Reply #16: Because there is little real difference between the Democrats running

[karynnj]

They all are committed to dealing with the issue, likely to Gore's credit. (In 2004, it was a big issue only for Kerry and got little traction.) That they are all serious on it is what Kerry told the international community in Bali. He has also used this as a way to support all 3 candidates, saying that all of them have been on the right side of this issue while only McCain has on the Republican side.

The other thing - which was fascinating to me watching a Republican debate a couple of weeks ago - was that all the Republicans have taken up the need to support research for alternative fuels - using Kerry's framing of 2004 that one benefit of alternative fuels is less dependence on an unstable middle east improving national security. In 2004, in one study that line of a Kerry response rated higher than anything else said.

Right now, there is not enough difference within parties to make it a top story, which it was until it became clear that Gore wasn't running. Here is a NYT op-ed on the issue that echoes a lot you are saying. (The comments on Gore and Kerry don't recognize that it wasn't their handlers - the media did not cover much either did do on the issue. I didn't follow the Gore race as closely, but in 2004, Kerry spoke of the issue several times a day in his stump speech and had many environmental events - none of which got much coverage other than the Kerry blog and CSPAN. It should also be noted that Texan, friend of Bush, Bob Scheiffer asked no energy or environment question in the domestic debate. Either would have led to a knockout Kerry response - even if he just used the lines in his stump speech.) The analysis otherwise seems a nice summary - and the disheartening thing is that as you point out, the issue is again getting little coverage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/opinion/01tue1.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

It may be different in the general election if the nominees are far apart and make it an issue. (The scary thing is that where in 2000 and 2004, we had candidates with incredible credentials on this going back decades, in 2008 if McCain is the candidate he could claim he was there before all of them. )