Morning Wire Inflation, War, and Voters: What the Data Really Shows
Mar 29, 2026
Brent Buchanan, founder of Signal Polling and political analyst, breaks down public opinion on affordability and electoral shifts. He discusses wage growth cushioning price spikes. He highlights top household pain points like health care and groceries. He compares U.S. and European cost pressures and identifies voter groups that moved since 2024.
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Wage Growth Eases Price Pain
- Wage growth cushions consumers because higher income offsets modest price increases.
- Brent Buchanan notes 64% of people report living comfortably, showing wages have improved relative to recent cost spikes.
Survey Reveals Few Truly Struggling
- Most Americans are not in dire straits despite headlines, with only 15% saying they're struggling to make ends meet.
- Buchanan's March survey asked specific living-standards categories to clarify vague 'affordability' claims.
Health Insurance And Groceries Drive Affordability Worries
- Health insurance and groceries top affordability concerns, with housing next and gas usually after them.
- Buchanan expects recent gas spikes from the Iran conflict to shift worries temporarily but not supplant health care and groceries.