Poll: Overwhelming optimism in 2012

By: Mackenzie Weinger
Politico.com
December 29, 2011 06:26 AM EST

It’s been an awful year, but the vast majority of Americans are optimistic about 2012, a new poll Thursday shows.

Overall, 62 percent of those surveyed say they’re optimistic about what 2012 will bring for the country, according to the Associated Press-GfK survey. And for themselves and their families, Americans are even more positive, with 78 percent telling pollsters they are personally hopeful about the year ahead.

And 79 percent of Americans who say things have seemed better in the past months in terms of the economy are optimistic about the country’s financial state in 2012, while half of those polled who say things are getting worse feel good about 2012.

Meanwhile, six in 10 of those who say they don’t trust either party to handle the economy say they are pessimistic about the country’s prospects in 2012, the poll found.

(More here.)