mood of the nation: struggling but seeking no help

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MOOD_OF_THE_NATION_CHARLOTTE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-01-06-38-47

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- On the eve of the 2012 elections, The Associated Press interviewed dozens of Americans to try to gauge the economic mood of the nation. People were asked about jobs, housing, gas prices, retirement and other issues. Among them was Ray Arvin, 47, of Mineral Springs, N.C., outside Charlotte. Arvin has struggled financially since a business he owned that supplied the power and aviation industries collapsed in 2009. He worries about his future and about the direction of the federal government.

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When Arvin isn't worrying about his own financial plight, he's fretting about the government's. He's troubled by gaping budget deficits and galled by what he calls lax leadership in Washington.

What America needs, Arvin says, is to restore a spirit of individual self-reliance. And force the government to become leaner and more responsible.

"I'm against that government-down approach - spending without a thought of how we are going to balance the checkbook," Arvin says.