Recession Drags On In Politically Key States

Democrats face tough challenges where economy defies recovery

The weak economy is leaving many Americans nervous, uncertain about the future and looking for someone to blame.

With midterm elections rapidly approaching, that could be bad news for sitting politicians, especially in states like Nevada that are still in recession, according to msnbc.com's latest Adversity Index . And it could create an opening for newcomers in other hard-hit states, such as Michigan, if they can convince voters they have economic answers.

“When times are bad, that overrides everything else,” said political analyst Rhodes Cook, author of a bimonthly political newsletter.

Although a panel of economists said this week that the national economy emerged from recession in June 2009, the recovery remains weak and uneven. Eight states were still in recession as recently as July, according to the most recent data from the Adversity Index, produced by Moody's Economy.com and msnbc.com.

Elected officials in those hard-hit states are likely to face intense pressure to convince voters that they can improve economic conditions or risk getting the boot. In addition to Nevada and Michigan, the states are Vermont, Rhode Island, Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois and New Mexico.

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