March 7th the average US gasoline prices reached $3.76 per gallon — dangerously close to the psychologically important $4 threshold. But the national average covers up a more than $1.20 per gallon price range across states, with drivers in Wyoming paying $3.21 a gallon while motorists in California and Hawaii are shelling out $4.34 and $4.38 a gallon, respectively.
In Figure 1, maps what each state pays for gasoline (y-axis) against their position on political guru Charlie Cook’s Partisan Voting Index (x-axis). Circle size represents each state’s electoral college votes and the color indicates Gallup’s view on the state’s contestability in the 2012 presidential election.
Figure 1
All but three states considered electoral locks for President Obama face gasoline prices higher than the national average, and all but three Republican strongholds pay less than average at the pump. While this isn’t good news for Democrats’ pocket books, it doesn’t necessarily harm their election prospects this November.
What matters is how swing states are fairing, and here the picture is more mixed. Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada are paying more than the national average, and these four account for 71 electoral college votes. The remaining eight swing states pay less than national average (though not much less in the case of Ohio, North Carolina and Wisconsin) for a total of 80 electoral college votes.
It’s not the price of gasoline alone that matters to drivers, but how much they buy. [...] If you map gasoline expenditures as a share of personal income against the Partisan Voting Index you get a much different picture than the one displayed above. Figure 2 at url
High gas prices are hurting Republicans more than Democrats, even though Republicans pay less per gallon at the pump. Among swing states, Michigan, North Carolina and Iowa are getting hit hardest, while Colorado and Pennsylvania are faring relatively well.
Wall Street Oil Speculators Are Driving Up Gas Prices
http://www.flickr.com/photos/speakerpelosi/6961921711/ - LINK
Wall Street speculators control two-thirds of the oil futures market – double the historical average. CFTC Commissioner says speculation, not a lack of production, raises price at the pump by 22 percent, or about 56 cents per gallo
