“Restoring the economy and lowering inflation” tops the set of issues voters have in mind when considering who they will support in the 2022 midterm elections, and voters are more concerned about “respecting individual rights and liberty” than “combatting the coronavirus pandemic,” a Convention of States/Trafalgar Group survey released Thursday found.
The survey asked voters, “When considering who you will vote for in 2022, what issue is most important to you?” A plurality of voters, 45 percent, identified “restoring the economy and lowering inflation” as their top issue. The second most important issue, chosen by 20 percent, was “respecting individual rights and liberty” — a likely reference to the emergence of coercive vaccine mandates. In third place was “addressing climate change” (16.5 percent).
Notably, “combatting the COVID-19 pandemic” did not even garner double digits; only 6.1 percent identified it as their priority issue. Other issues on the list include “fighting crime and violence” (4.9 percent), “respecting parental rights in education” (4.6 percent), and “responding to aggression from China” (2.9 percent).
A plurality of Democrats (39.8 percent), Republicans (48.4 percent), and independents (49 percent), identified “restoring the economy and lowering inflation” as the most important issue. Both Republicans and independents categorized “respecting individual rights and liberty” as a more crucial issue than combatting the coronavirus. Those two issues are closer together for Democrats, as 11.1 percent said combatting the pandemic is a top issue, compared to 10.4 percent who said respecting individual rights and liberty.
The survey, taken November 11-16, 2021, among 1,092 likely general election voters, has a margin of error of +/- 2.97 percent.
The poll results come as Americans feel the impact of inflation around the holiday season. Weekly jobless claims fell last week, sparking further fears of worsening inflation.
As Breitbart News reported Thursday:
The historically low level of claims suggests that employers are reluctant to let go of workers in a very tight labor market. This could provoke further concerns about wage pressures accelerating inflation. Job openings reached a record high of 11 million in October, a Labor Department report showed Wednesday.
The Department of Labor is scheduled to release its monthly report on consumer prices Friday. Economists expect the Consumer Price Index to rise 6.7 percent from a year ago, a faster pace than the 6.2 percent reported last month. A tighter labor market typically would indicate even more inflationary pressures building in the economy.
All the while, millions of Americans are facing personal battles over coercive vaccine mandates that President Biden is attempting to implement on nearly 80 million workers via an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. That mandate has been temporarily blocked by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals; litigation is ongoing.
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