Left to Democrats: It's the economy, stupid

Progressives are urging Democrats to lean more heavily into the economy in the last weeks before the midterms, arguing the party needs a course correction from its effort to motivate voters through warnings over abortion rights and a GOP beholden to former President Trump. 

The plea for a sharper focus comes as recent polling has dimmed Democratic hopes for the elections while showing voters rate inflation and economic concerns as their top priorities.  

“The closing argument has to be about what matters to the electorate,” said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the liberal activist network Our Revolution. “In this moment in particular, voters are looking for the candidates who will fight to raise their standards of living.” 

While rising inflation on President Biden’s watch has been used in attack ads by Republicans, Geevarghese and other progressive activists argue Democrats can win over voters with the right economic messages. 

Working class voters “are worried about rising gas prices, they’re worried about putting food on the table, they’re worried about keeping a roof over their heads because their wages are not keeping up,” Geevarghese said. “The closing argument at the end of the day has to speak to that immediate material need.” 

The White House believes there’s room to talk about a lot of priorities. On Tuesday, chief of staff Ron Klain responded to a tweet about Democrats’ focus on abortion over the economy by previewing a speech Biden was preparing to deliver on gas prices. 

“Not an either / or.  @POTUS spoke about abortion today, will speak about gas prices tomorrow,” Klain tweeted, confirming the administration’s strategy of amplifying several issues before Nov. 8. 

Progressives say there’s a risk to that approach.  

While recognizing the merits of talking about the danger of Trump and attacking the GOP for dismantling democratic norms and women’s rights, they think the economy has to come first in the discussion. At least if Democrats want to have a shot at winning.  

“You can’t cede the issue that voters overwhelmingly tell you is most important and think you are going to win,” said Krystal Ball, a left-wing media figure and host of “Breaking Points,” a progressive podcast. “It’s political malpractice.” 

A New York Times-Siena poll found 26 percent of respondents said the economy was their main midterm issue, while 18 percent said inflation ranked the most important. Abortion came in at single digits – just 5 percent.  

Progressives have been united in arguing that this campaign cycle will be won and lost over the economy. But their warnings have often been met with skepticism from other Democrats, who favor talking about a number of issues including reproductive rights. 

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Democrats hoped that by making the topic of abortion rights their unofficial platform, they’d be able to turn out women, suburban voters, and independents who otherwise might stay home or vote for the GOP. 

They’ve also sought to connect abortion rights to the economy.  

“Abortion is an economic issue that touches the lives of millions, and voters across the political spectrum recognize that our right to determine what is best for our own bodies and lives is essential,” Olivia Cappello, who manages state communications campaigns for Planned Parenthood Votes, wrote in an email to The Hill. “Poll after poll this election cycle has shown that abortion is a motivating factor for voters.” 

Other surveys indicate voters aren’t necessarily making the connection between reproductive freedom and the economy — at least not yet. And some progressives are publicly expressing frustration over what they see as the party’s disjointed approach.  

“The closing argument that the Democratic establishment is moving forward is more a vision of fear: the attack on reproductive rights, the attack on our democracy is what you should be afraid of. You should vote because we’re not going to do more draconian things,” said Geevarghese. 

“I think fear is a mobilizing factor, but I would argue that hope should outweigh it. You have to have something to believe in, something to vote for. That’s what really motivates somebody,” he said. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is gearing up to make that case to a national audience. He’s headed out on a multistate tour, targeting Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas and Florida. 

Sanders has been critical of the party’s strategy to court working-class voters dating back to his 2016 insurgent bid against Hillary Clinton. He used much of that same message to re-energize voters in the open primary in 2020 and ended up winning a sizable portion of low-income voters both times.  

Addressing a question by The New York Times about how he views Democrats faring with that electorate this cycle — without Biden or Trump on the ballot — he responded candidly: “I think they’re doing rather poorly.” 

Another leading progressive lawmaker, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), shared a similar sentiment. 

“We need to have a better, sharper economic message,” Khanna told MSNBC’s Katy Tur. “We have a lot to run on. I call it a new economic patriotism, which is that Democrats are bringing manufacturing back home. We’re bringing back supply chains, and that actually is going to help tackle inflation.” 

Even Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whose guidance lawmakers and candidates rely on each cycle, indicated that her party needs to fine-tune how it talks about inflation. 

“Inflation is there but it’s global and not as bad as it is in some countries. We’ll have to message it better in the next three weeks ahead,” she told Punchbowl News, adding, “I think we’re in great shape.” 

Republicans, for their part, are honing in on what they feel can drive enthusiasm. While Biden delivered speeches on fuel costs and abortion rights both this week, they see rising gas prices as a winning issue. 

GOP candidates have indeed gained traction in the last weeks, with key Senate races in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin tightening up. 

“A year ago, Biden said he didn’t have a 'near-term answer' to outrageously high gas prices,” said Tommy Pigott, the Republican National Committee’s rapid response director. “A gallon of gas cost $3.37 then. It costs $3.82 today.”