Democrats have spent years blocking pipelines and pushing costly mandates. Now that Republicans control the White House, voters will judge the result, not the excuse.
After a few months in Manhattan, I became part of the city’s bubble. There, I pay $3 for the subway, worry about rent and groceries, and rarely think about filling a gas tank. Then, returning to South Jersey, I saw the price tag outside a station—a reminder of what the rest of the country pays.
New York City makes this easy: apartment renters and subway riders experience housing, transportation, and energy policy differently from families who drive to work, take their children to school, and run errands by car. Nine in 10 Americans say they drive at least sometimes. They cannot simply stop paying attention to the price of gasoline.
The election is November 3, and voters won’t grade fuel prices on a curve just because the occupant of the White House has changed.
As of October 14, the national average for regular gas stood at $4.33 per gallon. California topped $6, and several other states exceeded $5. In New Jersey, where I grew up, the average was about $4.29 per gallon. Even in areas with lower prices, a family’s weekly fill-ups eat into money needed elsewhere.
For years, Republicans targeted President Biden over gas prices, with motorists placing “I Did That” stickers on pumps bearing his face. Looking at that South Jersey station, I realized Republicans now face their own reckoning. The election is November 3, and voters won’t grade fuel prices on a curve just because the occupant of the White House has changed.
