A simpler explanation for a Democratic turnaround.
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By Nate Cohn
Sept. 26, 2022, 9:52 a.m. ET
Democratic fortunes have improved markedly over the last few months, with the party overtaking Republicans on the generic congressional ballot in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
But there’s another, simpler explanation for a Democratic turnaround, one that lines up nearly as well as abortion: gas prices.
The price of gas fell for 98 straight days beginning June 14 — 10 days before the Dobbs decision. At the time, the average price of gas nationally was over $5 per gallon. Prices were at $3.67 by the end of the streak.
While few would dispute that the Dobbs decision helped energize Democratic voters, it seems clear that falling gas prices have helped as well. After all, voters say that the economy and inflation — not abortion — are the most important issues facing the country. There’s a longstanding relationship between economic performance and the president’s standing. As James Carville once said: It’s the economy, stupid.
So is it the gas prices, stupid?
Source: nytimes.com
