It’s Still About the Economy, Stupid

Voters are still focused on inflation and rising prices heading into the midterm elections, despite Democrats’ desperate attempts to shift focus away from their failed economic record. More than half of swing-state voters said they were worse off financially than a year ago, and most voters said they trusted Republicans to manage the economy.

National Review: Just 8 percent of likely swing state voters say abortion is a top issue for them going into the midterms, despite Democrats’ assertions that the reversal of Roe v. Wade will turn out voters to the polls, according to a new Cygnal poll commissioned by the Republican State Leadership Committee.

Meanwhile, 37 percent of respondents said high cost of living and inflation are their top concern, according to the poll, which was conducted on June 25 and 26 among likely general election voters in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

Sixteen percent cited the economy in general as the most important issue, while 9 percent said crime is their biggest priority.

After the Supreme Court returned the right to regulate abortion to the states, Democrats — who have radical and unpopular views on the issue — asserted that abortion would become a defining issue in November’s elections. However, a recent poll found that half of swing-state voters would be willing to vote for a candidate that they disagreed on the issue with. The lack of movement following the Dobbs decision, an economy slipping into recession and historically bad poll numbers for Joe Biden could lead to an electoral disaster for Democrats.

The Hill: Additionally, 49 percent of likely voters said they would be willing to vote for a candidate who has a different view from them on abortion as long as the candidate agrees with them on most other issues.

The polling also showed a poor national environment for Democrats ahead of the midterms, with 74 percent of likely voters saying the country is on the wrong track and 23 percent saying it is on the right track. President Biden’s unfavorable rating sits at 57 percent while 41 percent of likely voters said they have a favorable view of him. And Republican state legislative candidate lead Democrats on the generic ballot, 47 to 45 percent.

Bottom Line: Voters still overwhelmingly say the economy is their most important issue. This year’s midterms will be a referendum on Joe Biden and congressional Democrats’ bad economic policy.