Washington is still stuck debating Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda and the corresponding reconciliation bill in Congress. There seems to be only one path to a bill and it runs through two or three legislators that all want different things.
The public, on the other hand, is pretty clear on what they want: an ambitious bill that funds several new spending programs, redistributes wealth and expands the social safety net. A new poll from Navigator research released this week reveals a public that is firmly behind the Build Back Better Act, and doesn’t care much about the price tags or particularities of process.
Here are a few things that stick out to me. According to Navigator, the most popular parts of the bill include:
Giving Medicare power to negotiate drug prices
Expanding Medicare eligibility
Raising taxes on corporations and the super-wealthy
(and not raising them on individuals earning less than $400k a year)
These popular provisions are also cited as good reasons to pass the whole package, which includes other things like more affordable childcare and funding for policies to combat climate change:
And do you know what this all reminds me of? I’m getting deja vu to the debates we were having over the persuadability and staying power of “economic populism” during the 2020 Democratic primary. Today, the most popular parts of the Democratic agenda are policies that help working and middle-class families by expanding social services and redistributing wealth from the super-rich.
The question for today, then, is: How do you think Democrats would perform in next year’s mid-terms if they focused almost exclusively on pushing for (and hopefully, campaigning on the passage of) these popular economic policies? Would they be able to defy political physics and avoid the usual mid-term penalty? What issues are introduced by shifting messaging away from the politics of racial identity, immigration, and Donald Trump? Or would the price tag eventually overwhelm voters?
I’m really interested in hearing your thoughts. I hope you all had a great week, and I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow.
Do voters vote on economic issues or social/cultural issues? It's good for Democrats to campaign on popular economic policies, but if that doesn't incentive voters to vote for them, then Democrats will likely lose control of Congress.
I expect Republicans to try to use racial identity, abortion, guns, ect as wedge issues to win over voters. I think that would be difficult for Democrats to overcome.
Here's what I see: the public's clear on what we want. Two DINOs - Synema and Manchin - are blocking the public's wishes and the public are frustrated by our inability to exercise any authority, our lack of agency. Meanwhile, the culture continues being assaulted by assles like Fox and GOP friends in Senate and governor's chairs. Now there are two ways forward. One is bloody revolution and that is what the GOP is aiming for. Their voter suppression and cultural repression legislation, their gerrymandering and propaganda are very clear. The other way is we eviscerate the filibuster and get a move on with our agenda. If we don't eviscerate the filibuster, McConnell will soon as he can. Pundits in newspapers are not writing clearly and plainly about this. The united states are breaking apart. I have moved to a democristan. I hope we can beat the fascists but if we can't Scotland looks good.
Hi Elliott,
Do voters vote on economic issues or social/cultural issues? It's good for Democrats to campaign on popular economic policies, but if that doesn't incentive voters to vote for them, then Democrats will likely lose control of Congress.
I expect Republicans to try to use racial identity, abortion, guns, ect as wedge issues to win over voters. I think that would be difficult for Democrats to overcome.
I hope you are having a good weekend,
Elliot
Here's what I see: the public's clear on what we want. Two DINOs - Synema and Manchin - are blocking the public's wishes and the public are frustrated by our inability to exercise any authority, our lack of agency. Meanwhile, the culture continues being assaulted by assles like Fox and GOP friends in Senate and governor's chairs. Now there are two ways forward. One is bloody revolution and that is what the GOP is aiming for. Their voter suppression and cultural repression legislation, their gerrymandering and propaganda are very clear. The other way is we eviscerate the filibuster and get a move on with our agenda. If we don't eviscerate the filibuster, McConnell will soon as he can. Pundits in newspapers are not writing clearly and plainly about this. The united states are breaking apart. I have moved to a democristan. I hope we can beat the fascists but if we can't Scotland looks good.