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Dockery: Trying to make sense of how voters decide

 
Published Dec. 1, 2016

This presidential election has been mentally and emotionally exhausting. I've had to turn off cable news to regain my sanity.

The news coverage focused almost solely on the horse race — incessantly going over the polls and charting the various scenarios on the electoral map. Voters complained they weren't getting detailed plans of the candidates' platforms. But how much do issues really matter in a voter's decision? Not much, it seems.

Recent polls provide examples where the election outcome doesn't logically follow voter opinions.

Most Americans — 58 percent, according to a Rasmussen poll — believe the country is on the wrong track, with only 30 percent who think we're heading in the right direction.

President Barack Obama is leaving office with high job approval numbers — 57 percent. Only 39 percent disapprove, according to the latest Gallup poll.

Congress didn't fare nearly as well. A Gallup poll showed congressional job approval at a dismal 19 percent, with 74 percent disapproving.

Yet Hillary Clinton, the popular president's choice to succeed him and protect his legacy, came up short in electoral votes — even in states that he won twice.

Pundits opined that this was a change election and that voters wanted real change, so they opted for the outsider candidate. If that's true, how do you explain that nearly every incumbent member of Congress — the body with approval numbers in the teens — was returned to office? Do voters not see the contradiction here?

Most Americans agree with Obama, Clinton and others that background checks should be required for all gun buyers. A CBS/New York Times poll found that 92 percent of Americans favor background checks — including 87 percent of Republicans. Two other polls — CNN and Quinnipiac — showed 92 and 89 percent support.

Despite the consistent and overwhelming public support, the Republican Congress repeatedly blocked efforts to close background check loopholes — without any backlash from voters.

Some voters chose Trump despite being at odds with him on numerous issues.

According to a Quinnipiac poll:

• Voters support the Roe vs. Wade abortion decision by 67 to 30 percent. Trump adopted a very strong anti-abortion position.

• Voters oppose building a wall along the Mexican border 55 to 42 percent. Trump made this the cornerstone of his campaign.

• Support for allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the United States with a path to citizenship has grown to 60 percent. Trump has threatened to deport them.

• Voters want more regulation of financial institutions, 46 to 43 percent, and oppose removing regulations on businesses and corporations by 48 to 38 percent. Trump wants to reduce regulations.

• Voters are concerned about climate change — 68 percent — and don't want to remove regulations to combat climate change, 59 to 31 percent.

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Voters agreed with Trump on a few issues — renegotiating trade deals, suspending immigration from terror-prone regions, and increasing federal spending for infrastructure — but disagreed on many more.

Clinton and the Democratic congressional candidates weren't able to benefit from public opinion favoring many of their positions. For whatever reasons — party loyalty, peer pressure, hatred toward the opponent — many voters in this cycle voted for candidates despite their stances on issues.

If Americans feel like their government isn't listening to them or isn't working for them, they can make their voices heard through their vote. If they don't elect candidates who share their views, they will continue to be disappointed in the government they get.

Paula Dockery is a syndicated columnist who served in the Florida Legislature for 16 years as a Republican from Lakeland. She can be reached at PBDockery@gmail.com.