‘Back to normal’: Republicans benefit in first ‘post-pandemic’ election
The 2022 midterms are the first “post-pandemic” elections in the US, with the virus slipping down voters’ list of concerns and president Joe Biden still winning some credit for his handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
But the issues voters are most concerned about, from high inflation and poor school test results to rising levels of crime, have all been exacerbated to some degree by the pandemic and its aftermath. And it is Republican candidates who are reaping the benefits.
“Covid-19 is declining as an issue for the American public,” said Chris Jackson, senior vice-president at Ipsos. “People have gone back to normal, but they are not giving the Democrats credit for that — they want to know what both parties are going to do for them next.”
Meanwhile several high-profile midterm races are hinging on rising crime, including Democrat Kathy Hochul’s campaign to hold on to the New York governor’s mansion. Although Republicans blame rising crime on Democrats’ policing policies, some criminologists argue it has been fuelled in part by the economic scars left by the pandemic lockdowns.
Data collated by the political website FiveThiryEight show that Americans broadly approve of the way in which Biden has handled the pandemic.
But Tom Cochran at 720 Strategies, said that would hold little sway in the midterms. “Things are getting back to normal, but that’s exactly why many people don’t want to talk about it. Bringing it up on the campaign trail is just giving voters PTSD.”
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Kiran Stacey
