The Gas Price Vote

In Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district, one of the most competitive House races in the country, voters at gas stations in Allentown had remarkably consistent things to say this summer. "I blame this government for everything," one woman said. "I blame the president because he indicated to us he's gonna drop all these costs. I know it can't happen overnight, but when is it gonna happen?" She had voted for Donald Trump. Another voter was blunter: "He's a complete fraud." With gas hovering around $4 a gallon since the spring—up a full dollar from February, before the US launched its war with Iran—the question isn't whether voters notice. It's whether the pain at the pump will actually determine how they vote in November.

The Pennsylvania Gas Station Test

The voters the podcast spoke with in Allentown represented a cross-section of the district's electorate. A retired man described how higher gas prices forced him to cut vacation money from his budget, redirecting funds to utility bills and medical costs instead. "My main objective is roof over our head, pay our bills, and then what's left. But there's hardly anything left," he said. When asked whether he blamed Trump or Republicans, he seemed genuinely torn: "I really don't know which way to go or what to do. Who is telling the truth?"