One of the most extraordinary aspects of our corporate-dominated American political system is the degree to which the needs of working-class people, the majority of our population, are systematically ignored by political and media elites.
In order to combat a political system which ignores so many of the most important concerns facing the majority of our people, my campaign recently commissioned a poll in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It asked some pretty basic questions: what are the major concerns that you and your families have? What would you like your government to do about them?
The results of the poll are not surprising, and not unlike other polls done over the years.
They show that, at the time of huge income and wealth inequality, unprecedented corporate greed, a failing healthcare system, a grossly unfair tax structure, an extremely high rate of childhood poverty, and too many seniors struggling to pay for their basic necessities, the American people want strong governmental action which addresses the longstanding needs of working families.
One of the key findings of the poll is that, on core economic issues, by a wide margin, voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who favors expanding social security benefits by making the wealthy pay the same tax rate as the working class. They strongly support a candidate who favors expanding Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing needs, who favors cutting the cost of prescription drugs in half by making sure that Americans pay no more than what they pay in Europe or Canada, and who favors hiking taxes on the rich and multinational corporations so that they pay their fair share.
Here are some of the key results. The full poll can be read here.
Swing-state voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports:
Expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing;
Cutting the cost of prescription drugs in half by making sure that Americans pay no more than what they pay in Europe or Canada;
Expanding social security benefits by making the wealthy pay the same tax rate as the working class;
Making the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes;
Instituting a cap on rent increases;
Establishing a Medicare for all single-payer healthcare system guaranteeing healthcare to all America;
Eliminating all medical debt;
Building at least 2m units of affordable housing;
Re-establishing the child tax credits;
Capping the amount of money families spend on childcare at 7% of their income;
Raising the minimum wage to $17 an hour;
Making public colleges and universities tuition-free;
Passing the Pro Act, which would make it easier for Americans to join unions;
