In the summer of 2008, particularly August, the dominant issue in the presidential campaign was high gas prices; one might argue that the pain at the pump back then was the first major sign of the economic trouble to come. It his $4 per gallon in some parts of the country. When the recession hit with a vengeance, gas prices came down quickly as demand plummeted.

I had noticed that gas prices had been creeping up for the past two years, but the “pain at the pump” coverage was nowhere to be found. Now:

Gas prices in the Washington region are close to breaking record highs for the holiday season, with drivers currently paying 33 cents more per gallon than they did a year ago.
The price of gas has never exceeded $3 per gallon during the holidays, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, but the current regional average is $2.97 — two cents above the national average — and could break the $3 barrier.
A year ago, prices for self-serve regular gas averaged $2.64 a gallon across the metro area, according to AAA.

Usually gasoline prices rise in summer as demand increases (more people drive in good weather) and prices decline in winter.