Strong majority feel U.S. on wrong track
WASHINGTON — A strong majority of New Mexicans feel that the United States is on the wrong track, according to a Journal poll.
The telephone poll of 501 likely New Mexico voters asked: “In general, do you feel that things in the country are headed in the right direction or do you feel things are off on the wrong track?”
Sixty-three percent of New Mexico respondents said the country is off-track while 27
percent said it was headed in the right direction. Eight percent of those responding said they had “mixed feelings” about the country’s direction or that “it depends.” Two percent said they didn’t know or wouldn’t say.
The results of the Journal Poll in New Mexico closely mirrored national polling averages on the same question.
A Real Clear Politics aggregation of six national polls found that 64.9 percent of Americans thought the country was on the wrong track, while 28.6 thought it was headed in the right direction.
“Responses to a question about whether the country is on the right track are often influenced by whether or not voters approve of the direction the president is taking the nation,” said Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the Journal poll.
The poll’s results show significant difference in responses based on the respondent’s party affiliation.
Among Republicans in the Journal poll, 89 percent said the country was on the wrong track, with just 5 percent saying it was headed in the right direction. Six percent of Republicans had mixed feelings.
Democrats were evenly split on their reaction to the poll, with 45 percent saying the country is headed in the right direction and 45 percent saying it is on the wrong track. Eight percent had mixed feelings or said it depends.
Fifty-seven percent of New Mexico Hispanics said the nation is off-track while 31 percent reported that it was headed in the right direction. Among Anglos in New Mexico, 68 percent said the country is off-track, while 24 percent said the country is moving in the right direction.
The poll, conducted by live interviewers, surveyed New Mexico voters by cellphone and land line and contained a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.