NYT Urges Democrats to ‘Switch Tacks’ on Inflation They ‘Exacerbated’

Jonathan Weisman and Neil Vigdor of the New York Times urged the Democrat party on Monday to “switch tacks” on inflation they “exacerbated” through massive spending.

With the midterm elections in just 15 days, the Times‘ writers warned the Democrat party is facing a massive defeat primarily due to inflation with an article titled “Democrats Can’t Ignore the Economy. But Can They Survive It?”

“Democratic candidates, facing what increasingly looks like a reckoning in two weeks, are struggling to find a closing message on the economy that acknowledges the deep uncertainty troubling the electorate while making the case that they, not the Republicans, hold the solutions,” the article read.

Weisman and Vigdor pointed out Democrats have been confused about how to explain away inflation to hurting constituents. “For some time, the party’s candidates and strategists have debated whether to hit inflation head on or to heed warnings that any shift toward an economic message would be ending the campaign on the strongest possible Republican ground,” the article stated.

"Welcome to the last 10 days of phone calls." Democrats hoped to wage the campaign on abortion, Trump & GOP extremism. But their deteriorating position has candidates in a tricky spot: Feel the pain of inflation, keep the base engaged on abortion & Trump. https://t.co/pOUibbcVCv

— Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) October 24, 2022

The Democrats’ inability to find a message on inflation that resonates with voters is likely due to massive spending that Democrats passed in Congress, fueling inflation and Republican momentum.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, left, speaks alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, during an Inflation Reduction Act event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg)

[M]ost economists do believe some Democratic bills — especially the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan — exacerbated the problem,” the article acknowledged. “The $1,400 checks that most American households received in 2021 have been forgotten. Their contribution to an overheated consumer economy has not.”

The warning to Democrats comes as recent polling revealed 80 percent of voters say the Democrats’ inflation will be a “major” factor in how they vote. Inflation is the number one issue nationwide and among all eight Senate swing states.

An October Heritage Foundation study shows wages for American families are down $6,000 after adjusting for inflation, an increase from an earlier estimate that put the decline in real wages at $4,200.

Democrats have tried to reduce inflation by passing the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” which experts say will not reduce inflation but could further increase soaring costs.

“We’ll have to message it better in the next three weeks ahead,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Punchbowl News last week. “Inflation is there, but it’s global and not as bad as it is in some countries.”

On Friday, President Joe Biden claimed inflation will not ultimately have an impact on polling before the election in 15 days. “Back and forth, with them ahead, us ahead, them ahead, back and forth. The polls have been all over the place,” Biden said at the White House. “I think that we’re going to see one more shift back to our side in the closing days.”