Economy top issue for Democrats
By JONATHAN ROOS
Register Staff Writer
08/04/2003
Iowa's Democratic activists have a strong message for the presidential candidates: Fix the nation's economic problems.
Among Iowans likely to take part in the Democratic caucuses in January, 49 percent say the most important issue for the next president to address is the economy and jobs.
The second leading issue is health care, cited by 17 percent in a new Des Moines Register poll. In third place is the budget deficit, cited by 9 percent.
"The economy sucks. The job market is outrageous. They are moving good-paying jobs to Mexico every day," said poll participant Rose Foubert, 43, of North English.
Mary Logan, a retired legal secretary from Mount Vernon, said the cost of health care "has become astronomical. I constantly hear of companies changing health-care plans, much less coverage, much more premiums."
Foubert and Logan plan to attend the Iowa precinct caucuses on Jan. 19 that launch the presidential nominating season for the nation.
While the war in Iraq, the battle against terrorism and President Bush's handling of foreign policy are generating plenty of heat on the campaign trail, the Iowa Poll shows that bread-and-butter issues are uppermost in the minds of most likely caucus participants.
Among a list of seven issues for the next president to confront, relationships with other nations ranks fourth in the poll at 8 percent and the war on terrorism ties with education for fifth place at 6 percent.
Just 3 percent say the environment is the most pressing issue, and 2 percent are unsure.
The poll, taken July 22-29, shows former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean nudging out U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri as the front-runner in Iowa at this stage of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Dean is the first choice of 23 percent of those who say they definitely or probably will attend the Democratic caucuses. Gephardt is favored by 21 percent. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry comes in third in the nine-member field with 14 percent.
The poll has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.
Democratic candidates hammering away at Bush's handling of the economy have a receptive audience among likely caucusgoers. The Iowa Poll shows that 54 percent of men and 45 percent of women in that group consider the economy the top issue for the next president to address. In union households, 60 percent of participants feel that way.
"I want to see America back to work and good-paying jobs," said Foubert, a former employee of Amana, a kitchen appliance manufacturer now owned by Maytag Corp. Her husband still works at a plant in the town of Amana. They also operate a small restaurant.
Foubert, a Gephardt supporter, believes the job situation would improve if the North American Free Trade Agreement was repealed. She cited Maytag's decision to close an Illinois factory and move jobs to Mexico.
Bill Weydert, a poll participant from Peosta, said the current political and economic climate reminds him of the early 1990s, when Bush's father failed to win a second term in the White House despite waging a successful military campaign to drive Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
"It happened eight years ago with Bush Senior. It's still the economy, stupid," said Weydert, 49, a Gephardt supporter who works at a plant that makes electric motors.
Bush's supporters maintain economic conditions are improving thanks in part to his policies. They cite low inflation, recent stock-market gains, increased home sales and growing consumer confidence as evidence that the nation is on the road to recovering from the recession.
Health care is another favorite issue of the Democratic candidates. Several have offered plans that would revamp the nation's health-care system to varying degrees.
While the issue is not as dominant as the economy for likely caucus participants, the Iowa Poll shows that more than 20 percent of those with some college education and from incomes below $30,000 put it at the top of their list of concerns.
Poll respondent Jerry Kirkham, 70, of Davenport complains of mounting prescription-drug costs.
"Drugs are costing me a couple of thousand bucks this year, and I'm not through yet. It's not fair," said Kirkham, who spent a career maintaining lab equipment and still does consulting.
The Iowa Poll asked likely caucus participants about the degree of change they'd like to see in the delivery of medical care and the way health insurance is paid for. A 59 percent majority favors major changes in the system. Another 35 percent support modest changes to improve health-care access.
Just 3 percent favor leaving the system the way it is, and 3 percent are not sure.
"I think we have to have a national health-care plan. I know no one wants to use the word socialized medicine, but we're the only prosperous nation that doesn't have a national health-care plan," said Logan, 55, a supporter of Dean.
Among those likely caucus participants who consider health care the top issue for the next president to address, 33 percent make Dean their first choice. Gephardt garners the support of 25 percent from this group and Kerry draws 10 percent.
Kirkham, a supporter of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, is skeptical that anything will get done, regardless of who wins the presidency in 2004.
"It would be great if they stuck to their tunes, but they don't," he said of candidates' promises.
J. Ann Selzer of Selzer & Co., which conducts the Iowa Poll for The Des Moines Register, contributed to this article. |
