Democrats latch on to minimum wage as election hot point

Democrats think they’ve found the campaign issue that will bring them across the finish line, in first place for 2014 — the minimum wage.

The New York Times reported that polls give the minimum wage hike the edge when it comes to voters’ concerns. But only Democrats are embracing it on Capitol Hill. Republicans say across-the-board hikes to the $7.25-per-hour wage level will compromise the free market and dent businesses’ ability to operate in the red. On top of that, economists have said the blatant rises to minimum wage levels eventually leads to higher costs on consumers — which eats the payroll gains.

Yet voters still like it, and Democratic strategists see an inroad to 2014 wins.

“It puts Republicans on the wrong side of an important value issue,” said one adviser to President Obama, in The Times report. Democrats who seize on the issue, will see greater voter turnout — and more favorable election results, the strategist said.

Democrats are pushing ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage in several key states: Arkansas, Alaska and South Dakota, to name a few, the blog, Newser, reported.