I've been pondering what it is that is driving voters in this week's elections. What are the defining issues? What is making the difference?
The answer is strange. There really is no honest overarching issue of moment.
1. The economy and jobs is usually the single most important electoral issue. This year, that issue cuts strongly for the GOP. After eight years of stagnation under Obama and the Dems, America's economy is finally growing strongly again. The rate of growth is at a level that is not only much higher than in the past, but it is also higher than what Obama and the Democrats said was even possible. In 2016, the Dems told us that 2% growth was the best we could hope for, but in the last six months we've seen 4% and since Trump took office we've never fallen below 2%. Wages are growing again after a decade of staying flat. Right now, average wages are up 3.1% over a year ago. That means more take home pay for the average American.
2. Taxes are another issue that is usually very important. The GOP touts its tax cut from a year ago. The Democrats support raising taxes for some so as to wipe away much of that tax cut. Even so, I haven't heard the Democrats (or the media) talk much about their plan to raise taxes. President Trump pushes the tax cuts at his rallies, but the issue doesn't seem to be getting much attention. I'm not surprised; the GOP got its tax cut, and campaigning for higher taxes rarely works.
3. Immigration is another big issue. It's boiling down to Republicans pushing for the immigration laws to be enforced while Democrats talk about how heartless and racist it is to turn away people coming here illegally. The GOP points to the caravans and mentions the violence these groups have displayed when they attacked Mexican police. The GOP also talks about the many gang members and criminals mixed into the caravan crowds. The Democrats denounce the GOP as racists and liars for talking about the criminals and gang members. They say these groups are mostly women and children, although the video interviews show that not to be true.
4. Health care is another big issue. The Democrats argue that the GOP wants to end coverage of pre-existing conditions and take insurance away from millions. That's not true, but it doesn't seem to matter to the Democrats. The GOP points to the failures of Obamacare and the ever rising price of healthcare. They have their own plans for improving healthcare, but that is rarely discussed.
5. Foreign policy, climate change, prison reform, and energy have been essentially ignored. It seems as if the electorate doesn't care.
6. The tone in Washington and the character of President Trump gets a lot of play from the Democrats. For example, here in CT, one ad that plays often on TV says that the GOP candidate for governor supports Donald Trump, so voters should reject him. It's a strange sort of ad since it is safe to say that anyone stridently anti-Trump is already voting for the Democrats. Still, each day on TV you can see Democrats calling the President a Nazi, a white supremacist, a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, and anti-Semite, a moron, a lunatic, a purveyor of hatred all while at the same time calling for a kinder, gentler political discourse across the land. The disconnect is bizarre, but it goes on nevertheless.
It's easy to see what motivates the Democrats' candidates and their media supporters. I wonder, however, if these positions will motivate the average voter to cast a ballot for the Dems.
The answer is strange. There really is no honest overarching issue of moment.
1. The economy and jobs is usually the single most important electoral issue. This year, that issue cuts strongly for the GOP. After eight years of stagnation under Obama and the Dems, America's economy is finally growing strongly again. The rate of growth is at a level that is not only much higher than in the past, but it is also higher than what Obama and the Democrats said was even possible. In 2016, the Dems told us that 2% growth was the best we could hope for, but in the last six months we've seen 4% and since Trump took office we've never fallen below 2%. Wages are growing again after a decade of staying flat. Right now, average wages are up 3.1% over a year ago. That means more take home pay for the average American.
2. Taxes are another issue that is usually very important. The GOP touts its tax cut from a year ago. The Democrats support raising taxes for some so as to wipe away much of that tax cut. Even so, I haven't heard the Democrats (or the media) talk much about their plan to raise taxes. President Trump pushes the tax cuts at his rallies, but the issue doesn't seem to be getting much attention. I'm not surprised; the GOP got its tax cut, and campaigning for higher taxes rarely works.
3. Immigration is another big issue. It's boiling down to Republicans pushing for the immigration laws to be enforced while Democrats talk about how heartless and racist it is to turn away people coming here illegally. The GOP points to the caravans and mentions the violence these groups have displayed when they attacked Mexican police. The GOP also talks about the many gang members and criminals mixed into the caravan crowds. The Democrats denounce the GOP as racists and liars for talking about the criminals and gang members. They say these groups are mostly women and children, although the video interviews show that not to be true.
4. Health care is another big issue. The Democrats argue that the GOP wants to end coverage of pre-existing conditions and take insurance away from millions. That's not true, but it doesn't seem to matter to the Democrats. The GOP points to the failures of Obamacare and the ever rising price of healthcare. They have their own plans for improving healthcare, but that is rarely discussed.
5. Foreign policy, climate change, prison reform, and energy have been essentially ignored. It seems as if the electorate doesn't care.
6. The tone in Washington and the character of President Trump gets a lot of play from the Democrats. For example, here in CT, one ad that plays often on TV says that the GOP candidate for governor supports Donald Trump, so voters should reject him. It's a strange sort of ad since it is safe to say that anyone stridently anti-Trump is already voting for the Democrats. Still, each day on TV you can see Democrats calling the President a Nazi, a white supremacist, a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, and anti-Semite, a moron, a lunatic, a purveyor of hatred all while at the same time calling for a kinder, gentler political discourse across the land. The disconnect is bizarre, but it goes on nevertheless.
It's easy to see what motivates the Democrats' candidates and their media supporters. I wonder, however, if these positions will motivate the average voter to cast a ballot for the Dems.
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