As Election Day approaches, the overall picture of what voters are most concerned about has come into sharp focus, with the economy and rising crime rates ranking right up there at the top of the list.

This is a big problem for Democrats who thought so-called “abortion rights” would be front and center in the hearts and minds of the American electorate long after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade back in June.

But after a brief summer polling bump for Joe Biden’s party, reality has come crashing down all around Democrats again as the kitchen table issues that almost always decide elections have reasserted themselves with a vengeance.

With that in mind, we turn to Washington, D.C., where Republicans and Democrats alike were questioned by Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell – who lost his brother in June in a shooting incident– on the crime crisis and what their thoughts were on it.

It was Democrats who Caldwell had the most trouble getting answers from, including House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who gave a whole new meaning to the word “sidestep” when approached by Caldwell, at one point telling him he wasn’t sure if he could grant Caldwell a sit-down interview request in the near future because he was going to be “busy”:

Caldwell confronted Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., outside a Capitol Hill elevator to ask him about the nationwide surge in violence, but had little luck.

“I am in a rush right now,” Nadler said.

Caldwell insisted he just wanted to ask him about the crime crisis, but Nadler said he couldn’t at the moment and would be “pretty busy” moving forward. He then got into the elevator and left.

Watch:

Democrat Jerry Nadler repeatedly refused questions about rising crime:

“I’m in a rush.” pic.twitter.com/sJy2HPZgdm

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 6, 2022

That’s just not a good look like at all. And unfortunately for Democrats, Nadler wasn’t the only Democrat caught on tape trying to avoid questions about the violent crime issues plaguing mostly Democrat-run cities across America:

This is yet another one of those issues that Democrats can run away from all they want to, but they can’t hide from them.

In fact, refusing to engage when asked about where they stand on public safety matters like bail reform and defunding the police, both of which have been priorities for Democrats in recent years, just makes them look worse at a time when people are outright rejecting wokeness and are demanding no-nonsense leadership and common sense when it comes to the safety and security of their communities.

Building a reputation for being weak on crime is something that hurt House Democrats in the 2020 elections. And though Nadler likely has nothing to fear himself electorally-speaking by playing “avoid the question,” his colleagues do, which makes how he reacted especially stupid on his part. But acting stupidly is nothing new for Nadler.

Republicans in swing districts or tight races elsewhere would be wise to include clips like this of Democrats showing insensitivity by turning their backs on questions about crime in their ads, because in races where the winning margins are predicted to be narrow one way or the other, being tough on crime – something the GOP has become known for – could be the difference maker.

Related: Cori Bush Steps up to Spark More Democrat Midterm Election Infighting in Latest Interview