COUNTY FAIR CORN POLL: THE RESULTS ARE IN!

The Winona County DFL booth was a busy place during the Winona County Fair.  A stream of people stopped by.  Some wanted to look at  the exhibit of protest signs from the various rallies held during recent months; others looked for information about how to get more involved with the DFL.  Some sought information on how to donate; still others–most of them youngsters– wanted to spin the “trivia wheel” for Tootsie Pops.  

Many booth visitors participated in our “Corn Poll,” which consisted of a line of five Mason jars, each one labeled with an  issue that we thought  might be on people’s minds.  The idea was to ask visitors to “vote” for the issue they were most concerned about by placing a kernel of field corn in that particular jar.  After the fair was over, we tallied up the results; here is the breakdown of the 763 votes, in order of importance:

#1: (191) Cost of Living and Affordable Housing  

#2: (169) Budget Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Other Programs

#3: (141) Tax Cuts for the Wealthy and Big Business

#4: (139) Climate Change Concerns

#5: (123) Due Process Rights for Everyone

As you can see, economic issues were foremost in people’s minds, as “Cost of Living and Affordable Housing” got the most votes, followed closely by “Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Other Programs.”   After that, an equal number of voters seemed concerned about tax cuts for the rich and climate change.  “Due Process Rights” came in last, which might have been because it is not an issue that immediately threatens many folks (for now).  

Our Corn Poll also featured a “suggestions jar,” into which people could place their own thoughts and concerns, written on slips of paper.  We hoped this would capture additional issues that people were thinking about.  Four people wrote messages about abortion rights–this issue is clearly still important.  Science research also came up; two people wrote notes about researchers in the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center of the United States Geological Survey, who are in danger of being fired because the labs have not been funded.  Three other people wrote that they were worried about cuts to health research, one specifically mentioning vaccine research.  Three notes reflected economic anxieties; one person worried about keeping SNAP and Medicare, another about fuel assistance, a third about housing and the cost of living.  Another group of four notes commented on political partisanship; one person said, “Come back to the middle.  Both parties are too far apart.”  Another agreed, writing, “What I would like to see is that both parties . . .stop yelling at each other and get back to working together.”   One person wrote, “Love the positive message of DFLers, not negative of GOP.” However, another voter warned, “Stop be[ing] so nice.”

One person expressed a very specific complaint: “The Supreme Court does only what Trump says, not the Constitution.”  Another note was very general, just saying, “Democracy.”  Perhaps the most plaintive of all was a note written in Spanish: “Amnistia para los immigrantes”– amnesty for immigrants.

One thing is clear–as we go forward into a new election cycle, it will be more important than ever for the Winona County DFL to keep close tabs on what voters are most concerned about.