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Digest

Americans express optimism

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 1, 2007

Another terrorist attack, a warmer planet, death and destruction from a natural disaster. These are among Americans' grim predictions for the United States in 2007, according to an Associated Press-AOL News poll that asked people in the United States to contemplate what the new year holds.

OVERALL: The poll found that most people are generally optimistic about what the new year will bring for the country and their families. Yet they also give some grim predictions for what might happen in 2007. Ninety-three percent believe it's likely that gas prices will go up, 74 percent believe global warming will get worse and 70 percent think it's likely the United States will be hit with a major natural disaster. Also, 61 percent believe it is likely that terrorists will attack the United States and 64 percent believe terrorists will attack somewhere in the world with biological or nuclear weapons. Half say it is likely that bird flu will arrive in the United States.

DOUBTS ABOUT MORE WAR: Only a minority of those surveyed think it is likely the United States will go to war with Iran (40 percent) or North Korea (26 percent). Only 35 percent believe the military draft will be reintroduced. But just 29 percent believe it's likely the United States will withdraw its troops from Iraq in 2007.

OTHER PREDICTIONS: Eighty-one percent believe Congress will raise the minimum wage, and 57 percent believe it's likely a state will legalize gay marriage. Thirty-five percent are optimistic a cure for cancer will be found and 25 percent believe it is at least somewhat likely that Jesus Christ will return to Earth.

GENDER GAP: Seventy percent of women believe that terrorists will attack somewhere in the world with biological or nuclear weapons, compared with 58 percent of men. Forty-six percent of women say it's likely that the United States will go to war with Iran, compared with 35 percent of men.

JESUS' RETURN: Forty-six percent of white evangelical Christians believe it's at least somewhat likely that Jesus Christ will return in 2007, while 22 percent believe it's very likely. Thirty-four percent of Protestants say it's at least somewhat likely, compared with 17 percent of Catholics. Ten percent of those with no religion believe that Christ is at least somewhat likely to return in 2007.

[Last modified January 1, 2007, 00:19:55]