Preface: After my exchange with Ralph it occurred to me that some may be wondering why I can't seem to let go of this issue. The simple reason is that it's way too important. This is my take on why this issue is so important. You won't hear any of this on Rush Limbaugh or from any of the candidates and the reason is that the American mind just isn't built to accept my premise on what lies ahead economically. I know - I had a really hard time with it myself when I first heard what we're headed for over 2 years ago. Since then I've watched peoples' forecasts unfold with astounding accuracy. If you want to know more, try to find (and read) Conquer the Crash by Robert Prechter. It was written in 2002 and it will make your skin crawl - literally.

While reading an article on CNN Thursday morning about making the case for drilling, I was struck by the last paragraph which made the claim the Republicans are making this a wedge issue.

I don't necessarily disagree with that sentiment but I'd stop short of calling it a "wedge issue" - I'd call it politics. But it just so happens that this time Republicans are making most of the right points. (See The American Energy Act)

I truly think this issue is the defining issue of this election and not because it will lower prices - I don't necessarily agree that it will in the long term although it might. I can make an equal case that drilling will lower prices as I can that drilling will not lower oil prices, which I'm working on now and having a little fun doing it.

The real reason I am so passionate about this issue is for national security and economic reasons. It is no secret that I believe we are headed for an economic downturn of historical proportions. I am convinced that it will happen, just as sure as you are reading this post.

Bear markets produce uneasiness and when we don't feel well socially, we want to fight. That's just human nature - it's been that way since before we became "civilized," whatever that is. So consider that all of the major bear markets have resulted in some armed conflict of some degree and the size of the conflict was usually proportional to the size of the bear market. Some of those include:

1.The Civil War, which followed a 24 year bear market that ended in 1859.

2.The global bear market of the early '30s paved the way for the buildup of the Nazi war machine which led to WWII.(Note: These two bear markets were the largest bear markets in our history and gave rise to the largest conflicts in terms of US casualties.)

3.Mere months before the Cuban Missile Crisis, the DOW had experienced a decline of 29%.

4.Even the relatively mild bear market of 2002 gave way to the Iraq War that more than 70% of the American people supported at the time. It bears mentioning that number began to seriously decline (nearly in half) as the economy improved over the several years that followed the invasion.

This isn't coincidence folks - it's a statement of human social behavior. If I'm correct in the direction of the economy, there will likely be some kind of skirmish, and this country's oil needs to come from here because worldwide supply will likely be disrupted.

The next war is likely to involve the Persian Gulf once again and if we don't get our supply infrastructure on solid ground, we're going to wish we had. The easy meat is in ANWR and other locations in the Arctic Coastal Plain but the economic benefits will be found in the Gulf both off shore and in the outer continental shelf. This means jobs and lots of them for an economy that will soon be screaming for jobs. And these are good jobs paying in the neighborhood of $25/hour for the most experienced.

Like it or not, this is a fossil fuels based economy. We get only 3% of our electricity from solar and wind. Hydrogen cars are not scheduled for release until 2012 because the battery technology isn't there to support hydrogen and hydrogen filling stations may cost as much as $2 Million each to construct. It's ironic that some hydrogen filling stations are using, ahem, natural gas to produce hydrogen, but let's not go there. As much as we'd love to move to renewables, the technology and infrastructure just isn't there and won't be for some time. Until then, we must chase oil no matter where it is. We can and must do both!! Americans are finally on board and if the Republicans making this a "wedge issue" based on the point that it will lower prices gets us there, I'm fine with it.