Pain at the Pump

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK \ TADA IMAGES

“IF gas prices go up, I’m going to be livid.” I heard this from a non-Jewish community activist say when news broke of the war with Iran. Many Americans have a different view of the war than does the Jewish community, where Tehillim were being said and discussion centered on the war’s length, scope, and impact on our families’ safety. The typical American perspective views this foreign conflict through an economic lens.

The economy loomed large as a political issue before this war, with Americans pointing their fingers squarely at the president. A CBS News/YouGov poll released before the war showed that 61% disapproved of the way President Trump is handling the economy, and 66% said they disapproved of the way he was handling inflation. According to the New York Times, the average price of gas rose 11% the week this conflict started. The stock market followed with one of its worst weeks in months. Economists the world over are fretting over GDP growth, rising oil prices, and economic fallout from this war.

With the midterms ticking closer, how do Americans feel about this economy? What will both parties do to focus on the economy with less than 250 days until Election Day? How will the war impact all of this?

The Affordability Issue

The Trump administration has had plenty of economic indicators to brag about, including the economic recovery, low unemployment, and dropping mortgage rates. With so many seemingly positive indicators, why are Americans still talking about affordability ? Perhaps because a lot of the economic signals that obsess the Washington beltway are irrelevant at a family’s kitchen table.