Gasoline as a political issue?

I bought two new rear tires for my car, yesterday. While I was waiting, I spoke with an electrician who was also buying tires. He had just moved into town from a town 60 miles to the northeast. He comes into contact with many working people in his work. Much of his work in the recent past had been from wiring new homes. Now, all the work was making repairs and improvements to existing homes, as well as businesses. This man asserted that many people are "teetering on the edge" and a higher price for gas will push them over the edge. When I talked to my wife, when I got back, she thought that the price of gas will be a political issue. This is one issue that the Democrats seem to have wrong and should pay a price for opposing new oil drilling in the U.S. Can the Democrats demagogue their way out of this one?