A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll tells that the economic crisis is taking its toll on the national psyche. WSJ's Jerry Seib explains what this declining optimism could mean for the economy and the Obama administration and incumbents running for re-election in 2010. But the broader question is how long the economic hangover will impact society.

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll tells that the economic crisis is taking its toll on the national psyche.