Political Issues Ranked by Importance

[MineralMan]

Rassumussen surveyed Americans on which issues they considered very important during December. Their report, as of December looks like this for the top ten issues:

The percentages are based on people selecting issues as "Very Important."

Economy
80%
Health Care
67%
Gov't Ethics and Corruption
65%
Taxes
60%
Social Security
60%
Education
60%
Immigration
49%
National Security/War on Terror
48%
Afghanistan
24%
War in Iraq
19%

This is what candidates are basing their campaigns on. Other issues rank lower in their importance to voters, so they'll get less attention from the candidates. You can see the methodology and other details at the link below:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/importance_of_issues

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Wow. Climate change doesn't even make the list.

Half the public thinks immigration is a problem, but nobody seems to give a damn ab out the heat death of the biosphere.

I think these polls are largely indicants of how well the media are doing in twisting public opinion into the shapes that the Masters of The Universe want to see.

[MineralMan]

3. I'm not really sure about how the rankings come about, but

polling on issues is a huge influence in campaigns. Climate change isn't among the top ten. The war on drugs isn't in the top ten. GMO crops isn't on the list. A lot of things that we think are crucially important here on DU don't show up in the top ten. They're all important, but this list is a pretty good indicator of how people are going to decide by November.

Every candidate is seeing this list, or other poll-generated lists similar to it. So we shouldn't expect a lot of conversation about issues that don't make this top ten. If you're asking yourself why a candidate isn't addressing something that is important to you, your answer is in this and other such lists. It may be the media coverage that influences people's responses to these polls, but it doesn't really matter in what the results show and what the candidates will be hitting hardest.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. I think the polls & the politicians inhabit a positive feedback loop.

The politicians put out an issue, the press trumpets it, the public hears it, they clamor about it, they rate it high in the polls, and the politicians thump on it all the more, which juices up the public to rate it higher in the polls…


The problem is that the media are nothing but a link in the feedback loop. They are paid well to abdicate their duties to inform by not covering climate change, GMO problems, etc. Mobil & Archer Daniels Midland dictate the agenda.

[MineralMan]

12. You're right, of course.

It is the current reality, and what must be dealt with during election time. I don't like it, either, but I'm always aware of what are the influences on the average voter. Elections turn on this stuff, not the stuff that we're usually concerned about. And the outcome of elections has an enormous influence on the direction the country takes.

That's why I confine my activism to legislative elections. At both the state and federal level, legislators are running local election campaigns. Individual voices make more of a difference locally. The Presidency takes care of itself. I can't influence that outcome at all, so I don't expend energy on it.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. And I understand your point as well.

Although I sort of think the polls are unnecessary; all you'd have to do is do content analyses of the mainstream media to see where public opinion is being pushed.

[whatchamacallit]

21. Lol! Someone posts about the president's Monsanto fail and

Lo and behold an OP with a list to show why GMO foods, endless war, wall street grift... just ain't that important. More accountability relativism from the 'Obama can do no wrong' crowd.

[Bandit]

9. If the poll did not ask then there would be no reply....

Sort of shows a little Bias IMO....

[MineralMan]

13. Of course. I'm not justifying this.

I'm explaining that this is what the candidates are looking at, not the issues we think are crucial ones. It simply explains something. I deal with realities during election years, not ideals so much.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. Yes, that thought crossed my mind too.

Limiting the available choices to the politically acceptable range.

[opihimoimoi]

27. Come, we go Luau, we learn of big plan for MAN,,,,learn how to stabilize ....in stages,...small but

grows exponentially and expidiently as well...

GOpers suck at long term solutions...

The answers are with the DEMs ...they have the right philosophy and polarity...ride with the

BLUE

and our answers come TRUE

&feature=fvwrel

[Jackpine Radical]

30. The answers are with the Occupiers.

The role of the Dems is to slow down the destruction so the truly innovative forces in the world have time to pull us out of the shit.

[opihimoimoi]

31. yup...86 the baggers gop and we be 1/2 there....

[Major Hogwash]

2. I guess the Republicans won't play the 'Fear Card' this year, huh?

They have played it for 12 straight years.
It's below education now.

[Romulox]

4. Which means that this election will largely be fought over "culture wars" style issues.

After all, in what way do Mittens and Obama substantively disagree w/r/t the economy?

[MineralMan]

6. Probably, and as usual.

The Presidential race is usually a popularity contest, really. One or two issues end up making the campaign.

Again, this is why it is the legislative races, both national and state, that are what are really important in 2012, I think. It is there where activism makes the most difference, and local and smaller issues take higher priority.

[randome]

5. Those aren't issues so much as topics.

I wonder how people poll on more specific remedies.

Revoking Citizens United?
Reinstating Glass-Steagall?

[MineralMan]

7. Or maybe "concerns."

I suspect that Citizens United and Glass-Steagall don't even register, except for a very small percentage of voters. Very small, indeed. I suspect that if you polled the population, you'd get over 95% who didn't even know what those two things are, and less than 1% who could say two coherent sentences about them. DU is a tiny, more informed segment of the population. We're also a very tiny part of the voting public. For most voters, "The Economy" is an issue, but they don't know much about what that means.

The problem is that most people don't know anything much about economics or any other major topic. So, they don't break it down into the smaller issues that control those major topics. That's why you only hear glittering generalities, for the most part, from candidates. Campaigns aren't aimed at knowledgeable voters. They're aimed at voters who don't really understand the subjects being discussed.

[randome]

8. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

Just wanted to hear what someone else had to say.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Don't blame the underinformed.

Blame the underinformers.

[FarLeftFist]

14. This doesn't seem to bode very well for the GOP

Being the economy is getting better, the GOP wants to repeal Obamacare, we know who the GOP wants to give tax breaks to, people love SS/Education; something the GOP wants to do away with, Obama has a great record on National Security, Iraq is over, Afghanistan is being drawn down, etc.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Ultimately, you have to wonder if they even want to win.

The clown car act is amusing, but Obama only has to follow Napoleon's advice here:

"When your enemy is busy destroying himself, it's rude to interrupt."

For example, Gingrich is doing such a wonderful job of savaging Romney that, if he gets the nomination, there will be little of him left standing for the Democrats to beat up on.

[AlinPA]

18. Where is "Banning Contraception"?

[MineralMan]

19. Off the chart at the bottom of the list.

Nobody really thinks that contraception will be banned. It's simply not a concern for most people. That's what I'm saying, really. While an issue may be extremely important to a small percentage, such issues will probably never be in play during the election. The top 10, however, will be in play, and that's where the candidates will focus.

[AlinPA]

22. I forgot my sarcasm thingee.

[Quantess]

29. Tell that to Rick Santorum.

He seems to think America is as obsessed with abortion, gay marriage, and the sinfulness of birth control, as he is. He is obsessed with other people's crotches.

[Quantess]

20. Yes, and how about banning gay marriage?

LOL, it was my first thought as I looked at the list.

[EC]

24. The hell with banning contraception

They are banning sex...because without birth control I'm not letting a man near me...and I'll bet a lot of other women will make the same decision...more women know how to satisfy themselves now...so the men better get a clue.

[EC]

23. So why is all I hear about is

gays and women's health issues?

[MineralMan]

25. Those are really important issues, too.

They are here on DU, but not out in the general population, as seen in those poll results. Because of that, don't expect a lot of commentary from candidates on those issues.

[bullwinkle428]

26. The Occupy movement directly revolves around addressing 3 of the top 4, which pretty much blunts

the arguments from wing-nuts that they're nothing more than "fringe hippies"...

[kctim]

28. No suprise here

Just more evidence showing how the far-right and far-left have little in common with the average person.