NBC NEWS- A recent poll shows the majority of Americans want the economy to be a priority for the next president.

The housing slump and credit crunch continue to weigh heavy on the U.S. markets, and there is growing concern mortgage giants Fannie and Freddie Mac could need government help to stay in business.

Market uncertainty dominated trading for U.S. Stocks Thursday.

Volatile oil and food commodity prices coupled with the persistent credit crunch lead the way in rattling nerves.

Shares in the government sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac tumbled earlier this week following rumbles of a bailout that would wipe out common stockholders.

Combined, the two companies guarantee half of U.S. home mortgages and analysts say the government may need to intervene to keep interest rates low.

"If they are nationalized and the government runs them for two or three years, interest rates are going to be down...people will love it," said Robert McTeer, former Dallas Federal Reserve President.

Concerns over the stability of the nation's largest home mortgage providers and huge write-offs by financial lenders has also slowed home sales.

"We've got 11-month supply of housing...typically it is five month...not keeping with pace. Hopefully that will change into the second half of next year," said the former director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Armando Falcon.

Other factors weighing on the markets: oil surged to a two and a half week trading high, brought on by Tropical Storm Fay, the Russian-Georgia conflict and a weaker U.S. dollar.

The rise in crude triggered a jump in grain and other commodity stocks, a domino effect that could further erode consumer confidence at the retail level.

A snapshot of jobless claims could offer a silver lining. The number of jobless claims fell in the past week.