What the Voters are Saying
Author: Greg Valliere
November 13, 2024
WE’VE BEEN ON THE ROAD, talking to voters, whose opinions are controversial, to say the least. Here’s a sample of what we’re hearing:
GET OUT OF UKRAINE: This is the most consistent complaint — why should the U.S. spend billions more on Kyiv? This train is leaving the station; America first isolationism is coming.
THE BIG DOMESTIC STORY of the fall is the pushback against urban crime — especially in California. No one wants to be soft on crime, and sentences are getting tougher. Watch Los Angeles, where the anti-crime movement is intense.
NO ONE LIKES CHINA: There’s strong support for tough trade policies — Trump gets that — and the threat of higher tariffs has surprising support. Economists think this is a bad idea, but the public disagrees.
DEPORT THE IMMIGRANTS: Is the U.S. running out of workers? Yes, but try telling grass-roots conservatives — they want the immigrants out, period. Deportation will be a dominant issue in 2025.
NO ONE BELIEVES THE ECONOMY IS IN GOOD SHAPE: Well, we do but the public’s fear of persistent inflation — especially wage inflation — is the dominant economic issue, by far. The Democrats’ assertion that inflation is falling made them look ridiculous.
THE OTHER ELECTION SURPRISES: The issue of abortion didn’t exactly fizzle in the election but it didn’t connect with voters like Democrats expected.
THE NEW COALITION: Everywhere we go, we hear voters talking excitedly about a new coalition — workers, Hispanics, conservatives, etc. — which could keep the Republicans in power for years.
AN IMPORTANT POINT: Most people we talk with aren’t crazy about Donald Trump; voters consider him crude and tiresome. But this election wasn’t all about Trump, it was about the Democrats’ ineptitude.
TAXES AREN’T A CUTTING EDGE ISSUE: Voters aren’t clamoring for tax cuts; they just want assurances that taxes won’t go higher, which would make it even more difficult to buy groceries.
NO ONE CARES ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE: The Gulf of Mexico may be boiling but voters aren’t concerned. The Democrats have lost this issue.
ANGER OVER THE BUDGET DEFICIT: Everyone we talk with — and we mean everyone — feels the budget deficit could ruin the country. One problem: there’s no agreement on how to lower the deficit.
BOTTOM LINE: Elections can be cathartic, offering a new start. There’s a sense of optimism in Washington, as new players and new policies encourage voters after the gloomy climate that dominated this town for the past few years. Watch California, where voters hit their limit.
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