Gerald Seib writes that
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Americans arent simply in the midst of hard times. They are in the midst of one of the most volatile political environments since World War II.The immediate cause of this volatility is clear enough to see. Just a few months ago, there was a chance that an improving economy and progress in the war in Afghanistan might calm national nerves and return the political world to a more normal setting before Novembers midterm elections.
Instead, trend lines in both the economy and Afghanistan now seem to be heading in the wrong direction, and that is producing a public attitude hovering somewhere between anxiety and apprehension. If hope was the watchword for the 2008 campaign, fear may be more apt for 2010.
An accompanying video elaborates on the story: