A Very Cynical Age

First Read: “It’s hard to ignore that we’re living in a much more cynical age right now, when the country is disgusted with American politics and its institutions. Just check out these other numbers from our most recent NBC/WSJ poll: Just 19% say they have a lot of confidence in the national news media; 16% say the same about the federal government; and only 13% say that about the financial industry. This is a country that still feels burned by the Iraq war, the 2008 financial collapse, and the bitter partisan atmosphere in Washington.”

“Given these opinions, we have a feeling the eventual 2016 winner isn’t going to campaign on a message of ‘hope’ or ‘change’ as the current occupant of the White House did in ’08. Instead, the eventual winner is going to be the one who best deals with this more cynical environment and becomes credible in a time where most of the public doesn’t put too much stock into what any leader claims.”