The political field is littered with potential landmines, and a sleeper issue that could explode in the Democrats’ faces is the Obamacare premium rate hikes. UVA political scientist Larry J. Sabato agrees that Obamacare premium sticker shock could make a difference in very tight elections. “Things that happen right before the election can have a disproportionate effect for an obvious reason,” he said. “If something is on the voters' minds, and is bothering them, they are likely to include it in their voting calculation.”