Name-calling trumps issues in polarized midterm elections

Jobs, terrorism, health care: Just what is this year's election about?

Unlike past years, when campaigns focused on the Iraq War or the recession, it's a little harder to find a clear campaign theme this year, especially in the races for Congress. Few candidates are talking about what they actually plan to do.

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In a time of deep political division, perhaps it's no surprise that there's not even any agreement about what issues to fight about. It's easier for campaigns and their allies to play to the public's discontent with Congress.

In Minnesota's rural 7th District, for instance, Republicans are airing ads against DFL Rep. Collin Peterson implying Peterson's out of touch after 23 years and has "stopped helping us and started helping himself."

The attacks are personal because this year's campaign isn't really being fought over substantive issues, Peterson said. "I don't think there's any overriding theme that's developed out of this."

Democrats, meanwhile, are using the personal wealth of Republican candidates against them. DFL Sen. Al Franken's Senate campaign is using it against Republican Mike McFadden.

In Minnesota's 8th District, DFLers are painting Republican challenger Stewart Mills as an out-of-touch plutocrat.

In one ad, Democrats warn that Mills will "leave you on the hook for higher taxes because Mills opposed tax cuts for the middle class even as he wants to give another huge tax break to millionaires like himself."

For Republicans this election is all about President Barack Obama's unpopularity.

They'd like to leverage that public unhappiness to stop the Obama administration's momentum on a number of issues in its last two years, including environmental regulation and the Affordable Care Act.

While many Democrats think the debate about health care is mostly settled and aren't emphasizing it on the campaign trail, at least one Democrat thinks it should be a bigger a part of the fall debate.

"If you talk about how we're going to rebuild the middle class, making sure you've got access to affordable and reliable health care is a big deal," said Democrat Mike Obermueller, who's running against Republican Rep. John Kline in the 2nd District.

"People still talk about that lot when we're talking to people at the doors or on the phones," he said.

Still, the health care law and environmental regulations generally haven't played the same prominent role this year as they did in the 2010 midterm elections.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found little agreement between Democratic and Republican voters on the issues most important to them this year.

That may explain why campaigns seem to be rallying those who agree with them rather than trying to change anyone's mind.

• Full coverage: Election 2014 Campaigns don't have much control over what issues are debated — the news cycle is driving the debate this year, said Kline.

"Right now, there is so much angst because it's in the news everywhere about ISIS that that has taken over the narrative," he said.

Republicans now seem to believe national security and terrorism may be their ticket to victory in November.

For his part, 8th District DFL Congressman Rick Nolan says the campaign should be about congressional dysfunction, which he most blames Republicans for.

"The single most important thing that I hear over and over again is "when are you people going to start working together and get something done and fix things?" he said. "There is no theme that comes even close to the number of people who bring that up with me."

Kline says he hears that criticism a lot, too, but that voters should keep in mind members of Congress are as much as symptom of a larger problem rather than its cause.

"There's frustration and has been for some time," Kline said. "People say, 'Why can't you work together and get things done?' Well, one of the problems, frankly, is that America is split."