... is that the economy is doing badly enough to be a major cause for concern.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC national poll from last month (PDF) asked respondents what issues the Federal government should take as its highest priority to address. 34% cited the war in Iraq; but a cluster of economic issues collectively nearly matched Iraq, with health care being the first priority for 15%, economic growth taking 8%, energy costs accounting for 6%, and reducing the deficit leading the worries of 4%. That's 33% of respondents who cited economic issues as their #1 worry -- only 1% less than the war:
"You have to add them up," but 33 percent of Americans see an economic issue as the top priority, says Robert Schmuhl, professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. "Collectively, economic issues contribute to the generalized worry about the direction of the country."
Meanwhile, a just-released Democracy Corps poll of people aged 18-29 (PDF) shows that there is even more concern about the economy among the young. When asked what issues they thought the government should tackle first, 39% cited economic issues, compared to 19% who cited Iraq.
