Why are gas prices such an important topic in this election?

They want to focus on things they can't control vs. the hot topics that they can (ie. talk about high gas prices and global warming which they cannot directly control vs. talking about ending a quagmire war, curving a recession and creating better infrastructure so that levees don't break and bridges don't fall and other avoidable atrocities.

You are most right about gas being cheaper here then europe and many other countries.

However with the cost of gas nearly doubling in the last two years and the value of the dollar dropping through the floor everything has become more expensive.

Think about it, in order for a gallon of milk to get from the dairy to the grocery store it gets driven there in a truck. The cost of deisel fuel is crazy high and therefor the trucking company will pass on its increased fuel costs to the grocery store. The grocery store in turn marks up the that once $1.99 gallon of milk to $3.99 now because they have to make up for that fuel charge and in the the end the people who lose are me and you.

Technology is great and the only thing that i can see that will bring us to be oil independant is an electric car. A feasable electric car. Everyone thinks that hybrids are the answer and they are not. Ethanol is not the answer as more companies are using corn to produce it and the price of corn and products that use corn have gone sky high. The reason I believe we will not see an electric car, at least not any time soon is all politicians are connected in one way or another to big oil! They will never let their buddies lose a dollar to save the american people a little money and the environment.

The reason the topic is so big right now in the current election is because it has such a great domino affect. The war the recession, gas prices, education, etc.... are are related when we can leave Iraq and strengthen the dollar, everything else will fall into place and maybe just maybe i might be able to buy a gallon of mik for $1.99 again.

Its probably just wishful thinking!

I guess it depends on the area that you live and what income level you are. My area is a small town of 3,000 people that has no public transportation and fuel today is 3.99 per gallon.

For me fuel is not a problem( I drive a hybrid) its everything else I.e. grocery prices are very high because of fuel, new vehicles are not selling,it seems like the lower income levels are hurting right now.The local car wash is empty because people are spending their money on fuel.For the farmers the feed and fertilizer prices are up because of fuel prices, some have stopped farming because the profit margin is too low.I have a horse and the feed has gone up about thirty percent in the last few months.People always compare the rest of the country to California's fuel prices but they earn more money there than where I live. Oh, technology is great from wind power to hybrid vehicles

You must understand perspective. We pay less per gallon than most of the world: True. Individuals spend more on gas than they rest of the world: True.

Other countries what have higher gas prices ALSO have better public transportation, better city planing, and higher mileage standards for vehicles.

The price of gas is what is directly effecting ALL Americans most directly RIGHT NOW. Education and health care, and all that jazz are very important still. But the average American wants to know what will be done to the biggest problem of the moment.

They are a big deal because in a country as big as America, the gas prices affect everything else. It's not so much what the average consumer pays at the pump(even though that is what a bunch of selfish yahoos think) but how much all the other prices of things are going up because of the fuel prices.

Just because Europeans accept ridiculous gas prices doesn't mean Americans have to. And America also has a very different public transportation system, making them much more reliant on cars. It's a real issue for the people.

the high gas prices came on too quickly. it is a shock to people. euro has had high gas prices for decades, we just got them recently. as somebody stated above, the taxes on fuel in europe are half the cost. they tax gas at an astounding rate.

the reasons it is an election issue is, our government is, to some degree, responsible. continuous war in the middle east= high gas prices. the dollar losing its value = high gas prices. our borrowing and spending practices have led to weak dollar.

i completely agree with you. i think the focus on gas prices in this election is pathetic. only the US would complain about having high gas prices despite we still have lower prices than the majority of the world. instead we should be focusing on the effects our dependence on oil will have on the environment and the economy. we should be focusing on bringing back the importance of a thriving science program, so we can combat these issues. if we had done so sooner, gas wouldn't even be an issue this or next election.

people are upset because there is no reason for high gass prices,the reason our gas is cheaper than europe is as of yet we don't pay as much in taxes as europe.the dollar is controled by the federal reserve not the US government,education is a state issue not a federal issue

Because the out of control prices are ruining the economy.

What goes on in Europe is of no relevance to the US. They do not drive the same way we do.

With prices rising so rapidly, inflation is out of control. This will cause a depression if not stopped.

The value of the dollar is part cause to the out of control prices.

Carbon footprint is a fraud by the liberal elites to control your life.