Majority of Consumers Say Current Economy Is the Worst They've Ever Witnessed, Democrats Most Pessimistic

32% Say Obama Receives More Favorable Media Coverage Than Clinton

3 in 5 Americans (62.3%) think the economy is in the worst shape they've experienced in their lifetime, according to the May American Pulse Survey of 4,198 respondents. 77.1% of Democrats and younger people between 18-34 years old (65.8%) are most likely to echo this sentiment.

Do you think the current state of economy is in the worst shape you've ever experienced in your lifetime?

               All    18 -   35 -          Republi-             Indepen-
              Adults   34     54     55+    cans    Democrats    dents
Yes           62.3%   65.8%  63.2%  57.6%   50.3%     77.1%      61.9%
No            25.5%   15.8%  26.5%  34.2%   40.2%     14.8%      26.0%
I don't know  12.2%   18.4%  10.3%   8.2%    9.6%      8.1%      12.1%

Source: American Pulse, May 08

Less than six months out from the November election, most Americans (77.8%) are already tired of it and wish it was over. Regarding the media coverage they have heard to date, 31.5% feel the media favored Obama in their coverage during the primaries. Only 10.4% say the media favored Clinton.

Other key findings:

--  With the economy weighing on Americans' minds it may not only affect
    their vote in November, but also their campaign contributions in the
    interim. 36.5% say they will give less contributions to political
    candidates this year.

--  Regarding gas prices, 52.9% think the U.S. government should open the
    Alaskan Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for drilling... 71.6% of Republicans and
    46.4% of Democrats agree.

--  Americans are using all forms of media more frequently than in 2004
    getting information on the candidates for the Election, with television
    (62.9%) being the preferred medium followed by the Internet (45.9%) and
    newspaper (43.4%).
    

For complete lists, click here: http://americanpulse.bigresearch.com.

About American Pulse(TM)

The American Pulse(TM) Survey is collected online by BIGresearch every month exclusively utilizing Survey Sampling International's (SSI) U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. Over 4,000 respondents participate, providing greater insights into how Americans really feel about issues they currently face. http://www.bigresearch.com.

About Survey Sampling International (SSI)

Survey Sampling International is the premier global provider of sampling solutions. Founded in 1977, SSI offers access to consumer and business-to-business respondents via Internet, telephone, mobile and other means; survey programming and hosting; and sampling consultation. SSI is the supplier of choice for more than 1,800 companies, including 46 of the top 50 marketing research agencies. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, SSI maintains offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. http://www.surveysampling.com.