{"id":"1793758342442-money-segment","slug":"economy-and-gas-prices-top-voter-issues","title":"Economy and gas prices top voter issues","summary":"Pre-election polling and reporting show the economy was the top issue for voters, with affordability concerns — especially gas prices — playing a major role. The national average gas price was about $4.16 per gallon on Nov. 3, up roughly 40% since the Iran war began. This is a question/comment about XRP and Ripple, not a checkable factual claim. Promotional post for a crypto game/token; no checkable factual claim. Speculation/opinion about XRP's future price; no checkable factual claim. Promotional/community gratitude post; no checkable factual claim. Personal story/opinion about switching to electric vehicles; not a checkable factual claim. Opinion/argument about Democratic Party strategy; no checkable factual claim. Joke/pun; no checkable factual claim. Opinion/policy prescription; not a","publishedAt":"2026-11-04T02:12:22.442Z","channel":{"id":"money","name":"Oncast Money","language":"en"},"show":"Money Tonight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Pre-election polling and reporting show the economy was the top issue for voters, with affordability concerns — especially gas prices — playing a major role. The national average gas price was about $4.16 per gallon on Nov. 3, up roughly 40% since the Iran war began. This is a question/comment about XRP and Ripple, not a checkable factual claim. Promotional post for a crypto game/token; no checkable factual claim. Speculation/opinion about XRP's future price; no checkable factual claim. Promotional/community gratitude post; no checkable factual claim. Personal story/opinion about switching to electric vehicles; not a checkable factual claim. Opinion/argument about Democratic Party strategy; no checkable factual claim. Joke/pun; no checkable factual claim. Opinion/policy prescription; not a\nSource: [nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/senate-gas-grocery-housing-costs-trump-rcna607097); [factcheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2026/11/com (https://x.com/elerianm/status/2117800753599529006)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Pre-election polling and reporting show the economy was the top issue for voters, with affordability concerns — especially gas prices — playing a major role. The national average gas price was about $4.16 per gallon on Nov. 3, up roughly 40% since the Iran war began. This is a question/comment about XRP and Ripple, not a checkable factual claim. Promotional post for a crypto game/token; no checkable factual claim. Speculation/opinion about XRP's future price; no checkable factual claim. Promotional/community gratitude post; no checkable factual claim. Personal story/opinion about switching to electric vehicles; not a checkable factual claim. Opinion/argument about Democratic Party strategy; no checkable factual claim. Joke/pun; no checkable factual claim. Opinion/policy prescription; not a","sourceName":"[nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/senate-gas-grocery-housing-costs-trump-rcna607097); [factcheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2026/11/com","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/elerianm/status/2117800753599529006","claim":"A wide range of indicators confirm that the economy has been the #1 issue for voters in the US midterm elections. Within the economy, it’s primarily about affordability ... and within affordability, a major focus remains gas prices. #economy #markets #elections #Midterms2026","author":"Mohamed A. El-Erian (@elerianm)"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/elerianm/status/2117800753599529006","name":"[nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/senate-gas-grocery-housing-costs-trump-rcna607097); [factcheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2026/11/com","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Mohamed A. El-Erian (@elerianm)"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793758342442-money-segment-economy-and-gas-prices-top-voter-issues","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/money","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793758342442-money-segment-economy-and-gas-prices-top-voter-issues","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793758342442-money-segment-economy-and-gas-prices-top-voter-issues and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Bill","text":"Mohamed El-Erian posted on X a minute ago that the economy was the number one issue for voters, and inside that, affordability, mostly gas prices."},{"host":"Adam","text":"He needed indicators to tell him that?"},{"host":"Bill","text":"No, but El-Erian usually says \"show me the data.\" Now the data says it was the economy, stupid."},{"host":"Adam","text":"I checked. Pre-election polling had the same shape. NBC says the national average is four sixteen a gallon, up roughly forty percent since the Iran war began."},{"host":"Bill","text":"So people walked into the booth already angry about the pump."},{"host":"Adam","text":"Careful. Gas prices are set by global crude, not a switch in the White House."},{"host":"Bill","text":"Then why have they been stuck high through two years of different policy? Permits, pipelines, refining capacity—those are real choices."},{"host":"Adam","text":"They matter at the margin. The dominant driver is Iran and a strong dollar. That's not something any president controls."},{"host":"Bill","text":"You're making the case that voters punished Washington for a global problem."},{"host":"Adam","text":"I'm saying the link is looser than campaign ads pretend. But the pain is real. Rent, insurance, groceries. That's what won the night."},{"host":"Bill","text":"So if Washington can't fix it, what do voters do next? Just hope for peace?"},{"host":"Adam","text":"Or adapt. Efficiency, public transit, more supply. But none of that is quick."},{"host":"Bill","text":"And politicians promise quick. That's the trap."},{"host":"Adam","text":"Exactly. Gas prices fall when the global market falls, not when someone signs an order."},{"host":"Bill","text":"But the sign in front of the station doesn't care about nuance."},{"host":"Adam","text":"No, it doesn't. It's the most visible price in the economy."},{"host":"Bill","text":"So El-Erian's right that it's a mood gauge, even if it's not a policy lever."},{"host":"Adam","text":"He said \"a major focus remains gas prices.\" That's not a prediction, it's a warning."},{"host":"Bill","text":"For incumbents, it was the warning they couldn't dodge."},{"host":"Adam","text":"And it's not just gas. Affordability is the word: rent, food, car insurance. Everything is up."},{"host":"Bill","text":"The price of eggs alone became a meme."},{"host":"Adam","text":"It spiked, came down, then spiked again for a lot of people."},{"host":"Bill","text":"You know what's funny? People remember the high, not the average."},{"host":"Adam","text":"That's human. We anchor to the worst pain."},{"host":"Bill","text":"So the economy is the number one issue because it's personal."},{"host":"Adam","text":"And policy arguments don't make the weekly bill smaller."},{"host":"Bill","text":"Different world, same question about price: Nadia on X asks why XRP is still under a dollar thirty while Ripple keeps signing bank after bank."},{"host":"Adam","text":"She wants it explained like she's nine. Fair enough. I'll try."},{"host":"Bill","text":"Ripple sells cross-border payment infrastructure. Banks can test it without moving volume onto the token."},{"host":"Adam","text":"So the partnerships are real, but they don't tell you anything about the token's price."},{"host":"Bill","text":"Wait, that's the bull case, not just bear. Partnerships signal adoption down the road."},{"host":"Adam","text":"Maybe, but adoption of the network isn't the same as demand for the coin."},{"host":"Bill","text":"That's the same argument people made in 2017. It's been years."},{"host":"Adam","text":"Exactly. And the price is still under a dollar thirty. That's the market telling you something."},{"host":"Bill","text":"What if the market is wrong?"},{"host":"Adam","text":"It can be, for a while. But \"when moon\" is not a thesis."},{"host":"Bill","text":"Ripple's deals matter for the company. For the token, it's murkier."},{"host":"Adam","text":"If a bank uses Ripple's messaging to settle, it doesn't need to hold XRP at all."},{"host":"Bill","text":"But some products, like on-demand liquidity, would."},{"host":"Adam","text":"If regulators let it. And if banks actually adopt it."},{"host":"Bill","text":"So you're saying check volume, not press releases."},{"host":"Adam","text":"I'm saying the price question Nadia asked has no simple answer. That's the honest version."},{"host":"Bill","text":"And anyone who tells you they know where it goes next is selling something."},{"host":"Adam","text":"That's a rule for every market, especially tonight."},{"host":"Bill","text":"Fair enough. Meanwhile, the economy story keeps writing itself."}]}