outhouse GoKart
February 8th, 2010
1:37 pm
Publish all the reports, charts, graphs etc. Unemployment remains at 9.7%.
Dont worry…Obamas got this.
jewcowboy
February 8th, 2010
1:38 pm
“I’ve said this before, but I’m a big believer not just in the value of a loyal opposition, but in its necessity. Having differences of opinion, having a real debate about matters of domestic policy and national security; that’s not something that’s only good for our country, it’s absolutely essential.
It’s only through the process of disagreement and debate that bad ideas get tossed out and good ideas get refined and made better. And that kind of vigorous back-and-forth, that imperfect, but well-founded process, messy as it often is, is at the heart of our democracy. It’s what makes us the greatest nation in the world.
So, yes, I want you to challenge my ideas. And I guarantee you that, after reading this, I may challenge a few of yours.
(LAUGHTER)
I want you to stand up for your beliefs. And knowing this caucus, I have no doubt that you will. I want us to have a constructive debate.
The only thing I don’t want — and here I am listening to the American people, and I think they don’t want either — is for Washington to continue being so Washington-like. I know folks when we’re in — in town there, spend a lot of time reading the polls and looking at focus groups and interpreting which party has the upper hand in November and in 2012 and so on and so on and so on. That’s their obsession.
And I’m not a pundit; I’m just a president. So take it for what it’s worth.
But I don’t believe that the American people want us to focus on our job security. They want us to focus on their job security.
(APPLAUSE)
I don’t think they want more gridlock. I don’t think they want more partisanship. I don’t think they want more obstruction. They didn’t send us to Washington to fight each other in some sort of political steel cage match to see who comes out alive. That’s not what they want.
They sent us to Washington to work together, to get things done, and to solve the problems that they’re grappling with every single day.” ~ President Obama before House Republicans
Perhaps if the Democrats and the Republicans took this to heart…we actually might get some things done. Members of both parties, despite the rhetoric, have more common goals than differences. Both have good ideas and have something to contribute, but until both parties stop constantly campaigning for their seat and actually sit down and work…this country will go the way of the Ottoman’s.