Aug. 1, 2008
Economy Still First In Voters' Minds
CBS News' Kathy Frankovic: The Economy Has The Same Importance It Had In 1992
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Candidates Duel Over Economy
Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are turning their attention to the economy, and they're calling on some of the biggest names in business for help.
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Listen to CBS News director of surveys Kathy Frankovic dissect the data to see what's driving public opinion.
Back in 1992, when Americans were asked to name the “most important problem facing the country today,” 55 percent volunteered something in the realm of economics: 14 percent named unemployment, 11 percent the budget deficit and 2 percent taxes, while another 28 percent just said it was the “economy.”
Times improved in the 1990s, and after the 9/11 attack and the war in Iraq, foreign policy concerns took center stage as the economy receded as the “most important problem.” As recently as January 2007, just eight percent of Americans named an economic issue when asked the same question.
But now, all that has changed. In a CBS News/New York Times poll completed a few weeks ago, the economy had much the same importance it had in 1992. Fifty-three percent of Americans volunteered an economic problem as the “most important” facing the country. Granted, the range of answers differs from those of 1992: while mentions of the economy generally predominate, 14 percent specify gas prices.
And the responses to other questions that measure the economy are sobering: 80 percent say the economy is in bad condition; two-thirds say it is getting worse. Both those figures are near the all-time highs recorded earlier this year. The Bush Administration is getting blamed: only 20 percent in the last poll approve of the way the President is handling the economy - his worst percentage ever (only Jimmy Carter fared worse on this measure).
The economy was the dominant issue for both parties, according to the CBS News Exit Polls that were taken during the primaries this past winter and spring. Given a list of three issues their candidates focused on -- the economy, the war in Iraq, and health care - 51 percent of all Democratic primary voters chose the economy as the top issue, 26 percent the war and 19 percent health care. Republican voters had four choices from the issues their candidates were discussing, and the economy finished first with them, too: 40 percent of all Republican primary voters interviewed chose the economy, 21 percent illegal immigration, 19 percent the war in Iraq, and 17 percent terrorism.
Historically, this should be good for the out-of-power party, but since no incumbent is running, that impact may be muted. And neither Barack Obama nor John McCain fared especially well among those primary voters who were particularly concerned about economic issues. Hillary Clinton beat Obama among Democratic voters who chose the economy (51 percent to 44 percent). McCain finished first among Republican candidates who chose the economy as their most important issue (44 percent), beating out Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, but he did not carry a majority of them. In fact, Obama and McCain only captured a majority with voters who said the war in Iraq was the issue that mattered most to their vote.
Today’s economic issues, like gas prices, housing prices and mortgage foreclosures, may give the economy issue a different focus in this campaign: it’s not just jobs, but it’s also prices. The latest Pew Poll, completed last weekend, found the percentage of Americans citing rising prices as the nation’s most important economic problem rose from 24 percent in February to 45 percent now. In both the Pew Poll and in CBS News polls, more people now say it’s harder to pay their bills than said so in February.Poll Database
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And if the most important economic concerns shift from jobs and general economic malaise to rising prices and inflation, there may be an opening for Republicans. When inflation rose to double digits in the 1970’s, a Democrat (Jimmy Carter) was in the White House. Ronald Reagan successfully used that issue against Carter in the 1980 election. According to that year’s CBS News exit poll, Carter hung on to voters who cared about jobs, 49 percent to 43 percent. But Reagan defeated Carter by more than two to one among voters who named other economic problems - the federal budget (67 percent to 25 percent), taxes (66 percent to 27 percent) and voters’ biggest concern, inflation. Forty-one percent cited inflation and they voted for Reagan 61 percent to 28 percent.
These days, the McCain campaign is spending time talking about gas prices and what to do about them - and there may be a reason. In the last CBS News/New York Times poll, one of McCain’s proposals - building more nuclear power plants -- received 57 percent support from the public, higher than at any time since 1977, before the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island and the Chernobyl disaster. In a CNN/Opinion Dynamics Poll, seven in ten Americans favor offshore drilling for oil and natural gas - another of McCain’s proposals.
In the CBS News/New York Times poll, voters who named the economy as the country’s most important problem favored Obama 54 percent to 33 percent. But those who said the most important problem was “gas prices” chose McCain 58 percent to 28 percent. Right now, the economy still trumps energy prices, but there’s still a long way to go before November.
By Kathy Frankovic
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See all 94 CommentsYeah. So what does Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the worthless 9-percenters do?
The take off for home for a 5 WEEK VACATION.
The Democrats are just too busy with *** off to vote on an Energy Independence Plan presented by the Republicans, or to try to lower gas prices for the average American.
Out of touch? The Dems surely seem to be.
But the Republicans are having none of this - they are keeping the House of Representatives Chamber open to debate during the Dem''s 5 week vacation - to force the Dems to come back and vote for lowing gas prices.
This is the beginning of the revolution, folks!
Yeah. So what does Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the worthless 9-percenters do?
They take off for home for a 5 WEEK VACATION.
The Democrats are just too busy with screw-ing off to vote on an Energy Independence Plan presented by the Republicans, or to try to lower gas prices for the average American.
Out of touch? The Dems surely seem to be.
But the Republicans are having none of this - they are keeping the House of Representatives Chamber open to debate during the Dem''s 5 week vacation - to force the Dems to come back and vote for lowing gas prices.
This is the beginning of the revolution, folks!
POLOSI is NOTHING BUT A COMMUNIST DICTATOR!!
Don''t drive your car, but be sure the tires are inflated.
Steal money from the ones who aren''t whining and give it to the ones that are whining the loudest!
Keep sending all our money to the sheiks...we don''t need anything but some tax cuts! It solves everything!
Promote weenie greenie ideas so the Mercedes drivers have a nice panorama for their Sunday drives while we stay home and freeze our arses off!
Eat less food...we should all look like we came out of the concentration camps of Austwitcz that his distant relative never liberated! We don''t need those healthy bodies anyway, we''re not going anywhere!
Kill all those late term abortion babies...then we won''t have to be persecuting all those baby daddies for child support! And we won''t have to feed them!
Print less Bibles...save a tree!
Learn Spanish so when the new guy takes your job you''ll know how to say "Hola" to him and "Adios!" to your job!
Buy more rap music CD''s...it builds economy!
Turn your a/c off...wet a towel and wrap it around your head...turbans are more in style!
Put $100 million of your hard earned cash into my campaign so I can buy the White House! Trust me! (in other words just let me screw you out of your money awhile)
Pull out of Iraq! Save tax money...then we''ll have more next year when we have to go back to clear all the nukes out of the Middle East! Yes we can! Yes we can!
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Posted by WellHell3 at 06:42 PM : Aug 01, 2008--
Here''s John McCain''s solution for the economy:
1. Stay the Course, can''t you see how "tax cuts for the rich" trickle-down into your bank account?
2. Bail Out Wall Street, they deserve the money over you working stiffs anyways.
3. Bankrupt Fannie and Freddie, FDR was wrong to help poor Americans finance their 1st home
4. Flip-Flop on drilling offshore, Wall Street needs the oil exports to China, hell inflation made you too poor to afford gas anyways.
5. Stay in Iraq for 100 years, Who cares we failed and our Repulican led foreign policies failed.
Don''t vote for Barack, he thinks he''s Moses.
This has been John McCain''s economic plan for America.
OBAMA VS McCAIN
1) Over 70% of our National Debt was created by just 3 Republican presidents.
2) Real middle class wage growth is double when a Democrat is president compared to when a Republican is president.
3) 90% of Americans would pay less taxes under Obama''s proposed tax plan compared to McCain''s.
Countless millions of Americans vote Republican because they believe they''ll pay less taxes and that they''ll have their money spent more responsibly. As you can see, those beliefs are directly contradicted by the facts. Of course we can choose to ignore the facts and instead focus on which candidate is wearing a flag pin (you ever notice that McCain doesn''t wear them?
End the wars, scale back the DHS, and maybe we can staunch at least the worst of the bleeding.
GUESS WHAT THE REPUBLICANS STAYED FOR FIVE HOURS or More in fact I beleive there still there without Lights, Cameras, or the press or CSPAN.
POLOSI YOU ARE THE FAILURE. MAN I HATE THAT WITCH....really you libs want to talk about me hating someone, I dont hate Obama, I despise NANCY POLOSI.
I would have some respect for Obama if he would say something to Nancy and the democrats. They are out of touch with America and have left us once again without a energy Bill.
PRESIDENT BUSH GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND GET THE DEMOCRATS BACK IN SESSION...NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
If the majority of voters say no to this question, they need to vote for Obama. If not, they are asking for 4 more years of the same economic policies as they''ve been getting.
TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR THAT POLOSI AND THE DEMOCRATS CARE MORE ABOUT THERE VACATION THAN PASSING AN ENERGY BILL.
GUESS WHAT THE REPUBLICANS STAYED FOR FIVE HOURS or More in fact I beleive there still there without Lights, Cameras, or the press or CSPAN.
POLOSI YOU ARE THE FAILURE. MAN I HATE THAT WITCH....really you libs want to talk about me hating someone, I dont hate Obama, I despise NANCY POLOSI.
I would have some respect for Obama if he would say something to Nancy and the democrats. They are out of touch with America and have left us once again without a energy Bill.
PRESIDENT BUSH GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND GET THE DEMOCRATS BACK IN SESSION...NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
If the majority of voters say no to this question, they need to vote for Obama. If not, they are asking for 4 more years of the same economic policies as they''''ve been getting.
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?????? President Bush had a nice span of Economic prosperity. Not until the Democrats start controlling congress did our Economy start weaking. Before the Democrats and Polosi took over our gas was around 2.20, 2 years later with Nancy Policys we have 4.00 . Stay with the Democrats and they help push there radical agenda and will be paying 10.00 a gallon.
What specific bills did the Democratic Congress send to Bush that he signed that caused the downturn then if we''re to give any credence to your unsupported argument?
"My interest is in making sure we''ve got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.
"If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage%u2014I don''t want to be so rigid that we can''t get something done."
Obama left no doubt about the political calculation behind his flip-flop:
As I''ve said before, there is no philosophical or political principle that Obama cares much about, other than the desirability of his own ascension to the Presidency. So we can look forward to more such shifts between now and November.
lol, Obscamma craters on drilling! Now watch the Obscamma honkers come out and promote it like it was HIS idea all along!
Priceless!
Those tax cuts are still working their magic. At least the we have control of the deficit....whoops!
Posted by Obama8years at 08:14 PM : Aug 01, 2008
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So what was it, exactly, that the Democrats did while in power to raise gas prices by almost double. I think we''d all like to hear what facts you can provide.
this mess started with ronald Reagan and the foolishness of reaganomics,
he raised taxes on everybody but the wealthy , they got tax cuts (Thru social security taxes)
Almost exactly the same as the folish GW Bush,
and to be continued ,of course, by the even more
childish and foolish MCBushCain, too old for dirt.
They have bailed out every Enron, Beatr stearns wall street billionaire they could find, subsidized every oil conpamy and big farmer with your tax money
and never spena dime on education or a disabled veteran
are you better off today, if you say yes you are a republicon LIAR
Posted by Obama8years at 08:14 PM : Aug 01, 2008
errr Bush took office in 2000 oil was $20 a barrel. Darth Cheney convened a national energy commission in 2001 dominated by oil industry execs . Judicial Watch a conservative watchdog group felt like the american public should know what was discussed and who actually was allowed access and sued(much like the hillary commission on health care remember that one in clintons first term) .they were denied by a bush supreme court. If you follow the money oil was $20 a barrel when bush took office and its $128 a barrel now ...now republicans talk about ANWAR etc and off shore drilling .but they dont discuss the fact that oil companies are sitting on 70 million yes million acres they havent touched yet ..Exxon just reported the largest reported corporate profits in history for any company ...for the 3rd quarter in a row .. republican energy policies a success for their true constituency Big oil ..the american public not so much .
Those tax cuts are still working their magic. At least the we have control of the deficit....whoops!"
Good thing the dollars value is at an all time high, oops.
Good thing gas prices are low, oops.
Good thing home prices are up, oops.
Good thing home sales are up, oops.
Good thing job outsourcing is up, oops.
Good thing MCsame is running, oops.
A man who is by his own admission, a 50%-American at best??
Regarding the supposed forgery of Obama''s birth certificate.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/27/obamas-birth-certificate-part-ii/
The above link puts it to rest--iaccording to Hawaii, it''s authentic. Of course, I''m sure that, as usual, you won''t let the facts get in the way of a good story.
A man who is by his own admission, a 50%-American at best??
Posted by JonGood65 at 06:38 AM : Aug 02, 2008
People like this loser are so sad! They are so afraid of change, so afraid someone is going to take something from them that they will continue a policy and process that has not just failed, but failed so badly that no one can figure a way to stop the slide. Most of the time it''s because they have never gotten beyond the 6th grade in School and are frightened by anything or anyone they do not understand. Listening to them shiver and shake as proposals are presented that will turn this nation away from those failed policies... Listening as they chant for Joe McCarthy to rise from the Grave, would be VERY funny if it wasn''t so harmful! You can NOT change directions, you can NOT stop Trickle Down and it''s harm without putting new and different idea''s out there. I just wish people like this clown would go hide somewhere and let us get on with the business at hand!!
Is there anyway to put these very uneducated people in another board? Anyone who hasn''t gotten far enough in school to know that you can NOT impeach a President BEFORE you have elected him, shouldn''t be with Adults!!
Yeap, an old "Yellow Dog" who lived up the road died a couple of nights back.
Sen. "Both Ways" Barak NObama lost a vote....errrrr, unless my neighbor voted absentee???
It''s the economy stupid!
President Carter had the USA on the road to complete energy independence, and fiscal responsibility,
Ronald Reagan ,in his stupidity, his conservative stupidity,
dismantled both policies, ending the programs.
the conservatives have been in control since that time
and they have done absolutely nothing to correct any of these problems,
In fact all they have been doing for the last eight years is starting wars, borrowing and spending the money to run those wars, and borrowing and spending money to bail out the wall street wealthy
it is time for an intelligent government
we had the government of ''the guy you want to drink a beer with''
anyone really want more of the SAME
" If you can''''t dazzle the voters with your Brilliance, Baffle them with B-ll S--t".
This is a very bad year to be a Republican Politician, It is so bad that the Republican leadership is telling their House & Senate candidates to campaign against the GOP if they hope to get elected and to avoid the GOP convention!
Let''''s face it, McCain has Buzzard Luck , Can''t kill nothing and nothing will die."
The Good Ole Party are devoid of ideas or Leadership!
I am contributing my money & time to the Candidate who is best for America.
Obama 08
It''s a lot of fun to watch. His TV commercials don''t have the word "republican" or the name "George Bush" anywhere in ''em. However, they do have the names "Barack Obama" and "John Kerry" in ''em a lot! Most of his TV ads are little more than love letters to these two.
It may turn out that the republicans not only lose an election, but get banished to the wilderness for a long time.
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