In The Wall Street Journal, Democratic pollsters Doug Schoen and Pat Caddell find a passion for anti-incumbency among significant numbers of American voters. They write: “for the first time in recent memory, inexperience has become a badge of honor, as opposed to an impediment to winning office.”
Beyond the “throw the bums out, mentality,” they say, are some pretty sound principles:
The American people are looking for candidates and parties that champion fiscal discipline, limited government, deficit reduction and a free market, pro-growth agenda. The tea party movement grew as a result of this desire, and its support is a reflection of a broad-based desire to elect candidates who are fiscally conservative and not tied to current policies.
Voters are growing increasingly concerned with the mounting deficit, a trend that is likely to be exacerbated with the national debt now exceeding $13 trillion. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in mid-May found a notable increase in recent months in those who believe cutting the deficit and spending should be the government’s highest priority?20% of those surveyed wanted the deficit and spending to be the government’s top priority, up from 13% in January.
With unemployment still above 9%, the idea that the government could sustain economic recovery on its own with a new stimulus package doesn’t appeal to the cynical electorate. And the thought of adding a trillion dollar health-care reform program is terrifying ? notwithstanding the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that ObamaCare will reduce the federal budgetary commitment to health care in the coming decade.
These same voters don’t trust Republicans to be any more responsible than Democrats. But the burgeoning anti-deficit, anti-megaspending, anti-bailout mentality clearly should lead to a little reticence from the statists in Washington … and on Jones Street, too.
