Third Way, a center-left research group, cautioned on Monday that the Democratic Party in the minds of midterm voters is far too radical and out-of-touch.
The organization, which is backed by a number of senior members of Congress, conducted a study of potential voters, indicating that Democrats are well behind on the subjects that Americans are most concerned about as they head to the polls. Republicans hold double-digit advantages over their opponents on the economy and immigration, with nearly 56% believing Democrats “are not focused enough on the economy,” while only 36% believe their opponents are.
Democrats are banking on a pendulum-like reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Abortion, on the other hand, comes third among the most important topics to voters, with a similar level of importance as crime, which Republicans control.
“Given voters’ lack of confidence in Democrats on their greatest issues, it’s no wonder that they want these elections to result in a check on Democrats’ authority in Washington,” Third Way wrote in a memo.
Despite the fact that lefties have put efforts into portraying Republicans as extremist, the group claims that Americans feel the same way about Democrats. Third Way requested respondents to rate themselves on an ideology scale, with 0 representing the most liberal and 10 representing the most conservative, in one activity. Respondents rated the two parties “similarly far off from the center,” while voters placed themselves within 1.7 points of Republicans and 2.6 points of Democrats, showing a preference for the former party.
“The findings confirm that Dems. are underwater on issues voters identify as their top priorities, such as the economy, immigration, and crime,” the memo continued, “they are regarded as ideologically distant from the voting population, and voters ask if the party shares important values like patriotism as well as the value of hard work.”
The White House’s messaging has conveyed an optimistic perspective of current economic conditions that seems to be at odds with voters’ realities. When the most recent unemployment statistics suggests an increase compared to the previous month, the president cited it as proof that the “economy continues to expand and add jobs,” while the most recent inflation figures suggest that price levels continues to remain near four-decade highs, he said the report “reveals some progress.”
Respondents expressed skepticism about the party’s ability to carry out its program on subjects where voters favour Democrats. Though Democrats outspend Republicans on school funding and improvement, Democrats lag Republicans by one point on “really improving” education. Voters also criticized President Joe Biden’s student loan cancellation scheme, with a larger proportion of swing voters opposing it.
Republicans are highly likely to win the House of Representatives and somewhat favored to gain the Senate, according to FiveThirtyEight estimates, which also indicates that conservatives have an exceptional chance of gaining governorships in states like Oregon and New York. Republicans have gained ground in polls over the last month while inflation remains high and unemployment rises.
