After several years and billions of dollars in infrastructure investments by current Alaska producers like ExxonMobil, BP and Anadarko Petroleum, ANWR could produce 1 million barrels of oil a day for 40 years.

FORBES: Open the Spigots

Hence decades worth of hand-wringing over the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the (current) closing of large areas of the North Slope to oil drilling.

FORBES: The Environmental Protection Agency Comes-a-Copper

And while other states are floundering in the current economy, Alaska is sitting on a surplus, a surplus which is largely related to the increase in oil company revenue.

FORBES: Sarah Palin Emails Show Discord Over Oil Tax

But it seems that voters - for now at least - are far more concerned about who will extract them from the current economic crisis, than any questions about political infighting in far-off Alaska.

BBC: Economy could deflect probe sting

He is now spreading fear about an impending energy crisis but refuses to reverse the effects of deregulation which brought the current crisis about, instead focusing on some far off idea of oil drilling in Alaska that will do nothing to solve the present problems.

BBC: Bush: Is he doing a good job?