Chris Talgo: It's still the economy, stupid, that matters most to voters this election

kAm|@DE A@==D D9@H E92E E96 }@] ` :DDF6 7@C =:<6=J G@E6CD :? E96 >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D :D[ 2D s6>@4C2E:4 DEC2E68:DE y2>6D r2CG:==6 72>@FD=J BF:AA65 b_ J62CD 28@[ “E96 64@?@>J[ DEFA:5]”k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^FC=5676?D6]AC@@7A@:?E]4@>^Ga^FC=nFl9EEAD\bp00>@C?:?84@?DF=E]4@>0a_aa\as>:5E6C>\as6=64E:@?D\asEC24<6C0U2>Aj5lsH|u2"U2>Aj4l&r;2bxH9J;!v*6w4vf@x38U2>AjClq'?9G>{AbdI|*w<Ah$duKqCD9d?E&4DK+%=7{+\xu#gU2>Aj>l4G`_5JDv3_\J#5?76})yD3'32Ewz4$b$|a}\CDd*_%5duHq`!D>9A%peDG`0s&`dU2>AjDlqge*='`}F)Ee2w0>t05=0qsG%`{<z;4|c0=<vhEt0A4U2>Aj6lQm|@C?:?8 r@?DF=Ek^2m[ 2D @7 ~4E] `[ ffT @7 =:<6=J G@E6CD :56?E:7J E96 64@?@>J 2D E96:C E@A :DDF6[ 7@==@H65 3J 65F42E:@? WdcTX[ 8F? G:@=6?46 WdbTX 2?5 :>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 23@CE:@? W3@E9 2E d`TX]k^Am

kAm~7 4@FCD6[ E9:D 5@6D ?@E >62? E92E 4C:>6 2?5 8F? G:@=6?46 W2?5 @E96C D@4:6E2= AC@3=6>DX H:== ?@E 6?E6C G@E6CD’ >:?5D H96? E96J 9625 E@ E96 G@E:?8 3@@E9 E9:D 72==]k^Am

kAmx? `hha[ E96 64@?@>J H2D :? 2 C646DD:@?[ H9:49 :D H9J r2CG:==6[ 25G:D:?8 E96?\AC6D:56?E:2= 42?5:52E6 q:== r=:?E@?[ 2DDF>65 W4@CC64E=JX E92E E96 64@?@>J H@F=5 36 E96 A2C2>@F?E :DDF6]k^Am

kAmx? a_aa[ E96 64@?@>J H:== 36 :? 2 C646DD:@? 282:?] qFE F?=:<6 :? `hha[ E96 4FCC6?E C646DD:@? 2=D@ :?4=F56D E96 H@CDE :?7=2E:@? C2E6 :? >@C6 E92? c_ J62CD] pD @7 E9:D HC:E:?8[ E96 C2E6 @7 :?7=2E:@? C6>2:?D DEF33@C?=J 9:89 2E g]bT] x? `hha[ :?7=2E:@? 9@G6C65 2C@F?5 bT]k^Am

kAmx? 86?6C2=[ E96 64@?@>J :D 724:?8 D6G6C2= AC@3=6>D 42FD:?8 >2;@C 4@?46C? 7@C G@E6CD] (286D 2C6 ?@E <66A:?8 A246 H:E9 :?7=2E:@?[ H9:49 >62?D =:G:?8 DE2?52C5D 2C6 564=:?:?8] |@C6 E92? `` >:==:@? ;@3D C6>2:? F?7:==65] x?E6C6DE C2E6D 2C6 C:D:?8[ >2<:?8 9@>6D 2?5 42CD 4@?D:56C23=J >@C6 6IA6?D:G6] %96 DE@4< >2C<6E :D :? 7C66 72==] $FAA=J 492:?D 2C6 :? 7=FI] p?5 H:E9 H:?E6C 2AAC@249:?8[ p>6C:42?D 2C6 AC6A2C:?8 E@ 7246 D<J\9:89 9@>6 962E:?8 3:==D]k^Am

kAm%96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D 2C6 H@CD6 @77 E@52J E92? E96J H6C6 2 76H J62CD 28@] x7 9:DE@CJ :D 2?J :?5:42E@C[ E96:C G@E6 H:== 9:?86 >@DE=J @? E9:D :DDF6]k^Am

kAmx? `hha[ G:@=6?E 4C:>6 H2D 2=D@ 2 >2DD:G6 AC@3=6>] pD E96 r=:?E@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^FC=5676?D6]AC@@7A@:?E]4@>^Ga^FC=nFl9EEAD\bp004=:?E@?H9:E69@FD6d]2C49:G6D]8@G0(w0p44@>A=:D9>6?ED06:89EJ62CD\as_e]9E>=U2>Aj5lsH|u2"U2>Aj4l&r;2bxH9J;!v*6w4vf@x38U2>AjClq'?9G>{AbdI|*w<Ah$duKqCD9d?E&4DK+%=7{+\xu#gU2>Aj>l4G`_5JDv3_\J#5?76})yD3'32Ewz4$b$|a}\CDd*_%5duHq`!D>9A%peDG`0s&`dU2>AjDlbdh9q25Ju7~DK\g~pvKy&B|Bde=x@c!;*6qGH0G\{CtU2>Aj6lQm(9:E6 w@FD6k^2m 56D4C:36D[ “p>6C:42VD 72>:=:6D 2?5 4@>>F?:E:6D 72465 D6C:@FD 4C:>6 AC@3=6>D :? `hha] |@C6 G:@=6?E 4C:>6D H6C6 C6A@CE65 :? `hha E92? 6G6C 367@C6[ H:E9 ?62C=J a >:==:@? >FC56CD[ C2A6D[ C@336C:6D 2?5 288C2G2E65 2DD2F=ED @44FCC:?8 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] vF? 4C:>6 925 D<JC@4<6E65 E@ E96 9:896DE A@:?E :? a_ J62CD H:E9 >@C6 E92? 92=7 2 >:==:@? E@E2= 8F? 4C:>6D C6A@CE65]”k^Am

kAmx? a_aa[ E96 4@F?ECJ 7246D 2 D:>:=2C 4C:D:D[ 2D 4C:>6 :D :?4C62D:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 4@F?ECJ] qFE H96? G@E6CD 42DE E96:C 32==@ED[ E96J E6?5 E@ AC:@C:E:K6 E96 64@?@>J 23@G6 2== 6=D6[ 6DA64:2==J H96? E96J D6?D6 E92E E96 64@?@>:4 AC@DA64ED @7 E96:C 49:=5C6? 2C6 :? A6C:=]k^Am

kAm!6C92AD E9:D :D 3642FD6 G@E6CD 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 2H2C6 @7 9@H 2 A@@C 64@?@>J 27764ED E96:C =:G6D] tG6CJ E:>6 p>6C:42?D A2DD 2 82D DE2E:@?[ E96J 2C6 C6>:?565 E92E E96J 2C6 4@F89:?8 FA >@C6 2?5 >@C6 >@?6J E@ 7:== FA E96:C E2?<D]k^Am

kAm'@E6CD 2=D@ C646:G6 52:=J C6>:?56CD 23@FE A6CD:DE6?E=J 9:89 :?7=2E:@? H96?6G6C E96J 8@ E@ E96 8C@46CJ DE@C6 @C AFC492D6 AC24E:42==J 2?JE9:?8]k^Am

kAmx? @E96C H@C5D[ E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 G@E6CD 6IA6C:6?46 E96 92C5D9:AD @7 2 A@@C 64@?@>J G:CEF2==J 6G6CJ 52J] %96J 42?’E 6D42A6 :?7=2E:@? 2?5 @E96C 64@?@>:4 AC@3=6>D]k^Am

kAm~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ >@C6 6D@E6C:4 :DDF6D DF49 2D 8F? G:@=6?46 2C6 ?@E D@>6E9:?8 >@DE p>6C:42?D 6?4@F?E6C 52:=J[ D@ :E :D =:<6=J E96D6 EJA6D @7 :DDF6D 5@ ?@E C6D@?2E6 2D >F49 H:E9 E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 G@E6CD]k^Am

kAmrC:>6 2?5 8F? G:@=6?46 E6?5 E@ 36 H@CDE :? =:>:E65 2C62D[ >@DE ?@E23=J :? :??6C 4:E:6D[ H9:49 >62?D >@DE G@E6CD 42? 2G@:5 E9:D AC@3=6> 3J 2G@:5:?8 E96 DA64:7:4 A=246D H96C6 4C:>6 :D >@DE C2>A2?E] %9:D :D H9J p>6C:42?D 2C6 7=66:?8 4C:>6\C:556? 4:E:6D :? 5C@G6D]k^Am

kAm*6E :?7=2E:@? 2?5 2 DE28?2?E 64@?@>J :D 2 ?2E:@?2= A96?@>6?@? E92E @44FCD 6G6CJH96C6[ 27764ED 6G6CJ@?6 2?5 42FD6D 49C@?:4 DEC6DD]k^Am

kAm%9:D t=64E:@? s2J[ 2D H2D E96 42D6 :? `hha 2?5 4@F?E=6DD @E96C 6=64E:@?D[ :E’D DE:== E96 64@?@>J[ DEFA:5]k^Am