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The Biz Beat

Americans say their finances key to President pick

8:46 am June 18, 2012, by David Markiewicz

Which Presidential candidate will America go for come November?

Perhaps whichever one makes voters feel more comfortable with their personal financial situation.

Some new research from Bankrate.com shows that 59 percent of Americans call their personal financial situation either the most important single factor in making their voting decision, or one of several important factors that will determine it.

Breaking it down, 12 percent called it the most important and 47 percent deemed it one of the most important.

Bankrate.Com’s Claes Bell said that while the nation’s unemployment rate likely will still be above 7.2 percent on election day (Franklin  Roosevelt in 1940 was the last sitting President to win reelection when it’s been that high), “… the key question will be whether Americans are comfortable with the progress that has been made since the economy took a turn for the worse.”

Those surveyed don’t seem to be sure at this point which candidate will be best for their financial situation. Both President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney got 21 percent support in the survey. Fully half of those polled said it doesn’t matter which candidate is elected. The rest just didn’t know, or didn’t want to say.

Which, Bell said, leaves us with this: “At this point, the election seems too close to call.”

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11 comments Add your comment

JB

June 18th, 2012
9:36 am

Discloser. I’m a republican. I think Obama is a really nice guy, great family man, father…………But a horrible President. He has an Ivy league education, but has spent his entire life in school and socially and church wise around people who think the success of this country has come off the backs of those who are “less privileged”…………Well, in the middle east, you have the rich, ruling class…….The the goat herders…………..In the USA, you have a strong middle class, a lot of “middle wealth” by people who have taken the freedoms and opportunity and made something of themselves. Obama is a border line radical turned politician who his using his power for justice for folks, for lots of reasons, haven’t made it. It a free market society, you will always have winners and losers, and if you examine it close, you will find most of the time , the less privileged have made life choices who have caused these failures. The really poor around the world don’t have cable, AC,Cell phones and the ability to show up AT ANY HOSPITAL and get world class treatment. Obama needs to support and enhance the free market, not stifle it.

Independent voter

June 18th, 2012
10:53 am

JB.. well said.. Obama can’t be anti business with regulations and pro Big labor unions and create new jobs.. he’s never run a business or had a job really !! what is a community organizer any way ??

Jeff

June 18th, 2012
11:17 am

I trust Gary Johnson most with the economy – he’s the only one who wants to genuinely limit government and allow businesses to flourish any way they can.

Shabootyquiqui

June 18th, 2012
11:51 am

“…whichever one makes voters feel more comfortable with their personal financial situation.”

What a crock. Financial success is determined more by individual effort than by who happens to be sitting in the White House.

A factor that does need to matter to voters is the U.S. Supreme Court. Four of the justices are in their 70s so it’s likely the next president will get to nominate one or more replacements. The ideological makeup of the court is way more important for the nation than how people “feeeel” about their finances.

Sandra

June 18th, 2012
12:29 pm

@Jeff,
So let business flourish any way they can. So I assume that means child labor is fine, pollution to the point we don’t have breathable air, clean water to drink, or law of any kind? Just let them do what they need to do to garner profit for themselves.
I’m sure that’s not what you REALLY meant but it is definitely what you said.

nosiri

June 18th, 2012
2:47 pm

the economy’s worse than ever. I voted obama in 08, but not again. romney may not do much, but he has to be better than the morons running things in DC now.

Jeff

June 18th, 2012
2:50 pm

Sandra: You don’t need government to regulate any of that. Regulate it with your own pocketbook and encourage others to do likewise – same effect, but the business is not stifled by anything other than itself at that point, due to making its own choices that the market (you and the ones you got on your side) would not bear.

Jeff

June 18th, 2012
2:51 pm

Oh, and before you say that is unworkable: look at how many businesses promote how “green” they are…

Road Scholar

June 18th, 2012
3:28 pm

Jeff, do you know all there is to know about each business and businessperson? If they were truly “Christian” I may side with your comments, but…

nosiri: Do you know Romney is surrounding himself with advisers who worked for/with George Bush? Trickle down? Didn’t work the first time, 2nd time,…or the last time! Why is this time different?

Conserves want Pelosi and Reed gone! (I thought that Pres Obama should have cleaned house on the dems leadership when he won the 2008 election). Will the repubs get rid of Boehmer and McConnell, Ryan, and Cantner? Term limits?

Jeff

June 18th, 2012
5:42 pm

RS:

Doesn’t matter if they are “Christian” or not – it is simply better business to do whatever your market will allow you to do in order to maximize profit and minimize loss. If you are Nike and your market will bear you using child labor, fine. If you are Exxon and your market will bear you polluting the environment, ok.

Sooner or later your market will wise up… or die off. Either way in such scenarios is bad for business, as ultimately you want people consuming your product for the rest of human eternity.

Sick kids can’t play with lead painted toys, and more affluent/ knowledgable parents won’t buy lead painted toys for their kids to begin with, meaning the market for lead painted toys is virtually nil – and that is ABSENT government mandates to do it! (Yes, I know those exist as well.)

Robert Hagood

June 18th, 2012
8:23 pm

I,m a registered Republican but I have a real problem associating with Romney. I just can’t justify voting for a man that hides his wealth in offshore accounts. This guy is not in touch with regular american people. He actually thinks he has a free ride into the White House and is Gods gift to the country. He has no commitment to this country at all. Man can’t make a true statement in fear of alienating his chances to be President. As of now, I will either switch partys or not vote at all. Probably just not vote, Obama and his policies, if he has any, are even worse.