Economic concerns are driving voter sentiment in 2024.
The Big Picture
This week, the consumer price index (CPI) report noted that inflation slipped to 2.9% in July, marking the first time inflation dropped below 3% since early 2021. According to the IMF, “Inflation measures how much more expensive a set of goods and services has become over a certain period, usually...
The Biden administration quickly took credit, stating, “Today’s report shows that we continue to make progress fighting inflation and lowering costs for American households.” Meanwhile, Republicans at the RNC blamed Bidenomics for rising prices, with Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers declaring, “American families have been crushed by inflation.”
For independent voters, this partisan blame game overlooks the real affordability crisis that many Americans face daily.
Zooming In
Voters Prioritize Affordability Over Political Narratives
The Independent Center’s latest polling found that 67% of registered voters list affordability and inflation as their top concern.
While social issues matter, voters likely won’t turn out in record numbers this November to advocate for cannabis legalization. As Bill Clinton’s strategist James Carville famously put it in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Inflation May Be Cooling, But Prices Remain High
Macroeconomic indicators like GDP growth matter, but they don’t change the reality of household budgets. Reports of lower inflation don’t help families forced to cut back on vacations or grocery shopping.
Moreover, an inconvenient truth for officials celebrating declining inflation is that prices for everyday goods rarely come back down once they rise. Essential items like meat, frozen vegetables, and condiments remain expensive. Higher costs are here to stay.
The Housing Crisis is a Major Concern
Beyond inflation, housing affordability is another top concern for voters.
Polling in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania found that 84% of respondents are concerned about housing costs, and 59% believe Washington needs to do more to address the issue.
Independent Lens
Independent voters want more than rhetoric; they want real solutions to rising costs. While inflation is moving in the right direction, voters want to feel relief in their daily lives, not just hear about it in political speeches.
Talk is cheap, but gas isn’t. The party that genuinely listens to these concerns will reap electoral success in 2024.
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