Oil prices (for crude, gasoline, heating oil) are continuing to fall but natural gas prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange are at or near their historic highs of over $14.00 per 10,000 million British thermal units. (My gas bill is measured in therms and I have no idea how to translate BTUs into therms. Anyway, I have a deal where the price of my gas is fixed for the season so I won't see the effects of price jumps just yet.)
Are people starting to see whopping gas bills? Here in the Mid-Atlantic it hasn't been cold enough to show up significantly yet. How about folks in New England and the upper Mid-West? Are people having to cut back in other areas to pay heating bills?
We shouldn't let our Fitzmas excitement make us lose sight of the fact that the '06 elections will be won or lost on the basis of the economy more than anything else.