Economy, Border Security, And Inflation Dominate Voter Priorities Just 60 Days Before Election
- Forty-two percent prioritize the economy as the country's most important issue
- Immigration/border security and homelessness are the other top concerns
- Abortion rose in importance to fourth place
- Sixty percent express dissatisfaction with the direction of the country
Biden is on the beach, and Harris is busy campaigning. Americans are left wondering: Who is managing the country anyway? The joy spread at campaign rallies doesn’t put food on the table. Living in a make-believe world is tough. The same people who hid a struggling Biden during the primaries now want to play the same hide-and-seek game with his replacement.
Is the media a cartel or simply the Democratic Party’s propaganda arm? Take your pick. They want Americans to believe everything is milk and honey and that we’re in for a new joy ride. Let's all smile, say "kumbaya," and elect their candidate.
But, with just over 60 days before the election, Americans are prioritizing keeping their jobs and putting food on the table. Forty-two percent picked the economy as the country's most important issue, followed by immigration and border security at 37 percent. Candidates who fail to address these priorities risk losing ground with key voter groups, especially independents.
Homelessness and abortion were also significant concerns, each cited by 18 percent and 17 percent of survey respondents, respectively.
In the run-up to the election, abortion has gained importance since January, when it was in 10th place and rated an important issue by only 12%.
These results are from the latest TIPP Poll, completed last Friday. The poll surveyed 1,582 Americans and asked participants, "What are the top three issues facing the country?"
Ten other issues received double-digit responses: health care (16%), crime (16%), national debt/federal government spending (15%), home affordability (14%), gun violence/gun control (14%), climate change (13%), trust in government/politicians (12%), election 2024 (12%), threats to democracy (12%), and lack of unity/division in the country (11%).
Meanwhile, terrorism/national security (9%), mental health (8%), Russia/Ukraine situation and global security (8%), Israel-Hamas conflict (5%), racial justice (5%), China-U.S. relations (4%), and coronavirus (4%) are in the bottom tier, each garnering under ten percent.
For Democrats, the top issues are the economy (34%), abortion (27%), and health care (22%).
Republicans, on the other hand, prioritized immigration and border security (61%), the economy (50%), crime (23%), and national debt/government spending (21%).
Independents aligned more closely with Republicans, with their top concerns being the economy (42%), immigration/border security (35%), and homelessness (21%).
Top Economic Issues
Inflation (49%), food prices (47%), and people’s ability to pay their bills (26%) are among the top three economic issues facing Americans. (From a list of 21 economy-related issues, the survey respondents picked their top three concerns.)
Gasoline prices (24%), home affordability (20%), government spending (17%), recession (16%), tax rates (15%), rising interest rates (13%), and lack of good jobs (10%) received double-digit responses.
With food prices surging 22% under Biden-Harris leadership and 25% of Americans skipping meals, economic dissatisfaction will likely become a decisive factor in November, particularly in swing states with razor-thin margins.
Direction Of Country
Each month, the TIPP Poll probes the general sentiment about the country’s direction using the survey question, "In general, how satisfied are you with the direction that the country is going in at this time?"
Nearly two-thirds (60%) are dissatisfied with the country’s direction. 34% said they are not at all satisfied, and 26% are not very satisfied. Most Republicans (82%) and independents (67%) expressed dissatisfaction. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Democrats are satisfied.
We also compute a compact index from responses to the above question. The index ranges from 0 to 100. A score of 50 or above is positive, below 50 is negative, and 50 is neutral.
Overall, the Index entered the negative zone in September 2021 and has remained there for 36 months. The September reading is 39.4.
Democrats have the most optimistic reading, 63.3, while Republicans have the lowest score (21.9), indicating extreme pessimism. Independents are in the middle at 32.9.
Democrats fell 25.4 points from a high of 77.3 in April 2021 to 63.3 this month—an 18% drop. Their median during the Biden-Harris presidency is 60.5.
Republicans' slide began after the elections in November 2020, and they have been posting pessimistic readings (under 50) for 46 months in a row, with a median of 20.9 during Biden's presidency.
The median rating of the independents during Biden's presidency is 31.2.
Biden Job Approval
Since the beginning of 2024, President Biden’s approval rating has been stuck in the mid-thirties. It is 37% in the latest TIPP poll.
Nearly three-fourths (75%) of Democrats approve of the job he is doing as president. In contrast, most Republicans (85%) and nearly six in ten independents (58%) disapprove. While two-thirds (69%) of liberals approve, only 17% of conservatives and 42% of moderates express approval.
Biden-Harris Administration
Fewer than 30% of Americans give the Biden-Harris administration good grades on all eleven issues tracked in the TIPP Poll. Notably, the administration flunked on key issues where a majority gave a D or F grade:
- Handling the economy (52%)
- Handling immigration/border security (53%)
- Handling spending and taxes (52%)
- Handling violence and crime in the country (51%)
The moral: It will be hard for Harris to distance herself from President Biden, as veteran strategist James Carville suggested in a recent New York Times piece, advocating for her to break from Biden on policy. However, Carville appears out of touch, disingenuously crediting Biden for taming inflation when, in fact, Biden-Harris policies caused it. Mr. Carville, gaslighting doesn’t work when stomachs are empty; no amount of fake vibes and artificial joy can lure hungry voters. When Biden and Harris took office, inflation was just 1.4%. Since March 2021, inflation has consistently remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% target for 41 consecutive months. Americans haven’t forgotten that Harris promoted Bidenomics and can’t simply distance herself from it.
As November looms, the overwhelming dissatisfaction with the country’s direction, driven by economic concerns, could be the deciding factor in swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin, where margins are razor-thin. American voters, known to vote with their wallets, demand solutions, and candidates who fail to deliver or browbeat voters would face their wrath at the polling booth.