The GOP Saving Grace

Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell has the audacity to hope:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dropped by our offices in New York this week. Republicans face potential electoral disaster this fall, but he says a few issues could turn out to be lifesavers. Case in point: Gas prices, at more than $4 per gallon for the first time in history. Mr. McConnell notes that a new poll shows Americans now favor drilling for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge 57% to 41%. That's up from a nearly even split before consumers were getting socked at the pump. Asks Mr. McConnell: "At what point does the hammerlock the Sierra Club has on the Democrats come off? Is it $5? Is it $6?"

The hammerlock comes off at $4 as the poll shows, but the effort is complicated by a few things. One is that there are many other issues on the table which cut against Republicans. The other big complication is that John McCain is still in "maverick" mode and has not figured out that gas prices and drilling are winning issues for the GOP.

So the key question is not what the Democrats will do, they are locked in between working class voters on one end and upper class yuppies with a penchant for green living on the other end. Who will win? The Democrats hope to never have to find out. So they blame the oil companies and hope no one asks them serious questions.

No, the real interesting question is at what point does it behoove John McCain to put together a serious plan to address energy issues that has a credible chance at lowering energy costs? $5, $6? Whatever it is, we haven't hit it yet.