DFP’s newsletter of our latest polls, memos, and memes.

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Apparently, Democrats don’t talk about Bruno (the Inflation Reduction Act)

With the midterm election only four days away and control of Congress on the line, now is not the time to be humble. Democrats, please don’t be shy. Republicans love screaming about letting 18-year-olds buy military grade weapons, so we need to boast when we pass the biggest piece of climate legislation (!!!) in United States history.

Yet, Data for Progress finds voters are decently in the dark about the Inflation Reduction Act (the only IRA we’re allowed to publicly support). Y’all know this wasn’t meant to be a secret, right? Like, we can absolutely tell people about this. But in our recent poll ([link removed]) of national likely voters, we find 63% of voters haven’t seen or heard political ads about the IRA — and among those who have, 35% of voters said they were mostly positive ads and 31% said they saw mostly negative ads. Yeesh.

Would it be helpful if we talked about the IRA like we’re spreading gossip? Like, “oh my god, have you heard that the IRA allows Medicare to negotiate prices for prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies? I can’t believe they weren’t talking to each other until now, it’s been years!” And, “please don’t say anything, this stays in the newsletter, but the IRA low-key provides tax credits for the production of solar and wind energy. I know. Insane.”

TL;DR: The IRA is a popular piece of legislation. If this were Mean Girls, it would easily be a member of the Plastics (maybe even more popular than Regina George. Or at least Karen). Data for Progress finds 54% of voters support the IRA, including 78% of Democrats and 51% of Independents.

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So, why are Democrats keeping mum about this crucial, popular piece of legislation that is popular amongst voters? Right before the midterms, nonetheless? We’re not sure. If they have been talking about it, that message hasn’t been reaching voters.

We recommend that Joe Biden make a TikTok about the IRA featuring the Corn Kid. That seems like the obvious solution.

Read the full blog and polling here ([link removed]) .


** Here are some other highlights from DFP this week:
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Can I ask you a question…? Did you ever associate an issue with one party?

When we think of Republicans, certainly a few things come to mind. Dr. Oz’s pathetic attempt at appealing to Pennsylvania voters through a veggie platter (crudites, if you’re nasty). The laughable lineup of celebrities that the RNC tries to wrangle together every four years (Kid Rock!! Hailey Bieber’s worst uncle, Stephen Baldwin!!!). And of course, the fantastic debate ([link removed]) moment when Mitt Romney said that he had binders full of women (Binders. Full. Of. Women.).

Beyond cringe-worthy moments in grocery stores and D-list celebrities, specific issues make voters think of Republicans over Democrats and vice versa. A new poll ([link removed]) from yours truly finds voters tend to associate Democrats with expanding social programs. 52% of voters associate Democrats with building new affordable housing and 54% of voters believe that Democrats support expanding Medicare to cover vision, dental, and hearing.

On the flip side, voters affiliate Republicans with restricting abortion access. 74% of voters associate Republicans with banning abortion, including 80 percent of Democrats, 71% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans. Considering that Republican governors are bending over backwards to restrict abortion access in their states and conservative justices hop, skipped, and jumped over precedent to overturn Roe and Casey, this makes sense to us.

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Election day is nigh. The midterms are upon us. Mail-in ballots have been sent and people are prancing through the streets with their “I voted early!” stickers, like they’re so much better than everyone else (they are).

As results come in, it’s crucial to know which messages landed with voters and which issues they associate with Democrats and Republicans. Ahead of 2024, knowing this can help Democrats strengthen certain messages and help us understand why people voted a certain way.

But as long as Democrats are never associated with Kid Rock, at least we know we’re doing something right.

Read the full blog and polling here ([link removed]) .

New York indoor air quality is spookier than Heidi Klum’s worm costume.

There are so many lovely things about New York City: Riverside Park, bagels, congressional primary elections that are contingent on which candidate actually goes to Barney Greengrass ([link removed]) .

Of course, the greatest city in the world is also pretty unhinged. The subway’s attitude on the weekend tends to be “please leave, it’s a day of rest” and despite recent statements ([link removed]) saying otherwise, the rats do in fact run this city.

While we’re here, we can add borderline indoor air quality to that list. New York City has high rates of asthma and respiratory illness which can be prevented by installing air quality monitors in public spaces. In a truly shocking turn of events, it seems voters are generally pro-breathing clean air! Who would have thought! Data for Progress finds New York voters support changing the building code to require businesses to install air quality monitors to detect and prevent outbreaks that could lead to pandemics by a +42-point margin.

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Voter perceptions of this reform tends to vary by race. 88 percent of Black New Yorkers support building code reforms for indoor air quality monitors, compared to 72 percent of Latina/o respondents and 63 percent of white New Yorkers. Research ([link removed]) shows that people of color are over three times more likely to live in communities with polluted air than their white counterparts.

Breathing clean air should be a basic human right. The air quality in the Koch family penthouse shouldn’t be any better or worse than the air quality anywhere else (actually, can we make it worse? Is that an option?). Either way, let’s improve that indoor air quality, New York City. The rats running the city are starting to get impatient.

Read the full blog and polling here ([link removed]) .
Donate to DFP ([link removed])


** DFP In The News
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ABC News: Gas prices could decide the midterms. Here's why ([link removed])
Slate: The Midterms Are About the Horrible Truth That Gas Prices Still Rule Everything Around Us ([link removed])
The Hill: Why the fate of Medicare and Social Security is a midterm issue ([link removed])
Politico: What polls show about the undecided voters who could swing the Senate ([link removed])
The Hill: Rick Scott: ‘I don’t know one Republican’ in favor of slashing retirees’ benefits ([link removed])
The Independent: Republicans have convinced voters inflation is Biden’s fault — even though they have no plan to solve it ([link removed])
The Hill: Arizona’s Libertarian Senate candidate dropping out of race, endorsing Masters ([link removed])
New York Times: Libertarian Candidate Drops Out of Arizona Senate Race and Endorses Masters ([link removed])
FiveThirtyEight: What Happened To Stacey Abrams? ([link removed])
Vox: In Arizona and Nevada, Democrats’ missteps and bad luck could set them back for years ([link removed])
New York Magazine: What the Polls Say Today: Doug Mastriano’s Hopes Fade ([link removed])
Washington Post: Kathy Hochul and New York’s never-ending backlash against crime ([link removed])
Five Thirty Eight: What Americans Think About Political Violence ([link removed])
The Hill: Democrats relish chance to knock off Ron Johnson, but their odds look long ([link removed])
The American Prospect: How Governing Can Motivate Politics ([link removed])
Wisconsin Public Radio: Mandela Barnes to Milwaukee Rotary: Ron Johnson is a 'threat to the stability of this country' ([link removed])
Florida Politics: Delegation for 11.1.22: One week out — Midterm money races ([link removed])
Nevada Independent: Poll: Sisolak, Cortez Masto narrowly lead GOP opponents in days ahead of election ([link removed])
Florida Politics: Can a cash edge of almost $1 million help the Democrat make up ground? ([link removed])
The Grio: Young Black voters could be essential in future elections, analysis of theGrio/KFF survey shows ([link removed])
City Journal: Public Safety on the Ballot in Portland, Oregon ([link removed])


On Social

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Dems Deliver

Hi friends, this Dems Deliver is for Gen Z, Zillenials, and Millennials who are young enough to be unsure of how to react when a friend says that they're pregnant.

Okay, now that it’s just us, how are you guys? We know, it’s been a rough couple of years. Global pandemic during our late-teens and twenties. The job market was quirky for a bit there. Rent was low, and that was fun, but now it’s higher than ever. And how are we expected to afford living when we’re in crushing debt from a college we decided to go to when we were 18 and thought we wanted to be a graphic designer, but now we’re in finance? We’re all just trying our best, aren’t we? And sometimes it feels like no one is listening. We’ve got ideas! We can make the world a better place!

We get it, as the voice of our generations said, it’s brutal out here. But actually, it’s not all brutal. Over the past two years, there have been quite a few progressive victories. The Biden Administration announced that the Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients ([link removed]) and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. They passed the Inflation Reduction Act ([link removed]) (as we mentioned, the biggest piece of climate legislation in U.S. history), which will combat the climate crisis, reduce the deficit, and finally ask the largest corporations to pay their fair share. Breaking 30 years of federal inaction on gun violence legislation, Congress passed the
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act ([link removed]) . The bill requires people under 21 to undergo enhanced background checks, closes the “boyfriend loophole,” and provides funding to address youth mental health.

So when you’re mindlessly scrolling through Instagram this week, take a moment to post a fun infographic and remind your friends, family, and situationships to vote. We made a lot of progressive strides and with two more years of Democrats in office, there will definitely be more to come. Plus if you vote, you get a sticker, and that’s super fun.

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