MSNBC host says high cost of milk, gas and rent 'not as important as losing your democracy'
A New York Times poll released Tuesday found 71% believe democracy is under threat but still prioritize economic issues
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC's Ali Velshi said Tuesday that the high price of milk, a tank of gas or rent was "not as important as losing your democracy."
"I’m an economics Reporter. I’m a business guy. I fully get why a tank of gas or a gallon of milk is, or your rent on your house, of the price of your used car is really, really, really important. It’s just not as important as losing democracy. We get to see this all over the world. In Ukraine, what they do to pay extra for a tank of gas and not have Russia invade them and lose their democracy," Velshi said.
He asked Paul Butler, a Georgetown Law professor, why people are choosing to acknowledge democracy being at risk and then deciding it isn't their "main thing."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are not paying attention. Anybody who is not scared to death about the future of democracy in the United States, about the future of the rule of law is simply not paying attention, including not paying attention to the House panel that provided a roadmap for the DOJ to prosecute Trump," Butler said.
MSNBC's Ali Velshi said Tuesday that the high cost of milk, rent and gas were not as important as "losing your democracy." (Screenshot/MSNBC/TheLastWord)
Velshi, Butler and former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance were discussing a New York Times/Sienna Poll that found 71% of voters believe democracy is under threat. The poll also found that 59% of voters believed the media is a "major" threat to democracy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He asked Vance why just 7% of voters listed threats to democracy as the most important issue ahead of the midterms.
She said it has to do with the messaging around this issue and that people have a lot of "pressing needs" with regard to kitchen table issues.
"So the responsibility that our politicians and our leaders have is to help people understand the primacy of concerns about our democratic institutions. Without those institutions and the continued success of our form of government, then things will get much worse. The cost of a tank of gas will be the least of our worries. But it’s difficult to get people to stop what they are doing and focus on this and focus on those issues. That’s the challenge Democrats face heading into the midterms," Vance said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gas prices over $7.00 a gallon are displayed at a Chevron gas station on May 25, 2022 in Menlo Park, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
MEDIA REACT TO NEW YORK TIMES POLL'S BAD NEWS FOR DEMOCRATS: ‘IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected the idea that independent female voters were more worried about the economy than abortion during an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.
Mitchell wondered why the White House wasn't winning over more voters with their messaging and cited another New York Times/Sienna poll that showed independent female voters are more concerned about the economy than abortion.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. congressional delegation led by Speaker of the U.S. House Nancy Pelosi arrives in Yerevan for her first visit to Armenia, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. (U.S. Embassy in Armenia)
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"I dismiss that," Pelosi said. "I can tell you that women's concerns about their freedom are very, very much still very significant in terms of how they will vote. In fact, 80% of people who care about a woman's right to choose say they will – it will determine who they vote for."