Twelve years after economic troubles contributed to the defeat of President George H.W. Bush, economic concerns among registered voters far outweigh others in Ohio, a state that is important to the re-election campaign of President Bush.
Forty-three percent of Ohio’s registered voters say the economy will be the most important factor in their vote in November. Health care and health insurance (16 percent) and foreign policy (also 16 percent) trailed.
Homeland security, national defense and political wedge issues such as abortion, social security and gay marriage were far less likely to influence votes–each drew less than 5 percent, according to the Ohio Poll, conducted in early February by the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research.
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Democrats listed the economy (48 percent) and health care/health insurance (21 percent) as first and second on their list of issues that will influence their vote. Republicans named the economy (42 percent) and foreign policy (20 percent), including the war in Iraq, and terrorism.
No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio, which holds its Democratic primary election Tuesday. Bush won the state narrowly in 2000. When Bush took office in January 2001, the state’s unemployment rate was 3.9 percent. The most recent statewide jobless figure is 6 percent.
–Tim Jones
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Are Blowfish good luck? Sen. John Edwards obviously hopes so.
The South Carolina-bred band Hootie & the Blowfish and Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley will perform Monday in Macon, Ga., the night before Georgia’s primary.
The last time the group played for the Edwards campaign was just before Edwards’ win in the Feb. 3 South Carolina primary.
–Knight Ridder Newspapers