Unhappy Voters, Part 1

For the longest time, many political pundits have described District 8 as "reliably Republican".

Today, it seems like those "insiders" aren't keeping up with current events, so let me highlight a few points from the district's 2024 statistical profile, as reported by www.datausa.io:

1. Hispanics (and others) are furious.

24.5% of the 8th's households reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language. As of 2024, 32.6% of ALL residents were Hispanic, and 90.5% of all residents were US citizens.

Now, here's my question: After two years of ICE... and all the deportations... and all the deaths and associated misery, how many of those Spanish-speaking US citizens are going to vote for MAGA Mom Jessica Steinmann?

And by the way: the 2nd and 3rd most-common languages in those non-English speaking households are Vietnamese and Arabic.  It's true that older Vietnamese often support Republican candidates, but the younger crowd is definitely leaning Democratic. And as for the Arabic speakers, I ask you: How many will vote for Jittery Jess after being insulted and scapegoated by Republicans at both the state and federal levels of government?

2. Like everyone else in the country, people in District 8 are upset about the fast-rising cost of medical insurance.

48.9% of citizens in this district rely on their employers for that coverage. These people are well-aware of the country's shaky economic future, and naturally want to keep their jobs. To LOSE a job now means that you will join the 16.1% who are COMPLETELY UNINSURED.

"Medicare for All" suddenly seems like a pretty good idea, doesn't it?

3. There is no safety net under those displaced by AI.

And speaking of job losses, I have the results of a simple calculation. I added up employment data in the following sectors: Finance & Insurance; Public Administration; Information; Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services; Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services. Taken together, these  sectors account for almost 22% of the 402,000 people who were employed in District 8, as of 2024.

So... what do they all have in common? I have 2 letters for you: AI. If you want to know who is most likely to be replaced by a computer, look no further. These are the folks who are most vulnerable in the years to come.

And to them I say: How do you like "Medicare for All" now?

Just remember this: Laura Jones wants to change health care funding, and Jessica Steinmann doesn't. 

I've got more to say in the next blog post.

Steve Kobb

Concerned Citizen