GRIM IN AMERICA – AT 8:41 A.M. ET:  Weren't we supposed to be in an economic recovery?  I read it somewhere.  Or some guy living in a big house on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington said it.  But Americans – you know, those people who cling to their guns and their religion – apparently don't think so:

Americans are more pessimistic about the nation’s economic outlook and overall direction than they have been at any time since President Obama’s first two months in office, when the country was still officially ensnared in the Great Recession, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Amid rising gas prices, stubborn unemployment and a cacophonous debate in Washington over the federal government’s ability to meet its future obligations, the poll presents stark evidence that the slow, if unsteady, gains in public confidence earlier this year that a recovery was under way are now all but gone.

Capturing what appears to be an abrupt change in attitude, the survey shows that the number of Americans who think the economy is getting worse has jumped 13 percentage points in just one month. Though there have been encouraging signs of renewed growth since last fall, many economists are having second thoughts, warning that the pace of expansion might not be fast enough to create significant numbers of new jobs.

The economy is dragging down ratings for both parties, and for President Obama, so Republicans can take no great comfort in this poll's result. 

Disapproval of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy has never been broader — at 57 percent of Americans — a warning sign as he begins to set his sights on re-election in 2012. And a similar percentage disapprove of how Mr. Obama is handling the federal budget deficit, though more disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are.

COMMENT:  One would think that the direction of public opinion points to the desirability of the GOP nominating a successful governor next year – someone who has kept his state afloat amidst the turmoil.  But none of those governors has yet to capture the national imagination. 

We're told that many potential Republican candidates are holding back, for fear of spending too much campaign cash too early.  That may be a wise tactical move, but it has permitted people like Donald Trump to capture a great deal of TV attention.

The president may win by default in 2012 unless the Republicans build their bench.

April 22, 2011