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A2   UP FRONT
                  Monday 5 noveMber 2018
            For some, a vibrant U.S. economy complicates voting decision



            By JOSH BOAK                                                                           whose  tax  cuts  for  corpo-  in  midterms,  growth  would
             AP Economics Writer                                                                   rations  and  individuals  are  have  to  be  even  stronger
            EXTON,  Pennsylvania  (AP)                                                             credited with helping boost  to  decisively  help  Republi-
            — For many voters in Amer-                                                             growth this year.            cans this year.
            ica's  affluent  suburbs,  a                                                           Jean  Hoffman,  a  53-year-  "This  time,  the  real  uncer-
            flourishing economy is forc-                                                           old  real  estate  agent  in  tainty  is  turnout,"  Fair  said.
            ing  a  thorny  dilemma  for                                                           Chester  County,  is  pon-   "You  can't  say  anything
            the midterm elections.                                                                 dering  the  college  costs  with   much    confidence
            Do  they  vote  Democratic,                                                            ahead  for  her  two  teen-  about  who  is  going  be  on
            in part to protest President                                                           age  daughters.  She  said  which side of 50 percent."
            Donald Trump for behavior                                                              she  thinks  voting  Republi-  To  drive  turnout,  Pat  Pro-
            some  see  as  divisive  and                                                           can might help extend the  prik,  chair  of  the  Bucks
            unpresidential? Or do they                                                             economy's hot streak.        County  Republicans,  has
            back Republicans in hopes                                                              "I'm going to have two kids  been speaking to groups of
            that the economy will con-                                                             in  college,  and  these  are  voters nightly and knocking
            tinue thriving under the ma-                                                           my earning years," she said.  on  doors.  She  said  people
            jority party?                                                                          "So for me, the economy is  in  wealthier  parts  of  the
            A  healthy  economy  has                                                               the No. 1 priority."         county  tend  to  highlight
            at  least  complicated  their                                                          Hoffman said she feels less  the  economy  in  explain-
            decision  and  blurred  the                                                            concerned  about  Trump's  ing  their  intention  to  back
            outcome  of  the  midterm                                                              confrontational   style   or  Trump. Those in more mod-
            elections  .  On  Friday,  the                                                         habit of assailing critics.  est areas tend to stress non-
            government  reported  that                                                             "It's  like  white  noise  at  this  economic issues, at least at
            employers added a robust                                                                                            first.
            250,000  jobs  in  October.     In  this  Wednesday,  Oct.                                                          "Economics  isn't  the  first
            And  the  unemployment       31,   2018   photo,   Jean                                                             thing  out  of  their  mouth,"
                                         Hoffman,above,  poses  for  a
            rate  stayed  at  a  five-de-  photo at the Starbucks in Ex-                                                        Proprik said. "But when you
            cade low of 3.7 percent.     ton,  Pa.  In  this  Wednesday,                                                        bring it up, they jump on it."
            At stake Tuesday is control   Oct. 31, 2018 photo, Ross Ker-                                                        At  83,  Dick  Calef  is  a  life-
            of  the  House  and  Senate,   shey, right,  poses for a photo                                                      long  Republican.  He  attri-
            both  now  led  by  Repub-   in Exton, Pa.                                                                          butes  the  economic  gains
            lican   majorities.   Steady             Associated Press                                                           in  suburban  Philadelphia
            economic     growth    and  a president who embraces                                                                to  longer-term  factors  be-
            a  vigorous  job  market  tariffs, disparages refugees                                                              yond  Trump's  policies,  like
            haven't  been  the  clincher  and  attacks  political  op-                                                          the growth of internet and
            in  prosperous  areas  that  ponents. With Pennsylvania                                                             health  care  companies.
            were  once  seemingly  safe  also holding votes for gov-                                                            Calef is still unsure how he'll
            Republican  turf.  Partly  as  ernor  and  a  Senate  seat,                                                         vote.
            a result, many analysts say  many said they were willing                                                            "I find myself voting to keep
            Democrats  stand  a  good  to split their votes between                                                             a  balance  in  the  govern-
            chance  of  regaining  con-  the parties.                                                                           ment," he said. "I'm kind of
            trol of the House even while  "I'm  not  a  fan  of  Donald                                                         fed up with the political en-
            Republicans  maintain  the  Trump,"  said  85-year-old                                                              vironment."
            Senate.                      Ross  Kershey.  "He  doesn't                                                           Jerry McNeff intends to split
            The  ambivalence  of  many  respect  checks  and  bal-                                                              his ballot between the par-
            voters is evident in the Phil-  ances.  But  he's  certainly                                                        ties in Pennsylvania's House,
            adelphia  suburbs  of  Bucks  done  well  for  the  econo-                                                          Senate  and  gubernatorial
            and  Chester  counties.  The  my."                        Workers  have  been  in-                                  races.
            landscape  of  rolling  hills  is  A  retired  high  school  his-  creasingly  benefiting  from  point," she said.  "Trump had the right philos-
            dotted by shopping plazas  tory  teacher,  Kershey  is  the  economy's  strength.  Judging  by  the  economy,  ophy regarding the econo-
            and luxury car dealerships,  teaching  a  course  on  the  Average  pay  growth  for  the status of the House ap-   my," said McNeff, 72. "Taxes
            by  fieldstone  and  stucco  Supreme Court at Immacu-     over  the  past  12  months  pears too close to call, said  needed to be overhauled.
            houses that fill cul-de-sacs.  lata  University  in  Malvern,  has  reached  3.1  percent,  Ray Fair, a Yale economist.  Regulations  had  become
            Residents  are  likelier  than  a  suburb  of  Philadelphia.  its  best  year-over-year  in-  Using  inflation  and  growth  obstructive to industry."
            the  country  as  a  whole  to  Those  court  cases  were  crease since 2009, the gov-  data,  Fair  developed  a  But  as  he  has  aged,  Mc-
            have college degrees, and  fresh  in  his  mind  as  he  ernment said Friday. Those  model to forecast electoral  Neff  said,  the  economy
            the median family income  sipped  tea  and  ate  pan-     gains  have  been  concen-   outcomes,  which  in  2016  has  mattered  less  to  him.
            is about $100,000.           cakes at an IHOP on a re-    trated   among     affluent  correctly showed that that  He  thinks  more  about  his
            Interviews with about a doz-  cent afternoon. He objects  Americans,  though  higher  presidential  election  fa-   five  grandchildren.  Every
            en people elicited a range  to  Trump's  recent  threat  minimum wages have also  vored Republicans.                report  of  a  mass  shoot-
            of sentiments about wheth-   to  unilaterally  suspend  the  helped  raise  the  pay  of  For  2018,  Fair's  economy-  ing at a school makes him
            er  and  how  the  economy  constitutional   protection  many  lower-income  work-     based  model  is  less  favor-  wonder about what could
            might  affect  their  votes.  of  birthright  citizenship  as  ers.                    able  than  most  political  happen  to  them.  And  it
            For  some,  all  that  matters  a  way  to  control  undocu-  Among  people  earning  at  surveys   for   Democratic  stuns  him  that  the  federal
            is  the  energized  pace  of  mented immigration.         least  $100,000,  60  percent  prospects to win the House.  government has done little
            job  growth,  which  began  Yet for all his antipathy to-  approve of how Trump has  But  the  gap  isn't  sufficient  to prevent future shootings,
            under    President   Barack  ward  the  president,  the  handled the economy, ac-      to  draw  a  firm  conclusion  like  seriously  considering  a
            Obama and has continued  strength  of  the  economy  cording to a survey by The  about  what  will  happen  bill to expand background
            under Trump.                 is  at  least  giving  Kershey  Associated Press and NORC  Tuesday. Because the par-   checks.
            Others,  some  of  them  life-  pause:  "I'll  probably  vote  Center for Public Affairs Re-  ty  out  of  power  —  Demo-  "If you say what is the No. 1
            long Republicans, are find-  Democratic,  but  I'm  not  search.  That  is  a  relative  crats, in this case — gener-  thing that keeps you up at
            ing their loyalties tested by  sure yet."                 advantage for a president  ally  enjoys  an  advantage  night, that is it."q
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