To listen to the way some Republicans tell it, America is a pretty awful place these days. …
Appeals to voters’ insecurities and anxieties have always been part of politics. But what is striking about the current dynamic inside the Republican Party is how pervasive the sense has become that the country is slipping, and maybe irretrievably so. …
The mood of the country is certainly grim. About two-thirds of Americans believe the country is adrift, according to recent public opinion surveys from a variety of news organizations and independent firms. CONT.
Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times
Recent polls: Direction of the country