The first Democratic Presidential debates start tomorrow. With more than 20 candidates vying for office, each candidate is working to break through the pack, win over voters, and make it to the second debate. As candidates hone their messages, they would be wise to consider the issues that are most important to Americans. The 2018 NEP exit poll conducted by Edison Research points to at least one clear topic to focus on: health care.
According to the exit poll, health care was the most important issue facing the country in the 2018 general election. Four in ten voters said that health care was the number one issue for them in deciding for whom to vote. And when solely considering the Democratic primary electorate, candidates should be even more focused on health care, as 57% of Democrats said that it was the most important issue.
If that isn’t enough evidence, 70% of all voters (73% of Democrats) said health care needed major changes. At a time when Americans are divided on many issues, both Republicans and Democrats agree that health care needs to be addressed. If the candidates have been doing their research, they will come at this issue hard on the debate stage this week and they will compete to propose the most appealing plan not only to Democrats but also the Independents they will eventually need in open primaries and the general election. Health care is the issue (again) this year, so get ready to hear more about single-payer systems, prescription drug prices, insulin price caps, and other potential health care solutions.
