With the decline in poll numbers, Democratic Party The media blitz has begun to coordinate the publicity of a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package with a view to boosting confidence in the party’s entry into a critical election year.
But experts are not willing to invest too much in this piece of legislation.Presidential signature Joe BidenAccording to the agenda, the package provides the largest single investment in U.S. infrastructure and is a much-needed victory. Optimistically, it can reassure voters that the president and his party can fulfill their campaign promises and do it with the support of both parties. at this point. But most people question whether the infrastructure package is capable of dealing with voters after months of chaotic internal fighting exposed partisan divisions.
Infrastructure projects like those paid for in the new federal package usually take years to complete, are usually unattractive, and can cause damage during this period because the water supply system is demolished, construction slows down road traffic and causes bridges Delay.
“obviously, [water] The pipeline is not seen, so the challenge when replacing the pipeline is interruption,” said Joshua Scacco, a professor at the University of South Florida who focuses on political communication and information transmission. Weekly newspaper“It’s also easy to be overlooked.”
It is undeniable that the Democratic Party is at a disadvantage when it enters the midterm elections.A sort of Washington post-The ABC News poll released over the weekend found that although many people support the infrastructure package and larger proposals to expand social programs and climate initiatives, Republicans Occupy a clear advantage.Approximately 51% of registered voters surveyed stated that they would support the Republican candidate’s campaign Congress The poll found that if an election is held today, 41% of people said they would support the Democratic candidate.
Biden took office in January with a small majority in the House of Representatives Senate, But even if his party is in power, it is difficult for him to get a key part of the legislative agenda through Congress. Biden still hopes to pass a larger social safety net expansion plan, which he calls the “Rebuild Better” plan, but he has been struggling to win support, mainly because of its high price.
At the same time, consumer prices have skyrocketed in the supply chain crisis, the coronavirus pandemic continues to damage public health and the economy, and differences in mask and vaccine regulations have caused turmoil.
“The challenge for Democrats now is not that they have nothing popular to sell. The American people feel the more direct impact,” political analyst Amy Walter, editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, told Weekly newspaper“When you are a ruling party, it is always better to give voters a reason to keep you in power.”
Walter said that the layout of the election is also not conducive to the Democratic Party, because they insist on moderate voters in an increasingly polarized environment, while trying to appease the party’s growing left.
Walter said: “They are trying to keep the purple state, in the difficult environment we are in now, this is still a challenge.”
Democrats hope that the infrastructure package will help expand the scale and give voters a reason to stand on their side. These include US$110 billion for highways, bridges, and road repairs; US$66 billion for passenger and freight railroads; US$65 billion for broadband Internet; US$46 billion for resilience projects to help states respond to climate change Prepare for impacts, including wildfires, droughts and deadly storms; US$39 billion for public transportation; US$17 billion for ports and waterways.
During his trip to New Hampshire and Michigan this week, Biden will highlight some of the projects that are now receiving the long-awaited funding.
The Democratic campaign agency is organizing a coordinated effort to help candidates at the state and local levels and states through events and phone banking.
“While Democrats will operate on these results, Republicans will have to explain why they are opposed to creating more high-paying jobs and investing in their state’s roads, bridges, clean drinking water and high-speed internet,” Jazmin Jazmin Vargas said the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee spokesperson told Weekly newspaper“In 2022, voters will hold Republican Senate candidates responsible for giving priority to their own selfish politics at the expense of working families.”
No response from the Republican campaign team Weekly newspaper solicit opinions. Many Republicans avoided discussing public opinion polls’ general infrastructure plans and instead focused their anger on the larger social spending bill, which has so far had no public supporters on the right side of the aisle.
Stan Veuger, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank, told Weekly newspaper He doesn’t think the Democrats will get too much political backlash from the infrastructure plan.
“The strongest supporters may be too optimistic about the consequences,” he said. “I think it is difficult for people to distinguish the content of the bill.”
Scacco said that for Democrats to get any political momentum from the infrastructure plan, communication is essential. “The government and supporters must communicate this message in their communities.”
Skako pointed out that the Democrats could have made more use of the Biden-backed U.S. rescue plan, which is a nearly $2 trillion stimulus plan passed by Congress this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The way is different.
Skako believes that the government moved quickly to turn to Biden’s next agenda before fully publicizing the plan and its direct impact on people and businesses.
“What happened is that the Biden White House was busy doing a thousand things in the first year, and they began to no longer emphasize the message of the American rescue plan,” Skaco said. “People don’t always associate policies with who did it for them.”
Stella Rouse, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland in Parker, said that as the Democrats move to a more divergent “Rebuild Better” bill, the leaders’ goal is to pass it without Republican support. The bill, the same fate may fall on the infrastructure package. Weekly newspaper.
“The infrastructure bill is in danger of being covered up,” she said.
At least in the infrastructure bill, the Democrats won a victory that the Republicans would find difficult to use against them.That’s because the Republican leadership is divided on the plan, and the minority leader of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Vote against it and the Senate Minority Leader Mickey McConnell (R-Ky.) Vote for it. A total of 13 Republicans in the House of Representatives and 19 Republicans in the Senate voted for the plan, which complicates the message of their own party to voters.
“This will make unified and cross-departmental messaging more difficult,” Scacco said.
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McCarthy instructed his members to vote against the infrastructure package, even if it has bipartisan support in the House of Lords. Some hardliners in his party have called for punishment of members who voted for infrastructure, depriving them of committee positions or rankings.No response from McCarthy’s office Weekly newspaper solicit opinions.
Walter agrees that Democrats have the opportunity to focus on campaign messages that may be popular. “This is an important message, but the challenge they face now is that we are in a very polarized electorate,” she said.
Rouse said that if Republicans voted against the infrastructure bill, she would cut the ribbon for projects funded by it, and she would not be surprised.
Soon after Biden signed the infrastructure bill into law on Monday, Republican Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama, who voted against it, issued a statement praising the bill for using $369 million on the northern belt in his state. Part, this is part of the Appalachian Mountains in many states. The development of the road system has been stagnant for many years without funds.
“We are in such a polarized world where it is easy for people to separate messengers from information,” Routh said. “I’m not sure how much [Democrats] Will be able to get rid of it. “
At the same time, states are currently drawing new congressional maps based on the latest census results. In many states, the party that controls the legislature controls this process, creating opportunities to open up new electoral districts that benefit them.
Walter pointed out that due to the process of re-division of constituencies, Republicans will have an advantage of up to eight seats in the House of Representatives, which further reduces the possibility of Democrats retaining control of the House of Representatives after 2022.
Several states, including Mississippi and Arkansas, that have the most critical infrastructure needs and will benefit the most from the program are the headquarters of the Republican Party, and the Democrats will not have much chance to get seats next year.
“It is difficult for Democrats to keep the House of Representatives or the Senate,” Walter said.
In addition, Biden’s declining poll numbers have further complicated the situation of Democratic candidates. According to the analysis of Real Clear Politics, Biden’s average job rating is currently about 42% approval rate and 52.7% disapproval rate. This may drag down other Democrats who are closely related to the president and his policy of entering the 2022 elections.
“We know that the president’s opinion will affect the outcome of the election,” Walter said. “If you are on the ballot, it doesn’t help [next] year. “
Veuger said voters may notice a sign that a local project comes from a federal infrastructure package, as has been done by previous administrations, but there is no evidence that it actually affected them when they voted.
“Who will track whether the source of funding for a bridge is federal funds or any other funds?” he said. “I’m not sure this will cause a lot of votes.”
