To anyone saying we are harming the environment from greenhouse gasses you really need to go back to science class and take a look at the history of climate change. We are only 10,000yrs or so out of the last ice age period, its going to get a lot hotter here before its set to get cooler. Everything happens in cycle and given that there is still a vast amount of ice covering the poles and mountain tops we aren't that far off schedule if we are off at all. At one time there is proof the north pole was comprised of freshwater lakes. So we are not doing as much harm as people think. Its all happening within nature, its a cycle, theirs no stopping it. But go ahead and waste more money doing that.
As for oil running out. Doesn't oil and other natural fuels(natural gas, coal, etc) come from the breakdown of bio matter? Someone correct me if Im wrong but things die every day. I don't know the rates at which this happens though. Im sure we will run out of oil one day, its bound to happen... IF the human species doesn't die off first.(theres that history thing again)
As for alternative fuels, it sucks that e85 can't be made efficiently. IMHO its the most promising fuel that could keep both sides of the fence happy. Its great as a performance fuel(assuming theres no hot spots in the combustion chamber) and it can run you're every day car. The same fuel can do both, its great. Biodiesel is another good thing to happen.
As far as my take on plugin cars, they are a bandade where you need stitches. The major downfall of them is range. However(i don't know much about this so something is bound to be wrong) I have an idea that might help. You usually use a motor to turn a wheel(its just easier this way) and in an electric motor the drive shaft runs completely through the motor and usually is capped off or has a fan attached to it on the back side. What if you were to attach a generator to this unused side to try and power the motor, thus creating a motor that needs a battery to start it but can then generate enough power to drive its self. Now I don't know anything about generators but I think it may be a start if you could generate enough power. Unlimited range would make electric cars useful to just about everyone.
I don't know who I will vote for but something has to happen, not just to gas but to everything. I really don't think oil companies operate on supply and demand, thats impossible because they report a shortage but exxon posts a $44b profit for the last 3 years. Thats BS, but a business is a business.
just my $.02