The rise of gas prices, grocery bills, and troubles in the housing market have converged to make life much more troublesome for folks living in many suburbs and exurbs.

While some liberals celebrate this with derision, it bears consideration that there is a potential political cost to all this. As we discussed several weeks back, there are a notable number of middle-income families with very little margin in their family budgets affected by these economic changes; and they tend to live in these non-urban communities in question.

Thus, we have the makings of a significant demographic group beset with increasing uncertainty and frustration with macro and microeconomic factors affecting their lives. More so than the impact of varied of partisan fervors, this has the potential to make for a highly volatile election up and down the ballot.

Woe to the candidate in a competitive race who doesn't speak to their concerns plainly and compellingly.