NEWS AND OPINION:
The outcome of the midterm elections could be swayed by political savvy and fancy ads, perhaps. But straightforward honesty is a powerful factor in influencing voters.
“Even the liberal media is conceding that the Red Wave is likely to be massive. It is just not that the GOP holds a substantial lead over Independents. In some blue states like New York, Connecticut, and Oregon, even some Democrats are coming home to the GOP,” advises an editorial from TippInsights.com, the news organization behind the TIPP Poll — which has been around for three decades.
“TIPP surveys confirm that the usual factors for the Dems’ poor performance include immigration, crime, and economy. But one factor that matters the most to voters is also critical: honesty. Here, the Democrats have hurt themselves over Republicans unlike at any time in recent memory. The Biden administration’s spin machine has been on overdrive for two years. President Biden is the king of dishonesty,” the organization says in an editorial, which cited multiple examples of such damaging spin.
“Untruths,” the editorial reasoned, could cause people to lose trust and faith in the Biden administration and the party itself.
“The Democrats always take positions with which the average voter disagrees and say things that are fundamentally untrue. Expect a rout on November 8. There’s nothing untrue about that,” the editorial said in closing.
Phrase of the day
“The hoarse voice of the Left.”
This handy little phrase comes to us from Steven F. Hayward, a columnist with Powerlineblog.com, which features commentary from a conservative perspective.
“If you thought the primal screams from the left after the Dobbs decision were deafening, just wait until after next Tuesday’s election result, and especially next year if the Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action at the end of this term. I expect the left is going to go hoarse from all their primal screaming,” Mr. Hayward writes.
“The New Republic is especially alarmed that, as they put it in a headline today, “The Supreme Court Is Operating Without a Leash,” though silly me, I’d have thought the Constitution is a fairly strong leash,” he advised.
“The Dobbs, State Health Officer of the Mississippi Department of Health, et al. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization et al” decision on June 24, by the way, ruled that there is no constitutional right to abortion.
Mr. Hayward is senior resident scholar at the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California Berkeley and a visiting lecturer at Berkeley Law School.
The diesel press
The possibility of a diesel fuel shortage has fixated much of the press for a variety of reasons. It is an evolving situation with political and social underpinnings, some mystery and much finger-pointing as to the cause and the possible effect of a shortage on an already rattled nation.
A few headlines of note from the last 24 hours:
“Is Joe Biden to blame for the diesel shortage?” (Newsweek); “America is facing a dramatic diesel shortage that could get even worse” (Business Insider); “Crude Inventories Decline But Diesel Supplies Rise” (Wall Street Journal); “Diesel disaster: Truckers ‘working for peanuts’ amid surging fuel prices” (Fox Business); “No, the U.S. is not going to run out of diesel fuel in 25 days” (CBS News); “East Coast diesel prices are soaring” (OilPrice.com); “The diesel market is in a perfect storm as prices surge, supply dwindles ahead of winter” (CNBC); “Low diesel supply threatens to worsen inflation crisis” (Fox Business).
Your gas report for today
So how is the nation doing as far as regular gas is concerned? Inside the Beltway has consulted with GasBuddy.com — always a helpful resource — for the latest insight, and here it is:
The average price per gallon of regular unleaded gas in the U.S. is $3.75 a gallon, as of Wednesday. Prices are up by 36 cents compared to last year’s average at this time, which was $3.39.
California still reigns as the most expensive state for gas ($5.47 a gallon). Things are also challenging in Nevada ($4.92 a gallon), and Oregon ($4.88).
Georgia enjoys the lowest prices in the nation at $3.09 per gallon, along with Texas ($3.13), South Carolina ($3.19) and Mississippi ($3.20).
And by the way, the highest average national price ever recorded by Gas Buddy for a gallon of gas — this according to their records which date back to 2008 only — was $5.03. That record was reached on June 16.
Trump hits the road
The 45th president is ready to roll.
“The midterm elections on Nov. 8 could not be more important. The support of every single American patriot is desperately needed, which is why I am hitting the road and holding four rallies in five days,” advised former President Donald Trump in a new public outreach.
He departs upon this rigorous tour on Thursday. Here’s the itinerary: First stop is Sioux City, Iowa, followed by a stop in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Saturday; Miami, Florida. on Sunday; and Dayton, Ohio on Monday — just 24 hours before the polls open and the big competition begins.
Poll du jour
37% of registered U.S. voters say they are “extremely motivated” to vote in the 2022 midterm election; 48% of Republicans, 27% of independents and 34% of Democrats agree.
26% overall say they are “somewhat motivated” to vote; 21% of Republicans, 28% of independents and 29% of Democrats agree.
22% overall say they are “very motivated” to vote; 22% of Republicans, 21% of independents and 25% of Democrats agree.
11% overall say they are “not too motivated”; 7% of Republicans, 16% of independents and 10% of Democrats agree.
4% overall say they are “not at all motivated”:2% of Republicans, 8% of independents and 1% of Democrats agree.
Source: A CNN/SSRS poll of 1,290 registered U.S. voters conducted Oct. 26-31.
Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
