Optimism in Trump’s America

country. If the Journal numbers are correct, more Americans say they are hopeful and optimistic about the future than have said so in several years. And, at least specifically where the economy is concerned, many attribute their optimism to the presence of Trump in the Oval Office.

The Journal-NBC pollsters asked 1,000 adults, “When you think about the future of the country, would you say that you are mainly hopeful and optimistic or mainly worried and pessimistic?” Sixty percent said they feel hopeful and optimistic, while 40 percent said they feel worried and pessimistic. That hopeful number is higher than when the Journal last asked the question in December 2016 (when it was 56 percent), and in August 2016 (54 percent), and September 2005 (53 percent).

“This is a strong number being driven by very high numbers among Trump voters who express optimism across a number of measures on the poll, including higher economic confidence,” pollster Bill McInturff told me via email.

As McInturff said, Trump voters are the most optimistic. On the other hand, if 60 percent of Americans think something, the number includes a significant number of people who didn’t vote for Trump.

Looking inside the poll, men (66 percent) and more hopeful than women (54 percent). People earning between $30,000 and $50,000 (63 percent) and between $50,000 and $75,000 (64 percent) are more hopeful than those who make more than $75,000 (59 percent) and under $30,000 (55 percent). On the other hand, all age and income groups are over 50 percent on the hopeful scale.

Looking at other groups, 52 percent of Hispanics are hopeful, versus 47 percent worried -- that’s got to be a more positive number than many would have guessed. Among AfricanAmericans, though, just 36 percent are hopeful, versus 63 percent worried. Among whites, 65 percent are hopeful, versus 35 percent worried.

Looking at political identification, there’s no doubt Democrats are bummed -- 37 percent optimistic versus 63 percent pessimistic. Republicans are happy -- 87 percent optimistic to 12 percent pessimistic. And independents are leaning toward the positive side -- 56 percent optimistic to 41 percent pessimistic.

Getting to those Trump voters, 89 percent say they are hopeful, versus just 30 percent of Hillary Clinton voters. However, among the relatively small group of Americans who voted for some other candidate for president, 55 percent are hopeful. And among the much larger group of Americans who didn’t vote at all, 68 percent are hopeful. That’s a pretty big number.

There are other indicators in the Journal-NBC poll that suggest good feelings among Americans in the wake of Trump’s victory. The pollsters asked, “During the next twelve months, do you think that the nation’s economy will get better, get worse, or stay about the same?” Forty-one