Despite record numbers of jobs, Democrats were hesitant in their message on the economy, while Republicans were hit that hard.
Is it time for fall festivities with the annual Pumpkin Show in Circleville, Ohio? a pumpkin festival that calls itself “the biggest free show in the world”.
This year, the only thing that weighs more than an 816-pound pumpkin in the minds of some residents and voters is the cost of living.
Kari Stephens, 50, believes the economy is “deplorable”.
- Trump voters still threaten to start US civil war
- 5 highlights of the US election
According to him, the current Democratic administration in Washington “doesn’t care and has forgotten ordinary people in Ohio.”
He said Democrats worry about things he doesn’t identify with, citing as an example of discouraging electric cars that can’t afford to buy.
Despite record numbers of jobs and inflation reasons beyond Democrats’ control, Republicans have consistently criticized the issue, while he has been hesitant in his messages on the economy. Polls show this works in favor of Republicans.
Biggest concern is inflation.
Ohio used to be a “pendulum state” in the elections, but it has been leaning more to the right in recent years.
The state voted former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, in part because of its commitment to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.
Inflation is contributing to the fight for Democrats here and nationally. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted less than three weeks before the election, Americans trust Republicans more than Democrats on issues like the economy and fuel prices.
“We care about the price of eggs in the supermarket,” Stephens tells the BBC.
“18 eggs for $7.85 isn’t suitable for someone with three kids, not even if we’re both working.”
He leans towards the Conservatives, but says he doesn’t usually fill the ballot with a single party.
Jerome Phillips, 59, voted for President Joe Biden and the Democrats in 2020.
But this time he doesn’t know who to vote for. He blames former President Donald Trump for the “terrible economy” but says Biden is “a complete disappointment”.
“He did nothing in the office to help the economy, nothing,” he says.
“Prices go up, you can’t eat. You don’t have a job, people don’t want to work because they don’t want to pay you, which makes life difficult for everyone.”
Inflation was the biggest economic concern of Americans, according to a survey conducted in mid-October by the Neutral Pew Research Center.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents were concerned about the prices of food and consumer goods, followed by the cost of gasoline, energy and housing.
The Pew report showed that these concerns are widely shared across demographics and income groups.
While the survey found a slight partisan bias in the responses, a large majority of Democrats (66%) and Republicans (81%) said they were very concerned about inflation.
Campaign savings
Biden sought to promote his working-class reputation and sell his vision of building a better America for all with a growing economy “from the bottom up and out of the middle.”
At a recent Democratic National Committee event, he warned that Republicans would hurt the U.S. economy and “bet on Maga trickle economies.” Make America Great AgainMeaning “Make America Great Again”, it benefits the very rich”.
Democrats defend Biden’s record, pointing to inflation as a global phenomenon and record employment recovery during the pandemic.
The US economy created 261,000 jobs in October, bringing the total number of jobs created since Biden’s inauguration to more than 10 million. more than any other president in his first 20 months in office.
But some Democratic candidates turned away from Biden, whose approval rating was below 50%. And they tried to highlight what they saw as the party’s successes in passing the long-awaited package of measures on infrastructure, climate, health and student debt.
But the Democrats’ various “gains” won’t be felt by voters for months or years.
Mike Lux, a Democratic strategist who studies voting trends in America’s industrial heartland, said Democrats should do it sooner.
While he believes candidates like Tim Ryan in Ohio and John Fetterman in Pennsylvania have done a good job of explaining how to deal with inflation and fight for workers, he says many candidates focus solely on abortion.
Meanwhile, Republicans took advantage of fears over inflation and gas prices to accuse Democrats of spending too much, an often-debated issue, and of limiting energy production.
The current increase in fuel prices due to supply and demand is due to the war in Ukraine.
Still, Republicans blamed Democratic policies and promised to drill oil wells and pipelines to make the US energy-free.
For Democratic strategist Lux, Democrats should have talked about inflation and the economy, if the narrative fits, precisely because it’s a difficult topic that dominates the political landscape.
“I think avoiding the issue is the worst thing Democrats can do,” he says.
Inflation-related messages are still far more dominant in Republican political advertising, according to an analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project.
Last month, 32% of pro-Republican ads were inflation-related, compared to 8% of pro-Democratic ads.
While 28% of pro-Democratic ads focus on this topic, only 3% of Republican ads apply to abortion.
Gunner Ramer, political director of the anti-Trump group and the Republican Party, the Republican Accountability Project, said Republicans have spent tens of millions attacking Democrats over the economy and inflation. and found it to be a very effective message.
Ramer explained that the problem for Democrats, as with any ruling party, is that no matter what economic problems voters face, no matter how much they promote any success, the blame falls on them.
“The issues discussed at the kitchen table are still important and Democrats will be punished for it,” he says.
Meanwhile, low-income households remain the hardest hit by inflation.
Jameka Humphries, a single mother, has just moved to a better school district for her son, Jayden. Despite working three jobs, his purchasing power was reduced by inflation.
“If it wasn’t for inflation, I would have more confidence in the future,” he says.
“And more confident in making long-term decisions.”
He doesn’t blame Democrats or Biden for the hard times, but he doesn’t give clear support either.
“I don’t think it’s doing a bad job and I don’t think it’s doing a good job. It’s just doing the job,” she says.
Humphries still doesn’t know how to vote when he goes to the polls. While there are other issues at stake in this election, it may be inflation and the economy that give Democrats hope.
After all, as the Democrats’ own mantra reminds them, “this economy is stupid.”
– This text was published in: https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-63542365
source: Noticias
