On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Alex Wagner Tonight,” Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) responded to a question on how she responds to people who want to vote Republican over the economy even though Nobel Prize economists say Republicans aren’t better for the economy by stating that “I’m sure those Nobel economists are great, but there are plenty of people right now who don’t have enough money in their pocket,” “And this idea that somehow, people are just wrong about their own family finances, I take issue with, and I can show you the math on lots of people.” But ultimately, the policies championed by Democrats are the best.
After Slotkin stated that there is a manufacturing surge in the state, guest host Ali Velshi said, “I’m often confused by this, because this argument about how Donald Trump and Republicans are better for the economy, is just — it’s empirically not true, every economist that you talk to, every economist of note, all these Nobel economists — but, they say things, and people believe things. So, what does it actually take, when you knock on a door or you have a conversation with someone who tells you they want to vote for your opponent because of the economy? What’s the — what do you actually say to them?”
Slotkin responded, “Yeah, well, just to be clear, I’m sure those Nobel economists are great, but there are plenty of people right now who don’t have enough money in their pocket, right? Who feel like they’re making choices between groceries and pharmaceuticals and sending their kid to summer camp, and that’s a real thing. And this idea that somehow, people are just wrong about their own family finances, I take issue with, and I can show you the math on lots of people. It doesn’t help anyone to pretend that’s not going on.”
She continued, “But I think the conversation is sort of there are things we can do to keep more money in your pocket. Number one, again, those good jobs with dignity. Number two, attack the costs that are draining your finances, health care, prescription drugs, housing, child care, those kind of things that are just eating up your money. And then, number three, keep more money in your pocket with a tax code that actually favors middle-class people, as opposed to the ultra-wealthy. And those are the things that Democrats are championing, that I know I feel very strongly about.”
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