(PHOTO CREDIT: THINKSTOCK)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The incumbents are already running for the hills... fearing the wrath of the American voters.
Poll after poll shows how fed up the public is with Washington, with incumbents, with the direction the country is headed and on and on.
So The Washington Post decided to find out if "angry" is the best way to describe how voters feel headed into the midterm elections.
The answer is mixed.
On the one hand, pollsters say describing voters as "angry" is too narrow... because there's actually a whole range of other emotions mixed with the anger. Things like dissatisfaction, anxiety, frustration, pessimism, doubt, etc.
One Republican pollster says most voters are "anxious"... he believes the key voting bloc in November will be the 25% of voters who backed President Obama in 2008, say they will vote this fall - but don't plan to vote for a Democrat.
Other polling experts say describing voters as angry is "too broad."
Republicans are more enthusiastic about voting in the upcoming elections... probably because lots of them want to kick Democrats out of office.
We've also seen an unusual level of energy and excitement among the Tea Party branch of the GOP.
The midterm elections historically have low voter turnout, so any kind of passion is helpful... and this time around, it seems like the Republican party is getting ready to benefit from that passion.
Here’s my question to you: Is "angry" the best word to describe how you feel about the midterm elections?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Luke in Pittsburgh writes:
Jack, Angry? No. Curious is the word that strikes my fancy. I'm curious as to how many incumbents can survive the open season on their heads. Those who survive, whether Republican or Democrat, will certainly be admired for their tenacity.
Tom in Maine writes:
Jack, The motivated voters are the people losing their jobs, homes, and unemployment benefits. Do you think for a second they don't know Republicans killed their benefits? Voters see Republicans shedding tears for BP and not them. The Republican pollsters need ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for them.
Dave in New Hampshire writes:
Jack, I would say disgusted or sickened are better adjectives to describe what I'm feeling. When a U.S. senator has served since the '50s and has to die to be replaced (they will replace him, right?) something is very wrong with the way we run this country!
Carol writes:
I'm not angry, I'm determined! Determined to keep the right-wing conservatives from derailing progress that has already started the economic turn-around.
Mark in Boston writes:
Jack, No, a better phrase would be apathetically nonchalant. What difference does it make anyway? In the final analysis, we'll have to tell our creditors we can't pay them.
Myles writes:
Angry? I would describe it as bliss. Why would I be angry about the opportunity to throw these idiots out of office?
Sarah in Denver writes:
Yep, "angry" works. I'm way past all those other emotions, the ones that imply I'm somehow still willing to cut Washington some slack. I'm fresh out of slack.