The Washington Post today editorializes about gas prices and their effect on campaign rhetoric. They conclude that both candidates are being silly — Bush for harping on Kerry’s speech about a potential 50¢ tax increase ten years ago; Kerry for not standing up for his proposal, which the Post says would have made sense.
The piece ends with a very good summing up which I totally agree with:
The truth is that gasoline prices when adjusted for inflation aren’t all that high by historical standards. That they are rising has something to do with supply and demand, and both Democrats and Republicans bear some responsibility for the latter part of that equation: for policies that have discouraged conservation and encouraged large cars and long commutes. Politicians haven’t faced up to these underlying issues. It would mark a welcome change if one of the presidential candidates reversed the trend.
