Will the mid-term elections solve our current problems?
American citizens are hopping mad with government, in their cities, states and with the federal government in Washington. While 68% of those polled think the political class doesn’t care about what the public thinks, about the same number of politicians’ claim the country is on the right track. And, elected officials are held in such low esteem that the possibility of a voter revolt in November is quite likely.
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Disdain for politicians are even greater among older Americans. Only 13% of those 65+ answered affirmatively when asked if the political class cares. And 70% of the New Seniors believe politicians in Washington are a threat to the U.S. .
There are more major races this year than in recent history. For the first time since 1962, 37 Senate seats are in play, with an equal number of governors to be elected across the nation. More House seats than usual, 405 out of 435, will be determined through head-to-head competition.
Incumbents have plenty to worry about, since 67 % of the citizens are unhappy about the direction of the country. And, 86% of those responding to a recent Rasmussen poll say there should be limits on what the federal government can do. Only 9% believe the politicians in Washington should be allowed to do most anything they want; for those 65+ this number fell to just 6%.
If the notion of firing long-sitting incumbents prevails, the party in power may be out of power very soon. The above numbers indicate that the policies of the current government are not popular with most Americans. Passing laws that the populace clearly opposes causes concerns. And when the legislation costs too much and/or does not accomplish the promised goals, the voters become restless. They feel ignored and irrelevant. They want some of the control back and believe the way to do this is at the ballot box. Even if they don’t vote, people everywhere want to be part of the political discussion.
Why don’t people vote? Some were hopeful in 2008 but became disenchanted with the results since then. Others, particularly the younger voters, simply wanted to be part of a history-making event, much like when JFK was elected. One party may be discouraged and the other may think they’ve already won; both attitudes reduce voter turnout.
In spite of the historic proportions of this year’s mid-term elections, only 40% of adults will vote in November compared to 63% in the presidential election in 2008. This is sad, but it makes the voices of those who do vote even louder. For instance, the 65+ voter is expected to account for upwards of 30% of the ballots cast, which means New Seniors could affect the outcome of virtually every race nationwide.
New Seniors are experienced voters. We know that talk is no substitute for action. And this election may be the most important one of our voting careers, so we can’t sit on the sidelines and watch, because our opinions won’t count unless we cast our votes.
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