The Sconi

The League of American Workers recently released a poll, shedding light on Wisconsin voters' dissatisfaction with the country's direction, their economic concerns, and President Joe Biden's handling of the economy. The survey revealed that 72 percent of respondents believed the country was on the wrong track, while 58 percent disapproved of Biden's performance regarding economic issues.

According to North Star Opinion Research, which conducted the poll, 40 percent of respondents identified economic issues such as jobs and inflation among their top two concerns. A quarter mentioned it first. The respondents named food prices and income erosion as the most significant impacts from inflation on themselves and their families, with 49 percent and 40 percent citing them respectively.

The poll also discovered that 37% of Wisconsin voters were unfamiliar with the term "Bidenomics," and those who knew it viewed it unfavorably by a 48 to 24 percent margin. This included a majority (62 percent) of those familiar with the term.

Based on the poll's findings, voters blame Biden and the Democrats for declining real wages in Wisconsin by a two-to-one margin. Forty percent placed blame on Biden, while 20 percent attributed it to natural economic cycles, and 18 percent blamed Republicans.

Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' FRED database indicates that in 2022, Wisconsin's real median household pre-tax income was $73,330—approximately 1.7 percent lower than the national real median pre-tax household income for that year. This figure also represents a 2.8 percent decrease from Wisconsin's real median pre-tax income in 2021, which stood at $75,420.

Steve Cortes, president of the League of American Workers, commented on these findings in a column at Real Clear Politics. Cortes highlighted parents' struggles with "stressed budgets" due to inflation impacts. He noted that only five percent of parents in Wisconsin with school-age children have a very favorable view of "Bidenomics," while 40 percent hold a very unfavorable view.

The poll also revealed that Wisconsin voters believe the American dream is increasingly elusive for most people in the state. By a 63 to 34 percent margin, Wisconsinites said it was out of reach for most.