As the new year dawns, the American economy is in good shape. But the public is in a bad mood. That contradiction dominates our political life, and how voters untangle their feelings over the next 10 months could well decide the election in November.
The only real certainty is uncertainty. “Things are getting better and people think things are going to get worse — and that’s the most dangerous piece of this,” Democratic pollster Celinda Lake told the Associated Press. “Honestly, I’m kind of mystified by it.”
