Is Mitt Romney right about the country’s economic pessimism?

Mitt Romney cast the American public in a pessimistic mood in his acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention on Thursday night. …

Several recent public opinion polls support the basis of Romney’s claim; less than half of the public is currently optimistic about the economic security of future generations. But this lack of optimism is not something new. [cont.]

Peyton Craighill, Washington Post