Most voters think Democrats ran the economy ‘straight into the ground’

Economy / August 4, 2022 / Admin / 0

A majority of likely voters believe Democrats are responsible for plunging the United States into a recession, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in late July that “Democrats inherited an economy that was poised for a historic comeback and quickly brought it down.” Of 1,000 likely voters surveyed between July 28 and July 31, 59% said they agreed with McConnell’s statement and 35% disagreed. The margin of sampling error is ± 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%.

“Predictably, 85% of Republicans at least somewhat agree that Democrats “ran [the economy] straight into the ground,” as did the majority (57%) of unaffiliated voters. However, even 38% of Democratic voters agree with McConnell’s quote, including 23% who strongly agree,” according to the poll report.

The most likely voters (62%) believe the US economy is in a recession, even as the White House and its Big Tech allies try to redefine the term. Less than a quarter (23%) think the US economy is not in recession and 15% are unsure.

President Joe Biden’s recession denial has done little to allay his own party’s concerns, with nearly half (47%) of Democrats also saying they believe the economy is in recession. However, Biden’s staunchest supporters are the most likely to think there is no recession (58%). Not surprisingly, Republicans (83%) and voters who “strongly disapprove of Biden’s performance” (89%) are more likely to believe there is a recession. Fifty-seven percent of unaffiliated voters agree.

An overwhelming majority (91%) believe the economy and inflation will be important in the 2022 congressional elections, a result reflected in various other surveys. Of those who say the economy will be crucial in the upcoming election, 61% “strongly agree” with McConnell’s condemnation of Democrats.

High earners (annual income over $200,000) agree that the economy will take center stage in the upcoming election, even though they “often side with the Democrats on cultural issues…”, said noted Rasmussen Reports. High-income voters are also the most likely to “strongly agree” with McConnell that Democrats “ran [the economy] directly into the ground.