Eau Claire, Wisconsin – It looks like President Biden and former President Trump will face off once again in the 2024 presidential race. But fox polling shows a majority of Americans don’t like either candidate.
The latest Fox News Power Rankings show there are eight battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
In downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, most aren’t thinking about what’s going on in Washington yet. But people in Washington are thinking about Wisconsin.
“I don’t really like politics,” Jennifer Linville said. “It doesn’t matter what side I feel like at this point, like, show me what you’re going to do for us.”
Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona and Pennsylvania are fiercely competitive toss-up states.
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“I anticipate that a lot of people in Wisconsin are going to be sick of being asked what we think about the election,” Reba Kreuger said.
Six out of 10 Americans don’t like either candidate.
“I probably am not going to vote. Neither side looks good to me,” Wisconsinite Jose Ortez said.
The economy is a big issue for voters in the 2024 election and a majority of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of inflation and the economy.
“I’ve been a nurse for a year,” Carlie Olson said. “I thought I was going to make more than I do compared to the prices of things. And I feel like the cost of things has continued to go up.”
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Linville is planning to open a new business in downtown Eau Claire in the coming months.
“Everything just keeps getting more and more expensive. The cost of construction has gone up through the roof. So, that has kind of set me behind a little bit,” Linville said.
“If you don’t vote then I guess you shouldn’t really complain about what’s going on,” 26-year-old nurse Carlie Olson said. She says the economy will impact who she votes for, but declined to say for who. (Mills Hayes)
Some Wisconsin voters say they’re hopeful about the economy.
“I think there are definitely signs that the economy as a whole is getting better,” Kreuger said. “During election years, we hear people talk about the economy over and over and over again. What can we do to actually change things?”
Kreuger said efforts on student loan forgiveness and investments in infrastructure for her when thinking about economic policy.
“I’ve lived in rural Wisconsin most of my life and we have seen with crumbling roads and bridges and not having access to broadband looks like. And so, I see a lot of just like scarcity impacting the local economies that I’ve lived in,” Kreuger said.
But House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson says Trump and Republicans can really turn things around.
“Republicans have the right answers. You’ve seen what the Democrats have delivered,” Johnson told Fox.
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University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire economics professor Dr. Thomas Kemp says unemployment and inflation in the U.S. are low, a good sign for the economy.
“The president at any given time just doesn’t really have that big of an impact on the economy at that time. Of course, they get the credit for it right? If it’s going good, and they take the blame if it’s going bad,” Kemp said.
“If the government decides to spend a bunch of money, deficit spending, that money goes out into the economy,” Dr. Thomas Kemp said. “It contributes to business success and individual prosperity. It may have other negative ramifications further down the road.” (Mills Hayes)
Inflation is down from it’s 2022 high at 3.4% and unemployment is at 3.7 percent.
Menzie Chinn is a professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin’s La Follette School of Public Affairs. He studies the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, a monthly survey of how consumers feel about the economy. He finds it a mystery that how consumers feel about the economy doesn’t match up with actual economic conditions.
“The indicators by all accounts from economists or macroeconomists are that the US economy is doing quite well and, in comparison to other countries, even better,” Chinn said.
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Chinn says there are a few explanations for why consumers feel so negatively about the economy, despite conditions improving. He says none of the reasons are the full answer. Chinn says the impact of partisanship has increased, inflation was remarkably high compared to the past, good economic news takes time for people to register and news reporting on macroeconomic conditions is biased.
Biden’s allies realize the need for the president to address economic challenges, especially during the State of the Union, if he wants a second term. Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus represents Nevada’s first district. She represents another key swing state.
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“I want him to brag about what we have accomplished. Talk about investments in infrastructure, talk about the creation of good union jobs in renewable energy, talk about building the speed train to California,” Rep. Titus said. “We also have to admit that there’s more work to be done because people still feel high prices at the grocery store. So, I want him to come out strong about what his plans are to address those issues.”
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