New issues sneaking up
By Patrick Kelley
Originally published 01:48 p.m., April 24, 2008
Updated 01:48 p.m., April 24, 2008
Now that it's safe to take our eyes off Pennsylvania — Hillary Clinton won, but not big, and Barack Obama lost, but not badly — there is a chance before the next primaries to catch up on some important news.
Food prices keep going up.
Gasoline and diesel prices keep going up.
USA Today reported Tuesday that a new poll shows a growing number of Americans concerned about rising food prices. In the poll, taken late last week, 73 percent of the respondents said food prices are a matter of concern to them. About 50 percent said higher food prices are causing hardships for their families.
Also this week, USA Today said that the high price of motor fuel has led to a reduction in driving in all parts of the country. In the region that includes Kansas, driving is down by about 5 percent, second only to the Northeast, which has declined by 6 percent.
Needless to say, wages are not keeping pace with food and gasoline prices.
Of course, it could be worse. The past several weeks have seen food riots in Haiti, Africa, Asia and even the Middle East. Increases that strain family budgets in the United States can put adequate food out of the reach of the poorest of the world’s poor.
But the post-primary question is this: Why do the candidates seem to be paying so little attention to food and energy prices?
Oh, all of the campaigns have released position papers on the economy, but those positions seem a bit antiquated now. Everybody has plans to deal with the mortgage crisis and to encourage job growth.
But none of the candidates seems to have found a place in a stump speech for recognition that people are watching the price of necessities spiral out of control and are afraid that, eventually, the price of decent food and transportation will rise beyond their means.
Of course voters still care about jobs, education and health care, about war and freedom. But increasingly, they are worried about the check-out stand and the gas pump.
By November, the prices of food and fuel may well be the biggest issues for American voters.
As candidates McCain, Clinton and Obama speed down the road they hope will take them to the White House, they would be well advised to retool their campaigns in the light of this most recent crisis.