Will Gas Prices Impact The Elections?

"The money they make from high gas prices is going right into Mitt Romney's campaign."

The ad above, which an Obama-friendly SuperPAC started running in seven key swing states yesterday, and the quote I pulled from it, are in response to the GOP campaign to tie Obama to the high gas prices that are roiling the election cycle. It seemed inevitable-- and we've been talking about it in terms of Romney's commodities speculator friends driving up the price for profit and politics-- but lately congressional candidates all over the country are sharing polling data with me that shows gas prices a MAJOR problem for Democratic candidates. And with the Democrats' transactional allies at some labor unions pushing false and moronic GOP talking points about how the Keystone XL pipeline will create jobs, many candidates are beginning to waver.

Instead of talking about retooling the economy in a green energy direction, which will create employment, they're operating out of fear and are using the AFL-CIO neanderthals as an excuse to buckle. As usual, Obama is trying to have it both ways and comes down, ineffectively, in the middle.

The American Energy Alliance is spending $3.6 million on an ad attacking Obama that blames him for the fact that gas prices “nearly doubled” since he took office (gas prices were low at the time because of the financial crisis), and amplifies multiple falsehoods, including the suggestions that Obama wants gas prices higher. Politico recently reported that the American Energy Alliance has deep ties to the oil billionaire Koch brothers.

In response, Priorities USA’s new ad-- which will be running in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia-- blasts the AEA ad as funded by Big Oil, and points out that the oil industry has pledged $200 million to Romney’s campaign.

Yesterday we had a live blogging session at C&L with Illinois progressive David Gill, who said he thinks a green energy economy is the single most important issue the country faces: This is worth clicking on and reading carefully:


Good to know that not every Democrat is buckling to Big Oil demands and threats (made through their bought-and-paid-for congressional shills and lobbyists). Dr. Gill's approach to moving the country forward makes a lot more sense than just scoring points to win an election over a garden variety "drill, baby, drill" Republican being financed by predators from Big Oil. If you can, please give him a hand at the Blue America ActBlue page.