An exciting subject or not, there are presidential elections this year!
There are some topics you should be aware of as a voter to make sure you’re informed enough about your rights and responsibilities. Hope you meet them halfway when you offer your vote.
1. Perception of the economy
This is one of the top issues brought up in the voting, and we are not so happy right now about the state of the economy despite the signs of growth, declining inflation, and low unemployment.
Some of the concerns are food prices and higher mortgage rates.
President Biden is the one to take the blame in citizens’ eyes. His ranks for how he handles the economy are low, and there is a major potential hindrance to his reelection chances.
Even with the little control that the president has over the economy, Biden and his team better hope that inflation and unemployment remain low enough for the Federal Reserve to loosen up.
2. The abortion topic
What needs to be seen is whether abortion retains its salience. Since the Dobbs decision, this is the first presidential election, and as we can see, Democrats have succeeded in every election since, including the red states.
We are sure that Democrats will do everything to use the issue as a motivational go-to-vote campaign, especially in the context of Republican-governed states passing restrictions.
If you want to refresh the abortion situation in your mind, here is an article from a trusted source that contains all the important points in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and they are well-developed.
3. Ukraine/Israel
There are some perceptions of how Biden is dealing with the foreign policy that has smashed his presidential history. Talking about Israel, the war took away from Biden’s potential voters his democratic base. Younger voters and ethnic groups are likely far from the pro-Israel position. Both conflicts over the political interests of Ukraine, Israel, and the United States, complicate the potential for unified strategies.
It’s unclear what an acceptable resolution to these conflicts would look like. A total victory for Ukraine and the complete eradication of Hamas both appear increasingly unrealistic. We see how Russia is regaining momentum in Ukraine. Experts point out the history of the Gaza conflict, which suggests a perpetual war and US involvement can be needed longer than expected.
Meanwhile, President Biden is focusing on crisis management with the goal of mitigating the worst outcomes without having a vision of how these wars will conclude.
4. Younger voter’s position for the 2024 elections
When it comes to younger voters, they don’t approve of the job Biden is doing, and they don’t particularly like him very much. At the last check, they did not think he was handling the most important issues very well.
As we mentioned earlier, prices are top of mind for all voters. Even if it’s one of the things the president has less control over, a Marist poll in April found that just 37% of voters 18–29 approved of the way Biden is handling the economy, compared to 42% overall.
Another recent poll found voters 18–29 thinking Biden is too old to be an effective president. 82% of them voted pro-this idea, making it a difference of 8–12 points higher than every other age group. As a matter of fact, this is more than 20 points worse than how they viewed Trump on this subject.
Almost half of the 18- to 29-year-old group believes Biden is doing too much to provide military help to Israel. A total of 71% consider that the help of the US in helping Israel defend against Hamas is to be supported, but the influence should also be used to encourage the protection of Palestinians.
5. Third-party candidates
We should be aware of the independent and third-party candidates in 2024. The question here is whether the candidates gain real traction and become the table turn of this election cycle. Experts are saying: “This is a major wild card and something that keeps Democratic strategists up at night.”
Early polling offered an image of the candidates in this election cycle, and here are the relevant ones: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gained high polls, and he withdrew his candidacy in the Democratic Party primaries in October 2023, running as an independent. The overview includes anti-vaccine candidates, environmentalists, Jill Stein as a candidate of the Green Party, professor Cornel West, and there could be a No Labels candidate. With such candidates running, it’s suggested a solid base for Trump.
The disaffected voters seem to be the worry for Democrats. If the ones who would’ve gone for Biden vote for any of the other candidates, this can be Trump’s road back to the White House.
6. Who gives Trump a run?
Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, the other two Republicans with relevant potential, have been classified as the underdogs at this point. Trump has huge numbers in the polls.
After they dropped out, it was up to the voters if they would be heading to Donald Trump. Nikki Haley encouraged Trump to take the actions needed to gain her voters. Her speech didn’t go unnoticed by her former opponent, who felt the need to make ironic remarks on social media.
A little of the chaos familiar to Trump has been created, and Nikki Haley was willing to speak her truth about him: the lack of control she considers is following him and an inability to see right from wrong. She also mentioned his relationship with Vladimir Putin, so this time she was not just throwing shade and she was really provoking the wrath of her Republican colleague.
Biden praised her courage, saying it was a place for her voters in his campaign.
However, Ron DeSantis, who was also very vocal and gained some sympathy, also dropped out, leaving Donald Trump to be the one winning the race from Republicans.
7. Vote counting
Something worth keeping in mind is the attrition among voters. Apart from many other countries, the American election’s integrity and efficiency have been long established. However, the controversy based on the election of former President Trump significantly impacted the system.
The accusations led to increased threats and lawsuits against election officials. This created a hostile environment, leading to the resignation of many experienced professionals. It was an exodus due to the significant loss of administrative culture. Back then, there were concerns raised about the potential impact on the reliability and accuracy of future vote counts, and we are now facing this moment. The instability coming from seasoned officials brings instability to the elections themselves and jeopardizes public confidence in the democratic process.
We are uncertain of the consequences of this shift, but the effects are felt across the nation as a quiet turmoil.
the hold of democratic institutions
As the presidential election heats up, everyone seems to slow down on the topic of who’s fit to lead. Most voters think Biden is too old for the job, and they aren’t thrilled with his performance until now either. Trump, on the other hand, isn’t much younger.
Democrats are investing a lot in their campaign, counting on their opponent’s anti-democratic stances and reckless behavior. In the end, probably what resonates more as an issue with the voters is going to decide the next president.
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