Public Opinion Snapshot: Fix the Economy, End the War

This year voters told exit pollsters that the economy is the most important issue facing the country by a wide margin. Sixty-three percent of voters ranked this as the top issue, compared to 10 percent who said the Iraq war, 9 percent who said terrorism or health care, and 7 percent who said that energy policy is the key issue.

And it’s no wonder they selected the economy. Ninety-three percent of voters described the state of the national economy as not so good or poor, compared to just 7 percent who said it was excellent or good. Moreover, 81 percent said they were very or somewhat worried that “the current economic crisis will harm your family’s finances over the next year,” far more than the 18 percent who said they were not too worried or not at all worried.

Of course, voters have not forgotten about Iraq, despite the depth of the current economic crisis. It is the number two ranked issue in the list cited above, and the voters told exit pollsters by an overwhelming 63-36 percent margin that they disapprove of the Iraq war. That includes 41 percent who strongly disapprove of the war.

Fix the economy. End the war in Iraq. The voters have spoken.