Do The Issues Really Matter In This Election ?

The chart above is made from a recent Pew Research Center survey. That survey was done between September 2nd and 9th of a random national sample of 2,002 adults, and has a margin of error of 2.5 points. It shows the issues that are important to Republican and Democratic voters.

In a normal election year, this chart would be very important, and could give the politicians a guide as to how to conduct their campaigns. But this is not a normal election year. This is a year in which the voters are very angry with Congress -- angry that they didn't even try to compromise to get the economy moving again and create jobs. The folks on Main Street are still hurting, and haven't recovered from the recession -- and they are not happy at all that Congress has ignored that to play ideological games (especially the Republicans).

There are some safe seats for both parties, and the incumbents in those seats will be sent back to Congress. But there are also a lot of competitive seats, and the voter anger has resulted in a definite anti-incumbent mood. The incumbents in those competitive seats are all in danger, and the voters (especially the Independents) could send a lot of new representatives to Congress this year.

This is a year in which the anti-incumbent mood is more important than the parties stands on the issues. The voters want a Congress that will get something accomplished.