New survey suggests populist economic message can help Dems prevail in midterms
New survey results published Wednesday indicate that a closing midterm message focused on high costs of living and Republican fealty to the corporate interests driving up prices can help Democrats overcome an “onslaught” of GOP attacks and keep control of Congress in November.
Conducted by longtime Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg, the survey tests a number of sample messages, including one that notes “working people haven’t seen a real pay increase in years,” spotlights Democrats’ efforts to combat corporate price-gouging, and hammers the GOP for getting “their money from Big Oil and big pharmaceutical special interests”—two major culprits behind recent price hikes.
That message, which acknowledges worker pain amid stubbornly high inflation and a looming recession, performs much more strongly among likely voters than one that focuses primarily on Democrats’ legislative accomplishments and Republican extremism.
In his write-up of the new polling data, The American Prospect‘s David Dayen noted that after the first message, “voters give Democrats positive approval marks, and it raises Democrats’ standing in the generic ballot by one point.”
“The most resonant part of the message, respondents say, is the part about how working people haven’t seen a raise in years, a message that shows understanding of the plight of ordinary people,” Dayen observed, pointing out that Democrats “lose ground in the generic ballot” after voters hear the alternative messaging.
The survey results come as Democrats are facing pressure from progressives to sharpen their economic messaging in the final days of midterm campaigning—and some evidence suggests the party is beginning to listen. The New York Times reported Monday that Democrats are “struggling to find a closing message on the economy that acknowledges the deep uncertainty troubling the electorate while making the case that they, not the Republicans, hold the solutions.”
“On Monday, Democrats unveiled new messages that appeared to switch tacks, incorporating achievements of the past two years with expressions of sympathy on the economy and dire warnings for what Republicans might bring,” the Times noted.
President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers have also been sounding the alarm over the GOP’s threats to hold the economy hostage in an attempt to secure cuts to Social Security and Medicare and push for more giveaways to the rich.
Originally published at Commondreams.org.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
