Staff ReportsAs Americans prepare to ring in the new year, optimism is creeping back into the hearts of many, particularly Republicans who’ve been waiting for this moment. The impending return of Donald Trump to the political stage has the GOP buzzing with excitement and a sense of relief as they hope to close the door on the Biden-Harris era—an administration not exactly known for its stellar track record.
Diving into the statistics, it turns out last year was a tough one for many. A YouGov survey revealed that 30 percent of Americans considered 2022 a terrible year, with another 26 percent deeming it bad—an impressive 56 percent of the population moping around with sour dispositions. Fast forward to now, and the mood has lightened, with only 22 percent labeling the past year as terrible and 27 percent marking it as bad. Republicans, in particular, have shed their pessimistic shades; just a year ago, 44 percent of them marked the past year as terrible, but that number has plummeted to a mere 26 percent. It seems that hope springs eternal when Trump is in the picture.
Ready to ring the bell on the New York Stock Exchange.
President Trump will lead a great American comeback! pic.twitter.com/uH235bxRlD— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 12, 2024
Looking ahead, the survey forecasts a promising 2024. Eighteen percent of Americans now believe the coming year will be great for the country, up from just eight percent last year. This optimism is palpable among Republicans, where an impressive 70 percent now expect a year filled with good tidings. Last year, only a dismal seven percent thought anything great was on the horizon—such a turnaround would have bankers sweating if it weren’t so clearly a political resurrection narrative.
In stark contrast, Democrats aren’t quite ready to pop the champagne for next year. Only nine percent predict a great 2024, a sad drop from 13 percent a year ago. To add salt to their wounds, a staggering 37 percent now expect the next year to be a disaster—no doubt feeling as though they’ve been stuck in a never-ending episode of “America’s Got Bad News.” While Republican expectations are soaring, the Democrats are left fiddling with their thumbs and wondering where it all went wrong.
This isn’t just a short-term phenomenon either; long-term expectations show a similar trend. A notable 44 percent of Americans believe the next decade will be better for them personally, a jump from 38 percent a year ago. It’s notable that Republican optimism has surged significantly, with over half of them believing their next ten years will be better. Meanwhile, the Democrats are still trying to figure out if they can even win a bingo game for the next decade, with their expectations for personal betterment dipping. It looks less like a party and more like a pity party on their side of the aisle.
Even if the state of the nation remains somewhat precarious, many Americans have revealed through various polls that they anticipate Trump will work his economic wonders once again. The Gallup data indicates that 58 percent of people believe he can revive the economy. While there may be some skepticism about whether grocery prices will drop, it seems a cautious but hopeful attitude is replacing the all-out despair that’s plagued the last few years. All in all, Americans appear ready to move forward with a collective grin, revealing a sense of hope that hadn’t been felt during the dark days of the past administration.
