What do you think are the most important issues to voters?

[Emily's Cat]

I'm curious about how ISF members perceive and interpret the most important issues going into the 2024 election. Not what YOUR most important issues are... I want to know what you think OTHER PEOPLE hold as their most important issues. To this end, I've got some open-ended questions

What do you think are the three most important policy issues for 1) Republicans 2) Democrats and 3) Independents?

Now let's flip the perspective... This is a bit more challenging, and yes, it's going to require some serious consideration and speculation.

What characteristics do you think would cause a person to vote AGAINST a candidate who addressed those policy issues for each group?

So, for example, I think the most important policy issues for Independents are:
1) The economy and inflation being brought under control
2) Securing our borders and reducing illegal immigration in a meaningful way
3) Reducing or controlling the cost of health care

I think that Independents would be turned off by a candidate that held those policy positions if that candidate framed the issues in terms of race or sex or otherwise insinuated that a desire to control immigration is motivated by racism. I think Independents would also be turned off by a candidate who addressed the issues with condescension and the assumption that these problems are all caused by the "other side" being evil and bad, and similar appeals to emotion.

So how about it? What do you think are each group's priorities, and what do you think are their risk points?

 

[Donal]

1) How about addressing the cuases of run away inflation and price gouging? Would you like to see that?

2) If the concerns about immigration aren't about racism, why is all the focus on the border rather than the companeis hiring undocumented workers or our policies that lead people to flee their home countries? If you wanted real change, wouldn't you focus on the factors that actually create the perceived problem rather than making big noise about a physically impossible solution? Because it sure does feel like jsut trying to push around a bunch of brown people.

On that note, VP Harris has actually met with leaders of Latin American nations to try and address the conditions leading people to flee their home countries. Its not as sexy as shooting brown people in the desert, but it is probably more effective.

3) You mean like price controls on prescriptions? Expanding MEdicaid and Medicare eligibility?

I think that Independents would be turned off by a candidate that held those policy positions if that candidate framed the issues in terms of race or sex or otherwise insinuated that a desire to control immigration is motivated by racism.

You don't think sex or race are part of the issues you described? How about class? Can we reference class?

I think Independents would also be turned off by a candidate who addressed the issues with condescension

Maybe don't look for bumper sticker sized solutions for complex probablems that span decades.

and the assumption that these problems are all caused by the "other side" being evil and bad, and similar appeals to emotion.

Most of our problems are generations old and are the result of systemix problems as well as a host of factors. No one single party is the cause and none of them are faultless. But, we do have one party that doesn't seem to want to address the issues that are beneficial to you or I.

I find that people generally use vague references to "encomic issues" and "kitchen table issues" without really nailing them down. Also, your post implies that these issues exist in a vacuum. Climate change affects inflation and immigration. Race and sex affect edutcation and healthcare. Inflation and housing affect crime and healthcare.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Donal, you have failed in the assignment. 0 points awarded.

 

[ahhell]

Immigration, inflation, abortion.

Why is the focus on the border, because the border looks like the chaotic uncontrolled mess it is, na, its just racism.

https://www.statista.com/statistics...ducted in February,about jobs and the economy.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Immigration, inflation, abortion.

For which group? Republicans, Democrats, or Independents?

Why is the focus on the border, because the border looks like the chaotic uncontrolled mess it is, na, its just racism.

https://www.statista.com/statistics...ducted in February,about jobs and the economy.

Honestly, I thought my OP was fairly clear. Maybe I was wrong.

Here's what I'm asking:

What do each of you think the top 3 priorities are for Republicans?
What do each of you think the top 3 priorities are for Democrats?
What do each of you think the top 3 priorities are for Independents?

What do you think would turn a Republican off from a candidate that supported their top 3 priorities?
What do you think would turn a Democrat off from a candidate that supported their top 3 priorities?
What do you think would turn an Independent off from a candidate that supported their top 3 priorities?

I only gave a single example, to set the stage. I was trying not to anchor the discussion.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

Gettin some real deep concern vibes in this thread.

 

[Emily's Cat]

If you weren't coming in with some malicious insinuations, you would instead be getting some real deep curiosity vibes. But hey - if you'd rather take this as an opportunity to skirt the MA by not quite directly insulting a fellow member instead of engaging in a discussion, be my guest.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

If you weren't coming in with some malicious insinuations, you would instead be getting some real deep curiosity vibes. But hey - if you'd rather take this as an opportunity to skirt the MA by not quite directly insulting a fellow member instead of engaging in a discussion, be my guest.

If you feel that my posts are off topic or uncivil, the report button is right there.

 

[ahhell]

Top two are the same for Reps and Dems. Inflation (coded as the economy but most folks just care about prices) and immigration. Abortion for Dems. As opposed to chaos and no real policy.

Dems and Reps mostly want the same thing for immigration, a semblance of control at the border and some kind of coherent policy that we've actually chosen.

Dems and Reps want prices to go down, can't get that so the candidates have to spout some BS that makes folks feel like they know it matters.

Abortion, Dems want to maintain access. So do most Reps but it's not as big a deal for them. Any Rep candidate that runs on reducing access will lose. The question is what happens when Dems are running against a Rep that isn't crazy on abortion. IDK.

Really, its mostly not issues anyway, its weather you love or hate trump and weather the Dem is good enough to get you to care enough to vote. Keep calling any criticism of Kamala racist or anyone concerned about the border racist, the dems will lose.

 

[Olmstead]

I think you're asking way too much, and that any serious answers to your homework assignment wouldn't create much interesting discussion anyway.

A more focused approach would be preferable.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Well paying jobs, job security, healthcare

 

[angrysoba]

Just use this...

Link

The upshot is that everyone is concerned with prices/inflation.

Republicans' number 1 concern is immigration.

Democrats are concerned with healthcare and climate change.

There is widespread agreement that jobs/economy is important too.

In fact, James Carville is likely correct, that focusing on jobs/the economy and prices would be the area where there is a lot to be lost and gained.

Things that are unlikely to have much traction: foreign policy and, perhaps surprisingly, abortion. It's mostly important to Democrats, and in some ways it is important to the right of the GOP who want a federal ban, but I think that Trump has essentially said now that his position on this is that it is going to be up to the states. Each party can point to their opposition extremes - the Republicans want to ban even IVF and the Democrats want to execute new-borns and they will likely cancel each other out, in my humble opinion.

 

[W.D.Clinger]

What characteristics do you think would cause a person to vote AGAINST a candidate who addressed those policy issues for each group?

So, for example, I think the most important policy issues for Independents are:
1) The economy and inflation being brought under control
2) Securing our borders and reducing illegal immigration in a meaningful way
3) Reducing or controlling the cost of health care

1) Intelligent independents would turn against a candidate whose proposals would wreck the economy and lose what control has been gained over inflation.

2) Intelligent independents would turn against a candidate who boasts of derailing the most significant bipartisan border and immigration legislation of our time.

3) Intelligent independents would turn against a candidate and party whose opposition to the Affordable Care Act has been a central plank of their agenda for more than a decade, never able to say how they would replace it, and are now trying to tell everyone they want only to improve ACA, still unable to say how.

 

[theprestige]

1) Intelligent independents would turn against a candidate whose proposals would wreck the economy and lose what control has been gained over inflation.

2) Intelligent independents would turn against a candidate who boasts of derailing the most significant bipartisan border and immigration legislation of our time.

3) Intelligent independents would turn against a candidate and party whose opposition to the Affordable Care Act has been a central plank of their agenda for more than a decade, never able to say how they would replace it, and are now trying to tell everyone they want only to improve ACA, still unable to say how.

Misanthropy is not a solution to social issues.

It is, however, a solid foundation upon which to build a policy of elimination of useless mouths and anti-social elements.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Russia. I think it's the only truly important issue, whether the voters realize it or not. All the rest can be handled later.

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

I think student loans, wars, and minimum wage are the most important issues

 

[Shadowdweller]

Preserving and restoring our democracy to the exclusion of all else.

Attempting to overturn elections, deliberately inciting insurrections, cancelling established rights by fiat, accepting bribes, interfering with the legal processes by which public officials are held accountable for crimes, ignoring articles of our constitution are all inherently and irreconcilably antithetical to that concept.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Preserving and restoring our democracy to the exclusion of all else.

Attempting to overturn elections, deliberately inciting insurrections, cancelling established rights by fiat, accepting bribes, interfering with the legal processes by which public officials are held accountable for crimes, ignoring articles of our constitution are all inherently and irreconcilably antithetical to that concept.

this is not an issue for Voters.
It is also based on a false premise, namely that the US was designed to be a Democracy.
If you want a better Democracy, rebooting the system to Constitution 1.0 will make it worse, not better.

 

[Shadowdweller]

this is not an issue for Voters.
It is also based on a false premise, namely that the US was designed to be a Democracy.
If you want a better Democracy, rebooting the system to Constitution 1.0 will make it worse, not better.

It IS very much an issue for voters. A republic is a type or subset of (small d) democracy. The US government certainly has had and continues to have major issues with respect to fairness (such as women not initially having the power to vote, power imbalances inherent to the electoral college, gerrymandering, and/or the continued existence of penal slavery).

But that is no justification for the regression caused by the items I listed. I have no idea what you're trying to get at by "returning to constitution 1.0"; what *I* was trying to communicate by the clause regarding "ignoring articles of our constitution" was the practical nullification of the 14th amendment's prohibition against those having engaged in insurrection being allowed to run for office.

 

[Donal]

Donal, you have failed in the assignment. 0 points awarded.

The only failure would be going along with your concern trolling. Have you tried not wrapping right-wing talking points in box-of-wine-white-lady language?