During this campaign season, barely any candidate is talking about the poor.

Mostly what we’re hearing from Dems are pledges to keep middle class tax cuts, and from Republicans, an unapologetic grab to keep upper class tax cuts.

But what about helping the poor?

It’s urgent right now, since the poverty rate keeps zooming up.

It was 12.5 percent in 2007, 13.2 percent in 2008, and 14.3 percent last year.

Even worse, today one out of five kids is living in poverty.

Yes, the middle class is hurting, too, as we’ve entered the age of the downwardly mobile. In August alone, a record 91,000 families lost their houses.

The middle class needs relief now.

And the tens of millions of people in poverty need relief, too.

There’s no moral reason why politicians shouldn’t be addressing both groups of people.

But there are a couple of political reasons: A lot more people are in the middle class, and they vote at a higher percentage than those in poverty.

Plus, Democrats are squeamish about appearing to be the party that attends to the needs of the poor and of minorities.

But ignoring this huge moral crisis of poverty doesn’t make the crisis go away.

Donkeys shouldn’t act like ostriches.

If you liked this story by Matthew Rothschild, the editor of The Progressive magazine, check out his article “Queenmaker Palin Triumphs with Christine O’Donnell.”

Follow Matthew Rothschild @mattrothschild on Twitter