Issues in the US Election

Republicans have a 17-point lead on handling the economy. But Democrats have a 17-point lead on abortion.

Economy or abortion?

It seems that these issues are the focus of the current campaigns in terms of the congressional elections this November and therefore the main motivations for Americans to vote.

At least that is the formal view of current electoral politics in the United States. An informal view of the issues, but an equally powerful issue is the presence of the more than controversial former President Donald Trump, subject of multiple investigations that could well disqualify him as a presidential candidate, but could also turn him into a political symbol for the right.

A Washington Post poll highlighted that for Republicans, the economy and crime seem like winning issues. Democrats are taking advantage of the reaction provoked by the Republican crackdown on abortion rights.

In the poll, Republicans have a 17-point advantage over Democrats on handling the economy and 18 points on inflation. But Democrats have a 17-point lead on abortion.

In other issues, for example, the Republicans have a 22-point advantage in their approach to crime, which from their perspective includes the alleged Democratic permissiveness regarding undocumented immigrants and racial innuendo, which would explain how Republicans are citing those issues in their propaganda.

It explains the reason Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels “terrorist organizations,” even if it is rather a demagogic blow: That authority rests with the federal government, not Texas.

According to the online newspaper Axios, “Democrats accuse Republicans of stoking racial divisions, but they are worried that the attacks could resonate amid the increase in violent crime that has taken place with their party in power at the federal level and in many cities.”* Both parties are gambling a great deal on the November elections.

On the one hand there is control of Congress. At the beginning of the year, it was believed that the Republicans would easily win majorities in the Senate (now tied 50-50) and the House of Representatives (221 Democrats and 212 Republicans). Now it seems that President Joe Biden’s party has improved its situation.

Whether that will be enough remains to be seen, but there’s also the Trump factor. The consequences of the former president’s administration, which unleashed political forces now presented as a danger to American democracy, are relatively easy to see: the riot on Jan. 6, 2021 that sought to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the election and questioned the electoral system; the emboldening of extreme right-wing groups; and the ultraconservative turn of the judicial system.

You could say that both parties are trying to scare voters into voting. And maybe they will succeed.

*Editor’s Note: This quote, though accurately translated, could not be verified.