Anxious Americans disillusioned by economy ahead of midterms

The poll illustrates a three-step dance:

1. If you don't follow politics obsessively, you're probably voting on pocketbook issues.
2. If you're voting your pocketbook, you're worried about inflation.
3. If you're worried about inflation, you're trending Republican.

Between the lines: In fresh evidence that economic and personal security (crime) surpass abortion as a top issue, the poll finds white suburban women favor Republicans by 15 points.

• In August, that swing constituency backed Democrats by double-digits.
• Over one-third of white suburban women rated rising prices as the top issue motivating them. Only 16% named abortion rights as their top concern.

Zoom in: The poll finds Republicans now leading on the generic Congressional ballot, 46-44%.

• It's a decisive shift from the three-point lead Democrats held in the August WSJ poll, when liberal anger over the Supreme Court's abortion ruling reached a peak.

The bottom line: The poll also tested a hypothetical rematch between President Biden and Donald Trump in 2024. It found them tied at 46%.

The Wall Street Journal poll, conducted from Oct. 22-26, included 1,500 registered voters who were reached by phone and text. It has a margin of error of plus-minus 2.5 percentage points.