What one word is at the center of Democrat strategy for the midterms? Abortion--or "right to choose/women's health care," to employ two of the Democrats' favorite euphemisms.
So when CNN devotes a segment to a Gallup poll showing the economy/inflation as the clear #1 issue to voters, and abortion at the bottom of the list, the liberal network naturally spins this as . . . good news for Democrats!!
CNN polling maven Harry Enten was a guest on today's New Day. Enten displayed that list of issues concerning to Americans, as per a recent Gallup poll. And there at the top, the economy. The CNN chyron pushed "Why High Inflation Doesn't Seem to Be Hurting Democrats."
According to Enten, while the economy leads the list, the percentage of Americans naming it as the number one problem isn't as high as in other years. And that's because, per Enten, while the news on inflation is bad, the news on employment is good.
But, incredibly, Enten and co-host John Berman totally ignored and made no mention of the item at the very bottom of the list: abortion. We've circled it in red for your viewing convenience.
If the economy, rated #1 by 37%, isn't hurting Democrats, then surely abortion, at only 5%, can't be helping them much at all.
This was a textbook example of the liberal media cherry-picking statistics to spin them in the way most favorable to Democrats. In doing so, CNN whistled past the graveyard of millions of unborn children.
PS: In his online version of this analysis, Enten also tried to play up Democrats on abortion: "One big reason the 2022 election looks to be about something other than the economy is the US Supreme Court's June decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. That marked a turning point in the national political environment (in favor of Democrats)."
On New Day, CNN downplaying the significance of polling showing that the #1 problem for Americans is the economy, while ignoring the fact that the bottom issue on the list is abortion, was sponsored in part by Verizon, Skechers, Amazon, Subway, and United Healthcare.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
New Day
9/20/22
6:36 am EDTJOHN BERMAN: So what is the impact of inflation on the midterms so far? With me now is CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, who's been crunching these numbers so hard these last few days, no time to shave!
HARRY ENTEN: No time to shave. It's just time to do work, John.
BERMAN: But the answer, Harry, to how much of an impact this is having, it may surprise people, right?
ENTEN: I think it may surprise people. So, Gallup has been asking this question for awhile: what's the most important problem facing the country? You can name more that one.
See here, look: all the economic problems, inflation, gas prices, what have you. Whatever the Americans say, total up to 37%. Now that's on the top of the list compared to individual issues you see right here. The government poor leadership at 20% in second place.
But here's the key nugget, down here. 66% say something other than the economy is the most important issue. So, the economy right now is number one as an individual issue, but it's only a plurality. It's not a majority.
BERMAN: Put that in some historical context, now.
ENTEN: So let's put that in some historical context, right? How many say the economy is the most important issue? This is comparing the final poll preceding midterm and presidential elections since 1988. Right now we're at about 37%, right? The average from 1988 through 2020 was 39%. So in fact, we're, if anything, slightly below average for the percentage of Americans who say the economy is the top problem. It's not anywhere close to where we were in 2012. It is above where we were in 2018, but it's really just about average over the last 35 years.
BERMAN: It's actually slightly below average there. What was it the last time inflation was so high?
ENTEN: So, compared to the last time inflation was so high, so the nation's top problem, midterm cycle, so this was the last time it was this high at this point in a midterm cycle was 1974. Back in 1974, about 80% of Americans said the economy was in fact the top prolem. Now it's just 37%.
So, this is a very different picture than you might be expecting to see when inflation was this high. The percentage of Americans who say the economy is the top problem just isn't matching up at all!
BERMAN: You know, why, Harry?
ENTEN: Why? Why, John, with that wonderful leading question. Inflation hasn't been higher since '74, Ibut, here's the whole thing. If you look at different portions of the economy, it gives you a different picture. This is the lowest unemployment rate in the midterm cycle since 1954. And it is the biggest Idrop in the unemployment rate in a midterm cycle since 1954.
So inflation bad. But unemployment, pretty good!
BERMAN: Interesting to see the different the different crosscurrents in the economy here. Maybe canceling each other out.
