Americans' Financial Worries Should Favor Democrats

The graph above shows the financial worries of the American people from 2001 through the current year. These are the worries that register the highest percentage according to a yearly Gallup Poll (the most recent being done between April 3rd and 6th of a national sample of 1,026 adults, and having a margin of error of 4 points). The three worries in the chart above (maintaining the current standard of living, having the money to pay for a serious illness or accident, and having enough to live on after retiring) are the only ones in the survey that were listed by at least half of the population.

The Republicans think they have the advantage on economic issues, but I disagree. The worries listed above are justified, and that is because the Republicans have (with their failed economic policies) done their best to make them a reality.

Do Americans need to worry about maintaining their current standard of living? Absolutely. The median wage is falling, and the middle class is shrinking. They should be worried. And it is because the Republicans refuse to help pass a jobs program, refuse to raise the minimum wage to a decent level, continue to weaken the power of workers to create and maintain unions, and have created an unfair economic playing field in this country where the rich get richer and everyone else gets poorer.

A lot of people may not yet recognize it, but the passage of Obamacare will help them to take care of any serious illness or accident. In the past, the leading cause of bankruptcies was the inability to pay huge medical bills that were not covered by insurance. But now, thanks to Obamacare, there is no cap on the amount health insurance should pay for medical procedures, or pre-existing condition to price insurance out of the reach of Americans (regardless of whether that insurance is a private policy or provided by an employer). The Republicans want to repeal these protections, and even worse, they want to eliminate Medicare.

Finally, we come to retirement. Although Social Security won't make anyone rich, it does keep 90% of the elderly out of poverty. But the Republicans want to cut Social Security benefits (and most would eliminate the program if they could). That makes this another justifiable financial worry for Americans -- at least as long as the Republicans have power in Washington.

The fact is that the Republicans want to make all of these worries a reality, while the Democrats want to eliminate those worries. This is a no-brainer. Anyone voting on financial issues (and who is not rich) should be voting against the Republican Party this November.