These swing voters have low expectations for divided government
These swing voters have low expectations for divided government
asserted
voters → have → government
Key voters in North Carolina are pessimistic the blue wave flipping control of Congress next year will solve their economic woes.
asserted
wave → flip → woes
NPR observed two online focus groups on Tuesday night with 14 voters in North Carolina who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and then President Trump in 2024.
asserted
who → observe → 2024
Twelve said they have pretty low expectations for what Democrats can achieve with Trump still in the White House.
asserted
Trump → say → House
"I think realistically, it just means nothing's going to happen for the next two years," said 32-year-old self-described independent voter Steven, who, like all participants, took part under the condition his last name would not be used.
asserted
name → think → condition
"President Trump would veto anything that comes to his desk, and the House and Senate majorities are not veto proof either, so literally nothing will happen for the next two years," he added.
asserted
he → veto → years
In these groups — part of the Swing Voter Project, held by messaging firm Engagious and market research recruiting firm Nelson Recruiting — 10 people identified as independents, three as Republicans and one as a Democrat.
asserted
people → hold → Democrat
Almost all these voters said they disapprove overall of the job Trump is doing.
asserted
Trump → say → job
Many said they felt Democrats' big wins across the country were a sign that voters "want change.
asserted
voters → say → change
Yet the participants were largely pessimistic that Congress would be able to effect change, once Democrats have control of both the House and Senate come January.
asserted
Democrats → effect → House
Rich Thau, president of Engagious, moderated these groups.
asserted
Thau → moderate → groups
He said these voters chiefly expect that Trump will be a major obstacle and won't give Democrats the ability to get anything done.
asserted
anything → say → ability
"And the Democrats themselves," Thau added to NPR, "[the voters] think that they're going to be sort of all over the place, that they're going to maybe focus too much on investigations. …
asserted
they → add → investigations
But in terms of actually helping them do the one thing that they desperately want, which is to bring their prices down and make their lives more affordable, they are definitely dubious.
asserted
they → help → prices
Instead, they provide a snapshot of what small groups of voters are thinking.
asserted
groups → provide → voters
In this year's midterms, the Voter Poll, conducted by SSRS, found that more than half of voters said government corruption was "crucial" to their vote for Congress.
asserted
corruption → conduct → Congress
That was a bit higher than the share of voters who said cost of living was "crucial."
asserted
cost → say → living
But this small group of key voters — swing voters in a battleground state — doesn't want to see accountability for the Trump administration eclipse the economy.
asserted
accountability → want → economy
They want to see Democrats get rid of tariffs, lower the cost of everyday goods, and stop the war in Iran — which they blame for rising gas prices.
asserted
they → want → prices
"I'm really concerned they're going to pursue those investigations and such," said Rick, a 63-year-old Republican.
asserted
Rick → go → investigations
"And whether they're true or not, it doesn't really matter because there are people in the middle that are being forgotten and can't afford gas and healthcare."
asserted
that → matter → gas
Deborah, a 56-year-old independent voter, said she watched Democrats try to hold Trump accountable for years, and it hasn't yielded anything yet.
asserted
it → say → anything
"They haven't found anything on Trump yet, so just let it go and move on," she said.
asserted
she → find → Trump
"They haven't been able to prove anything, they just keep trying over and over again, and he's still in office.
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he → prove → office
"
"I just think it's wasting taxpayer money," added Kristen, a 38-year-old independent voter.
asserted
Kristen → think → money
Steve, a 39-year-old independent, echoed a common sentiment among these voters, which is that investigations largely amount to political brinksmanship.
asserted
investigations → echo → brinksmanship
He sees it as the parties "butting heads with each other" each cycle.
asserted
parties → see → other
"They're going to just keep going back and forth and they're just looking for anything to mess with Trump for," he said.
asserted
he → go → Trump
Trump is the biggest obstacle
These voters, however, are no fans of Trump, despite voting for him in the 2024 election.
asserted
voters → vote → election
Most said they think Trump will block Democrats' every effort in Congress.
asserted
Trump → say → Congress
"Trump's not going to want to compromise," said Coronda, a 45-year-old Democrat.
asserted
Coronda → go → ?
"Trump is very set in his ways.
asserted
Trump → set → ways
He's very stubborn, he's going to yell 'his way or the highway.'"
asserted
he → go → ?
Steven said he expects Democrats will introduce a lot of bills "mainly for show" once they get into office.
asserted
they → say → office
But he doesn't expect anything to actually get signed into law.
asserted
anything → expect → law
Trump "doesn't want to be embarrassed and he won't let anything pass even if it's a good thing because he doesn't want to give credit to the Democrats," he said.
asserted
he → want → Democrats
Thau said this is why most of these voters are setting their expectations low ahead of what could be some serious gridlock in Washington.
uncertain
what → say → Washington
"If you have low expectations, you're not setting yourself up for disappointment," he said.
asserted
he → have → disappointment
"And I think these voters are not setting themselves up for disappointment.
asserted
voters → think → disappointment
They're going in clear-eyed, expecting President Trump and the Democrats to not get along."
asserted
Trump → go → ?
The Aporia
