Red states Indeed

Joe Felsenstein once observed that the only important evolutionary variable must be temperature, because all population genetics experiments seem to measure something as a function of temperature.

And, of course, the level of civilization in a country can be measured from its sulfuric acid production.

Do gas prices play the same role for politics?

Here's a USA National Gas Temperature Map.

Brings to mind the observation that President Bush's popularity has waxed and waned in response to gas price fluctuations, too.

Now-socialist Europe has gas prices double to triple ours. And, of course, there was the Carter presidency, when gas stations had to tape prices on the pumps because the pumps made at the time didn't go high enough to display them.

On the other hand, gas in Venezuela costs $0.19/gallon.