Polls find Americans surprisingly upbeat on their finances

FPI / June 18, 2020

A new Gallup poll shows that Americans are "more optimistic about the direction of their finances."

The poll shows that American optimism in personal finances is just three points shy of the all-time record and significantly higher than it was under President Barack Obama.

Gallup's survey was done before the recent jobs report showing a growth spurt.

“Americans may feel the worst is over,” said Gallup.

The poll found:

• Fifty-three percent call their personal finances "excellent" or "good," compared with 49 percent in April.
• The Gallup high was 56 percent last year. Under Obama, it never hit higher than 48 percent.
• By 41 percent to 37 percent, people said their situations were getting better rather than worse.
• Sixty-one percent of Republicans said their finances are getting better, up from 47 percent in May.
• Twenty-seven percent of Democrats said their financial situation is improving, compared with 28 percent who said the same in April.

"In the face of a wave of media reports that people are unhappy with their lives and see the nation failing amid the coronavirus crisis and Black Lives Matter movement, there is a new survey that is giving the White House confidence that a strong economic message can help President Trump’s re-election bid," Washington Exmainer columnist Paul Bedard noted on June 17.

"The survey should give a boost to the administration’s effort to continue urging states to open up after the coronavirus shutdown and the Trump-Pence campaign’s bid to brag on the economy as it battles the Biden campaign," Bedard wrote.

In another new poll, this one by Yahoo/YouGov, Republicans rated Trump as the fourth “greatest” president ever, on par with Ronald Reagan and just behind Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

Trump ranks seventh with all adults polled in the survey, ahead of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Lincoln, who ended the Civil War and freed slaves, is considered the greatest of all presidents. Some 48 percent said he was great, and another 27 percent called him “near great.”

Among Republicans, 47 percent said Trump is great, and 25 percent said he is near great. Just 3 percent of Democrats said Trump is great.

"The numbers show the depth of support among his base and parallel other polls showing the president with an approval rating over 90 percent among Republicans," Bedard noted.

Free Press International