WASHINGTON — For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public’s mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future. Intensely worried about their personal finances and medical expenses, Americans nonetheless appear realistic about the time Obama might need to turn things around, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. It shows most Americans consider their new president to be a strong, ethical and empathetic leader who is working to change Washington. Nobody knows how long the honeymoon will last, but Obama has clearly transformed the yes-we-can spirit of his candidacy into a tool of governance. His ability to inspire confidence-Obama’s second book is titled ‘The Audacity of Hope’-has thus far buffered the president against the harsh political realities of two wars, a global economic meltdown and countless domestic challenges. ‘He presents a very positive outlook,’ said Cheryl Wetherington, 35, an independent voter who runs a chocolate shop in Gardner, Kan. ‘He’s very well-spoken and very vocal about what direction should be taken.’ But other AP-GfK findings could signal […]