The polls are showing that despite the Reverand Wright's "God Damn America" scandal that has consumed the Obama campaign, his supporters are blowing past it.
In fact, the Senator is picking up in the
tracking polls.
BUT.
There is another lurking issue that may provide some rocket fuel to Hillary's campaign.
In Indiana this weekend, BHO scoffed at the fact that Mrs. Clinton (and Senator McCain) are advocating a suspension of the gasoline tax to help bring down prices during the summer time when they traditionally rise due to increased demand.
Senator Obama can take it from this California political watcher/activist who has seen years of political damage done to the California Democrat party because of it's unresponsiveness to rising gas prices, and the seeming inability of consumers to affect it. In fact, the issue helped pave the way for the Recall of former Governor Gray Davis.
Clinton/McCain are going to benefit from their support of gas tax reductions, if the two campaigns are smart enough to use it as a wedge issue.
Obama will be hurt as he continues to insist that it that a gas tax reduction is a shell-game. Ordinary folks don't really understand gas pricing politics, but they sure as hell understand the pain at the pump.
IF Senator McCain wants to really capitalize on the situation, one-upping Hillary, he should be a
dvocating for the elimination of ethanol in gas supplies, and for federal legislation to rid the country of
'boutique' blends of gas that cause prices to jump, as well as food prices (ethanol.)
Ethanol is a giant fraud on the American public.
But it is making a lot of fat cat Democrats and Republicans rich.
Get rid of ethanol. Get rid of special blended gasoline. Even the liberal
L.A. Times agrees.
Here in California, KSFO radio took the lead in advocating for an end to MTBE, a blended gasoline oxygenate that has been linked to cancer. I personally testified before the California State Legislature twice on this subject.
After the ban took effect in our state, gas prices immediately went down, although it was temporary because the 'cornies' moved in quickly to take advantage of the federal and state regulations that legislate 'cleaner burning' gasoline.
Get it? Environmental regulations=higher prices in the market place.
Gas prices go down if ethanol is eliminated at the pump, (not to mention increasing food prices due to the shortages for corn) and federal regulations are revoked for blended gas supplies for different states.
The temporary band-aid for lower gas prices is eliminating the federal gas tax. Anytime you eliminate a tax, politically, good things happen.
In the long-term watch whomever advocates for these two common sense solutions to pick up voter support.
Source
