I've been as happy as everyone else to see the price of gasoline dropping so rapidly. Usually when the price of oil creeps up, it takes about 30 seconds for the effects of that price hike to reach the pumps in the form of increased per-gallon prices. And it seems when it drops, the drop in prices at the pump is much slower.

So, being the cynic that I guess I am, I figure that Big Oil is making their choice for the election clear. The Republicans have been suffering the backlash of the terrible economy that they've presided over for 6 of the last 8 years. And whether the spike in per-gallon prices to over 4 dollars a gallon can be attributed entirely to Republicans, I think it's effect on the economy and on the average person has been taken out on the Republicans as well. (I think it's justified - considering Bush's ties to Big Oil...)

So then here comes the drop - JUST in time for the election next Tuesday. As bad as things have been, this takes a lot of the sting out. There are dollars that don't have to be put into the gas tank that can now be spent on other things - like, maybe, food? Rent? Maybe even on Christmas presents for the kids! Takes a lot of the anger about "the price of gas" out of the equation.

I think the polls reflect this. The anger that has been fueling Obama's surging poll numbers has dissipated to some extent, and so have his surging poll numbers. It's getting tighter.

Then today, I read on the Comcast homepage that Exxon broke their own record for quarterly profits! They made even MORE money than they did last quarter! How angry would that have made you, the voter, if prices were still at 4 buck a gallon?

Oh, I know...the price of a barrel of oil is coming down. What is it now? In the 70's? And we're going away from that "summer blend". And there's no disasters currently affecting the refineries. So supply should be pretty good. There are reasons it should drop. But this drop is pretty dramatic.

Has Big Oil voted? Are we going to be influenced by their 'vote', if that's what it is?

I'm cynical, perhaps, but if prices spike on November 5th, I guess I'll get even MORE cynical...