Both sides see democracy as threatened
By Ronald J. Hansen || The Arizona Republic
Inflation and the economy is the top concern for likely Arizona voters, but together abortion rights and threats to democracy essentially match it, suggesting neither party has a lock on political energy heading into the state’s midterm elections, according to a new poll for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.
Those polled generally disapproved of President Joe Biden’s performance in the White House, see the state as headed in the wrong direction and narrowly think the FBI searched former President Donald Trump’s residence because he broke the law, not because of political considerations.
A startling 70% of respondents — with overwhelming majorities in both parties – believe democracy in the United States is at risk of failing, though perhaps for different reasons.
Arizonans, it seems, remain as politically divided as in 2020, when the state provided the closest presidential results in the country.
Across a spectrum of races and issues, voters break sharply based on political party, gender, education and ethnicity. That demographic matrix points to an election far from settled as early voting in the state is getting underway.
