Pew and Bloomberg say we tend to blame the 1%
Many of those surveyed said that maintaining their standard of living has become a struggle, with 85 percent saying it is now harder to do so than a decade ago. Also, while 51 percent said in 2007 that their children would have a higher standard of living than them, only 43 percent think that will be the case now. 26 percent now think their children’s standard of living will be worse; four years ago, 19 percent did.
With the economy the central issue of this year’s presidential election, Bloomberg nonetheless notes that the middle class are “reluctant” to blame President Obama. 52 percent said his policies would aid the middle class while 42 percent said that Romney’s would.
With an estimated net worth of $250 million, Romney is seen as being out of touch with the needs of the middle class. 62 percent of the survey’s respondents say that Republicans favor the rich. 37 percent said Democrats were more likely to support their interests while only 26 percent said such of the Republicans