72 pct: RI going in wrong direction

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Part two of a two-part series

Seven in ten Rhode Islanders feel the state is moving in the wrong direction, according to a poll conducted for Eyewitness News.

Fleming & Associates conducted the poll by telephone of 401 Rhode Island registered voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

One question was, "Generally speaking, do you feel things in the state of Rhode Island are moving in the right direction or do you feel that things have moved in the wrong direction?"

Of the respondents, 71.6 percent said the state is moving in the wrong direction, 11.5 percent said they feel the state is moving in the right direction and 12.0 percent said the state is moving in the same direction as always. The remaining 5 percent were unsure.

Those who identify with the Republican Party or Tea Party were especially unhappy with the direction of the state: 77.9 percent of those identifying with the Republican Party said the state was moving in the wrong direction, and 77.0 percent of those identifying with Tea Party said that. Of those that identify with the Democratic Party, 69.0 percent feel the state is moving in the wrong direction.

"I think people are worried right now," said Gov. Don Carcieri. "They're worried about the national scene. They're worried about the international scene. And what they don't see is government being responsive the way they're having to and I fully understand that."

Eyewitness News political analyst Joe Fleming said he saw an obvious trend when he crunched the numbers.

"I think the voters in Rhode Island are very angry. They're so angry," Fleming said. "I haven't seen them like this in a long, long time."

The poll also asked respondents which political party they feel best shares their values. 41.9 percent said they identify with the Democratic Party, 17.0 percent with the Republican Party, and 18.5 percent with the Tea Party movement. A full 22.7 percent were not sure.

Fleming said he sees frustration and anger in those numbers.

"The question is, where are they going to take that anger out come November?" he said. "At the federal level, at the state level or the local level? We don't know that now. It could be every level. I think there are a lot of politicians in Rhode Island that are very nervous today about what will happen come September (Rhode Island's primaries) and November."

The full survey results are on a special section of WPRI.com, including several more questions whose responses were released Monday.