Gas and Groceries

Is Kerry talking about the price of gas and groceries? Will he? Should he? Seems to me with gas at over $2 gallon and milk seeming to rise daily, a lot of people are going to feel the pinch. I was in swing state PA last week and my (admittedly unscientific) observation was that most grocery items were 40 to 60 cents higher than here in Upstate NY. (Gas is a bit higher here.)

Whatever we think of the need for conservation and reduction in oil dependency (both of which I support) the society we have constructed almost requires the need for multiple cars in any family with more than one wage earner - or even one wage earner and children (rare as that might be). Nothing is going to change that overnight. Where I live, it is not at all uncommon for people to drive a hundred miles round trip for work. And not necessarly for managerial or high payed jobs. They are going to start hurting real fast, as will anyone who is not affluent.

Interested in others thoughts on how this plays for the campaign.

I know I won't be buying it any time soon. I don't like drinking milk anyway.

Democrats kick Republican ass on these "bread and butter" issues, and we always have. If we truly want to connect with most people in this country (i.e., the 95% who are not rich), we need to talk about these basic issues.

I hope to Allah that John Kerry hammers away at the Shrub on these things: like, why has gas gotten more expensive since Shrub's little Middle East invasion? Why are food prices climbing, when paychecks are not? If the economy is doing so "well", why aren't there any new jobs being created?

I don't see any downside for Kerry on this? And it at least speaks to an issue of real concern to low wage earners and the poor. I think if we give those voters a reason to come out we can not just win but bury Bush.

How about the fact that ChevronTexaco posted a 33% profit this last quarter?

WTF? If gas is scarce so they have to raise the prices in order to stay in business, why a 33% profit? Aren't we all suffering? If they are doing so well, then they should lead the charge to lower prices to help Americans or they should take their profits and donate to the Iraqi war campaign so we don't have to!

http://www.chevrontexaco.com/news/press/2004/2004-04-30.asp

Chimpy everyday on gas prices? Thats what Americans want to hear.