More than two-thirds in new poll say economy is ‘bad’

A new poll shows 69 percent of Americans refer to the economy as “bad,” up from about 46 percent in the spring.

The CBS/YouGov survey, conducted May 18-20, also shows more than 60 percent of Americans agree that the state of the nation is “uneasy,” as well as “worrying” and “frustrating.”

Inflation hit a 40-year high in March and has remained near those levels. Meanwhile, gas prices continue to climb across the country. The Biden administration has been slammed for the economic woes, expected to be a major issue in the November midterm elections.

Republicans have seized on inflation as a major talking point for their campaigns, which they expect will benefit them come Election Day.

Democrats promise they are still the best party to fix rising prices while also mobilizing voters on other issues like abortion rights and addressing the rise of white supremacy, following a mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 people dead, a majority of them Black.

In the new poll, a slight majority, or 51 percent, of Americans agree with the label of “weak” for the Democratic Party, while 49 percent agreed with the description of Democrats as “extreme.” More than 30 percent of Americans said that Democrats are “in touch” and “effective.”

About 54 percent of Americans, meanwhile, said Republicans are “extreme,” according to the poll, while half of all Americans said the GOP is “hateful.”

Still, Republicans earn higher marks for being “strong,” with 46 percent of Americans agreeing with that wording for the GOP. About 41 percent said Republicans were “weak,” and 37 percent said they were “caring.”

The CBS-YouGov poll of more than 2,000 adult residents has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.