Will gas prices effect the 2012 election?

Gas prices have been a major factor in the presidential elections for quite some time now. Whether or not it is the center stage issue, it has been an underlying factor that is the decision maker for many others. Do you think that gas and oil prices are going to be a major factor in the 2012 presidential elections? The short answer is, yes.

I have been speaking to some politically minded people lately, while doing research on the current political opinions, and there is a surprisingly pervasive thought that oil prices are no longer the issue that they once were. Many of us have fought tooth and nail to increase our energy efficiency and reduce our dependency on oil, let alone foreign oil. Sadly, there is only so much that switching to LED lights can do to help our current state of political tension with foreign oil producers.

This idea, that the energy crisis of the last 10 years is something of the past, is a result of a concerted effort to push this topic to the back burner. It is one of the most difficult topics to address, partially because it is out of the hand of politicians at this point. We have conflicting reports regarding the current state of global climate change. I have scoffed at the idea of human impact on the climate for many years, but this winter has made me wonder. I am originally from a very cold part of the world that is known for snowfall. My home town saw very little snow. I’m not just talking about a dip in the average. I am talking about a record low snowfall with only a few days and a total of under a foot.

Has the question of energy conservation been settled once and for all? Did we developed LED lights that are both highly efficient and convert the CO2 in the atmosphere into new energy to power themselves and charge your hover car that no longer uses gas? Are gas prices under2 dollars a gallon? No? Gas prices are going to be an issue in the 2012 election. Make sure you learn about the energy policy of the candidates and don’t let them use any sleight of hand to distract you from that issue.

-- Robert Lobitz