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The New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Some interesting numbers in the latest NYT/CBS poll (.pdf):

Fifty-one percent of respondents said they did not think Social Security would have the money to pay the benefits they expect when they retire; 70 percent of those under 45 felt that way.

Although critics assert brashly that Bush's push for Social Security reform is dead, take a gander at some of the positive trends in the fundamental questions on reform since January:

The most recent June survey included 3% less Republicans than the January survey.

January:
REPUBLICAN - 31
DEMOCRAT - 34
INDEPENDENT - 28
DK/NA - 8

June:
REPUBLICAN - 28
DEMOCRAT - 34
INDEPENDENT - 31
DK/NA - 6

Even with asking 6% more Democrats than Republicans, the fundamental impetus for reform moved in the right direction from January to June.

And speaking of impetus for reform, it's hard to defend a program increasing numbers of Americans are not so sure about:

In terms of when Social Security should be fixed, a deep and broad majority want reform now:

Only 4% say the problems with Social Security are not serious. That's practically low enough to be attributable to survey error of one sort or another.

And, finally, some good signs on the economy. The actual economy has been steaming ahead for some time now, but there has been a long-lingering perception gap. Could that lagging gap be closing? Are Americans (who have been saying their personal finances are great for quite some time) finally realizing the U.S. economy is not completely awful?

Clearly these kinds of numbers have been higher in other surveys (during the roaring dot com boom, for example), but these are the highest numbers since President Bush took office, with room yet to grow.

Jobs, Jobs Jobs-

Two years of strong job growth is finally showing up in the public consciousness:

If these positive trends keep up, 2006 will easily break precedent with America's "6-year-itch" trend in which the party of second-term presidents lose seats in Congress.

Posted by Will Franklin · 20 June 2005 06:08 PM

Comments

Posted by: Zsa Zsa at June 20, 2005 06:54 PM