WAPO -- Wall Street: A winning presidential punching bag — for both sides

[mhatrw]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/20/wall-street-a-winning-presidential-punching-bag-for-both-sides/

If there's one common enemy among a divided American public, it's Wall Street. And 2016 hopefuls know this. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 67 percent of Americans would support a president who favors stricter regulations of financial institutions on Wall Street (compared to 24 percent who want someone who opposes stricter regulations). And that stance is near-universal; there's no large variation by gender, race, age and education level.

Even a majority of Republicans say they'd approve a politician willing to get tough on the banks. Wall Street has been a bogeyman since the 2008 recession and the federal government's subsequent bailout of several banks. According to Gallup surveys tracking Americans' confidence in the banks over time, financial institutions' reputations dropped off a cliff in 2009 and haven't picked back up to anywhere near pre-recession levels.

One reason could be Americans feel they haven't seen any good-faith attempts from the banks to make sure another financial crisis and federal bailout doesn't happen. A 2013 Post-ABC News poll found 62 percent said banks and other financial institutions have not taken adequate measures to prevent another financial crisis in the future. Presidential candidates seem to be well aware of this reality and are using it to their advantage.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is certainly the most vocal among 2016 hopefuls decrying the banks. But Republicans have also noticeably taken a step back from totally defending the free market -- and by extension, the banks -- in favor of calling for regulations on the largest of them.

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