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What we’re about
We meet monthly to escape shallow, petty talk for a safe harbor to ponder broad, complex yet practical subjects. We expect members to support opinions and use logic in conclusions, but expect all present to keep the meeting FUN for all. We teach, and don't scold. We expect the conversation to move without getting stuck so sometimes, we are forced to “agree to disagree” and move on.
We arrive and parts friends. There are no personal attacks, but each IDEA goes under the microscope. Members agree, others disagree, often with enthusiasm! We have no gates, and no gatekeepers. All are welcome and we tolerate no personal attacks, sarcasm, or even indirect denigration. IDEAS RULE and stand on their own.
Finally, we are “thinkers”, not “doers”. Go forth to take action. Come, join us, participate, learn, exercise your brain, but mostly HAVE FUN.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- What are the important issues for Democrats vs. those for Republicans?Link visible for attendees
While listening to the speakers during the Repulican convention, it seemed to me that they were living in a different country than I am, based on their topics and perception of issues. (I often feel the same when I watch Fox News vs. CNN). I'm sure that conservative voters will feel the same if they watch the Democratic convention.
We would like to have a respectful discussion among Thinkers about what we think the 3 most important issues in this year's election are, so please come prepared to tell us your priorities (not candidate personalities or issues).Voters were evenly split when asked in a January YouGov/CBS News poll whether having a strong economy or having a functioning democracy was a bigger concern in the coming years, and research from Ipsos suggests that concerns about threats to democracy might even be greater than many traditional issue polls capture. Overall, polls have consistently shown that both Democrats and Republicans think democracy is at risk in the coming election, but largely for different reasons.
Focus groups question by the nonpartisan research firm PerryUndem found that the economy was top of mind for undecided voters. Differing opinions on what factors posed the biggest threat to democracy drove each group toward opposite candidates.
Many also said that Democrats and Republicans needed to work together more and were concerned about what they saw as deep partisan divides both in Washington and across the country. Democratic leaners are worried about a repeat of Jan. 6, and that electing Trump for a second time could mean the end of democracy as we know it. By contrast, Republican leaners are more worried about the chances of election fraud, and many seem convinced by Trump's repeated false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
https://abcnews.go.com/538/democracy-top-concern-voters-asked/story?id=110341629A June 2024 survey found that the number one issue for Democrats was tied between climate change/environment and healthcare, both at 16%. Republicans rated the importance of these issues at 5% for for climate change and 1% for healthcare. Republicans rated immigration as their number one priority at 28% while 1% of Democrats rated it as a priority. 26% of Republicans thought inflation/prices is the most important issue, although only 14% of Democrates agreed.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398115/most-important-voter-issues-party-us/Highlights of Pew Research Center’s annual policy priorities survey, conducted Jan. 16-21, 2024, among 5,140 adults:
Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) rate strengthening the economy as a top priority. That is considerably larger than the shares citing any other policy goal.
Republicans are increasingly concerned over immigration. Over the course of Biden’s presidency, the share of Americans citing immigration as a top priority has increased 18 percentage points – from 39% to 57%. Crime is also a growing concern among Republicans. Nearly seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners (68%) and 47% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say reducing crime should be a top policy priority.
Democrats are substantially more likely than Republicans to prioritize protecting the environment (63% vs. 23%) and dealing with climate change (59% vs. 12%).Age of voters influences priorities. About six-in-ten say reducing health care costs and improving education should be top political priorities. Nearly nine-in-ten people 65 and older (87%) and about three-quarters (76%) of those 50 to 64 say defending against terrorism should be a top priority. This drops to 55% of Americans 30 to 49 and 35% of those 18 to 29.
Race also makes a difference in concerns. While 41% of White adults prioritize improving the job situation, six-in-ten or more Black (64%), Hispanic (65%) and Asian Americans (62%) do the same. Black adults (65%) are substantially more likely to prioritize addressing issues around race than Hispanic (42%), Asian (32%) or White adults (23%).
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/29/americans-top-policy-priority-for-2024-strengthening-the-economy/The Washington Post rated many issues by importance for both parties. The graphs are a little complicated (one side shows very important, the other most important) but show the difference between parties.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/06/voter-issues-immigration-inflation/
Women voters:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmichelson2/2024/03/14/they-vote-what-drives-women-to-the-polls-abortion-climate-inflation-and-more/
Voters 18-29:
https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/47th-edition-spring-2024