Article updated: 9/2/2012 8:02 AM

Decade of war, recession leaves voters glum

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Recent Ohio State University graduate Erik Santamaria sits on a campus library stairway in Columbus, Ohio. He's 30, between jobs, with $50,000 in student debt, and no clear sense what the future holds. But Erik Santamaria, Ohio-born son of Salvadorans, has a pretty awesome attitude about his country, his life and the world of possibilities. "Maybe things won't work out the way I want," he offers. "But, boy, I sure can't complain about how things have worked out so far."

Associated Press

Marie Holly sits outside her office in Columbus, Ohio. For many, these times are a slog. That ìshining city on a hillî from political mythology looks more like a huffing climb up a field filled with ticks. Public opinion researchers find handwringing at almost every turn, over a glum and nervous decade defined by terrorism, then war, then recession, then paltry recovery.

Associated Press

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For many, these times are a slog. That "shining city on a hill" from political mythology looks more like a huffing climb up a field filled with ticks. Public opinion researchers find handwringing at almost every turn, over a glum and nervous decade defined by terrorism, then war, then recession, then paltry recovery. Still, you aren't seeing pessimism in the season of the political conventions.

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