October 20, 2022 2:00am EDT
Democrats oblivious to rising tide of unhappy voters may be shocked by Republican midterm wins
Inflation, crime and immigration drive frustration as Democrats disconnected to key voter concerns
By Mark Penn | Fox News
The Republicans are edging closer to a wave election. They are finally connecting with voters on the issues they care most about – inflation, crime and immigration – while Democrats are essentially fighting a shadow midterm on issues voters care less about. Americans aren’t necessarily acting out of partisanship; they’re venting their frustration with the poor economic fundamentals and the threatened recession.
In the summer there was lot of speculation that the incumbent party could defy midterms history and escape a big loss, and I was puzzled by the large segment of Democratic voters who disapproved of President Joe Biden and yet were sticking with the Democratic Party in the midterms. That is beginning to crack now, especially when we look at likely voters which are breaking 53/47 in favor of the Republicans now.
On inflation, crime and immigration, Republicans are channeling voters’ anxiety and frustration. In the Oct. 12-13 Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll, voters said those three issues were their greatest concern, and they were over 10 percentage points more likely to vote Republican than Democratic based on each. Among likely voters, that pro-GOP gap increases to 15 percentage points.
This growing unpopularity of President Joe Biden’s policies has been clear now for over a year and so the administration could have made a pivot, but instead it doubled down, even denying the issues around inflation ("zero inflation") and the border ("no crisis") existed at all.
Americans’ anxiety around the economy looks devastating for the party in power. 84% of voters think the US is in a recession now or will be by next year. An astounding 57% of Americans think their personal financial situation is worsening. Even during most of the pandemic, only 20-30% said the same.
Voters also blame Biden for these troubles. Fifty-five percnet of voters blame Biden for inflation, including 42% of Democrats. Unlike unemployment, which affects a sliver of the population, inflation affects all Americans, and they can easily see the effect on gas prices and grocery bills. The situation will only worsen as OPEC+’s cut in oil production goes into effect, and the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates yet again.
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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/democrats-oblivious-rising-tide-unhappy-voters-shocked-republican-midterm-wins
