Opinion: The Democrats are out of touch with American voters

Editor’s Note: Alice Stewart is a CNN Political Commentator and board member at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics at Harvard University. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. Read more opinion on CNN.

CNN
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Every election is a marathon, not a sprint. Over the course of the campaign, candidates cover many miles, face countless challenges, and hope to outrun the competition. We are now in the final leg of the 2022 midterm election and the momentum appears to be on the GOP side. According to a recent ABC News – IPSOS poll, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on top issues like the economy, inflation and gas prices.

While President Biden has promised to restore the “soul of our nation,” many voters are more concerned about their finances. With Biden’s approval ratings in the low 40s, it’s clear voters feel the President is out of touch with their everyday struggles. Grandiose rhetoric about democracy falls flat when the economy has come close to flatlining.

Let me repeat what I often say: there is no widespread voter fraud in the country, Joe Biden is our duly elected president, having won the 2020 election, and the January 6 attack on the US Capitol was wrong. Those who believe otherwise should face some level of scrutiny. The problem is, people in flyover states can’t afford the luxury of casting a ballot to feed the “democracy is in peril” narrative; they have to feed their family.

As I mentioned this week on CNN, people are more concerned with money in the bank than Democracy on the brink.

In the latest CNN poll, 51% of those polled say economy and inflation will be the key issue determining their vote, followed by abortion (15%), voting rights and election integrity (9%), gun policy (7%), immigration (6%) climate change (4%), and crime (3%).

That means Biden’s speech on democracy this week was a good message but bad timing with just days to go before the midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Republican candidates have focused on issues that are top of mind for families and voters across the country: lowering prices of food and fuel, keeping communities safe, and investing in education.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, made a closing…