As Mother Nature moves to reclaim the land from Old Man Winter, the trees are starting to bud, Bambi is starting to move, and the political silly season begins.

For the last few months, they bombarded us over the internet, on TV, and in the newspapers with “Vote for Me” ads. But, other than Mr. Trump’s war, the demise of ICE Barbie, and the ever-present Epstein files, nothing seems to have moved the polling data.

Other than the Elephant in the room.

History tells us the likely losers in November’s midterm elections are the party in power. As the Republicans hold the White House and both houses of Congress, history says they are at risk. But that is the history, and this is the present. Around the nation, and in the Great State of Maine, both parties are getting ready for battle.

Last weekend, the 2026 Fishermen’s Forum in Rockland saw dozens of gubernatorial candidates romance the leaders of the waterfront community. Surprise, candidates on both sides claimed to support the fishing industry, which last year yielded about $600 million, although the lobster catch was down about 10%. And all candidates said they opposed the federal whale protection regulations as burdensome on the lobstermen.

But they all ignored the Elephant in the room.

As about 40 Boothbay Region Democrat activists gathered at the Rotary meeting hall Saturday afternoon, they slogged through a muddy parking lot to meet candidates and began assembling the nuts and bolts of getting out the vote for the June 9 primary. They pledged to bury the divisive special interest issues that split the party in recent years (good luck on that one) and work together.

But they ignored the Elephant in the room.

As these well-meaning activists drove into Boothbay Harbor from Southport, Edgecomb, Damariscotta, Wiscasset and other parts of Lincoln County, they passed a flashing sign hanging beside Route 27.

It was the Elephant in the Room.

The Irving gas station sign said a gallon of regular gasoline costs $3.48. My receipt from seven days ago says I paid about .50 a gallon less than that. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Trump’s recent military actions kicked American crude oil prices up by 30%, while the world’s crude oil prices jumped by 36%. The AAA survey showed the nation’s gas prices jumped 43 cents per gallon, while a gallon of diesel fuel rose by 75 cents.

That was just in one week. What was the price today? How high will they go before they affect our pocketbooks? The truth is no one, not even the Swami, knows.

What kicked off the gas price hikes? You can blame it on Mr. Trump’s war. While he and his chief myrmidon, Smiling Pete Hegseth, tells us of how they are bombing Iran into submission, their conflict puts as much as 20% of the world’s oil production at risk. Most of the Gulf oil is shipped out in giant tankers that sail through the Strait of Hormuz. It is about 40 miles wide. However, the inboard and outbound shipping lanes are just about two miles wide. And, despite Mr. Trump’s claim that he has sent the Iranian navy to the bottom, these huge tankers are sitting ducks for the nearby Iranian missiles and drones. If you were an Arabian oil producer or a shipping company, would you risk sailing through that narrow strait in the middle of a shooting war? That is why Boothbay Harbor drivers must pay 50 cents more for a gallon of gas than they did last week. Home heating oil prices also jumped about 50 cents a gallon.

Voila. The Elephant in the room.

On Sunday, NBC’s latest poll said about 62% of the public disapproves of Mr. Trump’s economic policies. In the words of James Carville, the outspoken Democratic political operative, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Meanwhile, our local Republican and Democratic party activists prepare for the June primary and later the November midterm elections by doing the traditional grunt work of American politics. They will knock on doors and ask you to support their cause because (here insert their latest message). They will write letters to the editor of their local newspapers. They will paint yard signs urging you to vote for their candidate and stick the signs in the usual spots. But despite their best efforts, the price we all pay for gasoline and heating oil may be the deciding factor for the current political season.

And that, dear readers, is the Elephant in the room.