Lesson for potential candidates: Americans are still as worried about the economy today as they were in 2008, looking for a positive economic agenda

Ryan Streeter

Americans are still overwhelmingly worried about the economy, according to Gallup's poll today.

When asked whether they worry about the following issues, nearly 3 out of 4 people said they worry "a great deal" about the economy.

Breaking it down by party, here are the percentages saying they worry a great deal about the economy:

• 76% - Republicans
• 72% - Independents
• 64% - Democrats

A majority of respondents in each party also worry about unemployment.

These levels of anxiety have remained stubbornly high since 2008. Upticks in the economy over the next year, unless they are dramatic, likely will not reverse this mood going into 2012.

Republicans, as might also be expected, also worry in large percentages about federal spending and the deficit, but so do two-thirds of Independents.

This doesn't bode well for Obama, but frankly, no Republican potential candidate for 2012 has laid out a compelling economic agenda either. These numbers suggest that continuing to hammer on spending will work well for a Republican candidate, but they also suggest that whoever has the stronger economic message will have a serious advantage.