Poll: Most Americans dissatisfied with way things are going

Only one-third of Americans polled are very or somewhat satisfied with the way things are going in the country, but the majority of voters are optimistic heading into 2018, according to a Quinnipiac Poll released Wednesday.

Two-thirds of respondents are either somewhat or very dissatisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., according to the poll, which was conducted from Dec. 13-18. 

A recent CNN poll showed President Trump with his lowest approval rating to date, with only 35 percent of polled voters giving him positive marks. {mosads}

However, 58 percent of respondents in the Quinnipiac poll said 2018 will be better than 2017 for them personally. Only 38 percent of Democrats share that view, the only subgroup with a pessimistic outlook.

As the holidays begin, 76 percent of Americans polled said the call for people to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” is “made up for political purposes,” the poll found.

President Trump has frequently suggested, both on the campaign trail and since taking office, that Americans don’t say “Merry Christmas” anymore because of political correctness. He has vowed to bring the term back.

The Quinnipiac poll has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.