The Democratic Convention last week was the first time I can remember (my childhood memories of the 70s being fairly hazy) that energy became a "top five" political priority.

Even when they were talking about national security, the Democrats in Denver mentioned energy as key to safety at home.  They directly linked our foreign policy to our energy policy--and talked about the drastic consequences that oil addiction has to our pocketbooks and our ballooning budget deficit. This is not just about drilling, said many on the dais, but about building a comprehensive energy plan that reduces our use of foreign oil, promotes renewable resources and makes us the market leader for new technology and green jobs.

It will be tough for the Republicans to top that, and given Hurricane Gustav, I expect we'll hear little about a comprehensive energy policy from them, outside of offshore drilling and maybe promotion of  nuclear energy. The Republicans seem content to propose a few magic energy bullets (offshore drilling, nuclear) rather than raise the level of discussion about a diverse energy mix, which most experts believe is best.

The next few weeks of the campaign, however, I expect energy to be a much-talked-about topic. I sincerely hope Americans are listening and thinking critically about life in the decades to come, and not just worrying about the price of gas tomorrow.