I don't blame them a bit. This Hill poll is depressing reading but when you consider the possibilities and the trends, it's hard to come to any other conclusion:

More than two-thirds of voters say the United States is declining, and a clear majority think the next generation will be worse off than this one, according to the results of a new poll commissioned by The Hill.

A resounding 69 percent of respondents said the country is "in decline," the survey found, while 57 percent predict today's kids won't live better lives than their parents. Additionally, 83 percent of voters indicated they're either very or somewhat worried about the future of the nation, with 49 percent saying they're "very worried."

The results suggest that Americans don't view the country's current economic and political troubles as temporary, but instead see them continuing for many years.

The pessimism is consistent with numerous public opinion polls revealing a sweeping lack of faith in Congress to address the nation's problems - a souring trend that's only become more pronounced since the economy slipped into recession three years ago.

The degree of pessimism, however, varies sharply by race and party affiliation, The Hill Poll found. Republicans, for instance, have less hope for the country's future, with 90 percent saying the United States is declining and 66 percent predicting today's kids will be worse off than their parents. By contrast, fewer than half of Democratic respondents indicated the country is in decline (47 percent) or fear for the next generation's living standards (45 percent).

Of course, liberal Democrats are just fine with redistributionist policies and don't see it as a setback for America at all. Other Democrats are in denial because their man is president.

What's important to remember is that the damage is still reversible. Consensus is forming around core Republican ideas including lowering spending, reducing the regulatory burden, and unleashing American capitalism in order to create the jobs missing today.

Implementing those ideas will probably see those poll numbers get a lot better.