As we move into the home stretch of the campaign, it’s critical that our messaging be spot-on. Check out these tips from Rust Belt Rising, based on a survey of 1,631 likely voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

 

Here are some of their top takeaways, followed by some suggested wording for conversations:

 

1. The most important issues to voters this election: abortion and the cost of living. Abortion galvanizes Democratic voters, but Independents are overwhelmingly focused on the cost of living. We must talk about abortion to make the real stakes clear and raise its salience, but we must also present a strong economic argument to persuade undecided voters.

    

2. More voters report that they’ve heard about Trump’s plans for the economy and costs than VP Harris’s. Fully 60% of Independents report they’ve heard only a little or nothing at all about Harris’s economic plans. We need to close that gap!

    

3. Despite lack of information about Harris’s economic agenda, Democrats  do hold an advantage in trust not only on abortion policy but on these specific economic issues:

   • reigning in corporate price gouging

   • reducing health care and prescription drug prices

   • putting workers and consumers before big corporations

   • protecting Medicare and Social Security.

      

4. VP Harris’ plans include what people report would most improve their economic circumstances: 

   We must remain disciplined and focus on these four things when discussing the cost-of-living issue with voters.

    

   • bringing down the costs of food and groceries, health care, and prescription drugs

   • cutting middle-class taxes

   • making it easier to afford a home or rent

      

5. While voters say they trust Republicans on the economy and inflation more than Democrats, RBR’s poll finds several winning economic arguments for progressives. Voters are looking for a strong economic agenda that raises taxes on the 1% and large corporations and imposes tougher penalties on price-gouging monopolies.

    

6. Price gouging is a winning issue: Democratic plans to address this issue are 20% more popular than GOP messaging on the topic.

    

7. Voters respond positively to messages about how VP Harris has stood up to banks and plans to reduce costs.

    

8. When discussing Project 2025, emphasize that it reveals these three Republicans goals:

   • to cut and privatize Medicare

   • to cut Social Security

   • to raise the retirement age

9. Women want equal pay for equal work, protection of women’s right to decide when to start a family, and easier access to childcare, all things the Harris campaign promises to support. The Trump campaign? Not so much…

10. The freedoms most important to people are the freedom to vote and have their votes counted; the freedom to get health care they can afford; and the freedom to retire with dignity and security, all things the Harris campaign promises to support. The Trump campaign? Again, not so much…

11. These economic policies are of more importance to voters:

• cutting taxes for the middle class and working families with children

• providing tax credits for first-time homebuyers

• enacting a federal ban on price-gouging

•  

These economic policies are of lesser importance to voters:

• cutting taxes on corporations and job-creators

• implementing tariffs on imports

• unleashing energy production

• repealing regulations

   12.  Young people particularly like the housing agenda. Prioritizing owning a home or renting numbers is the highest priority for young people. 

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You can find:

• slides from Rust Belt Rising’s briefing here

• their state-by-state crosstab here

• their suggested talking points here

• a recording of the presentation

•  an AI summary and transcript

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