Bangladesh, Oct. 18 -- Barack Obama may want Democrats to turn Americas data center boom into a political weapon, but voters facing punishing fuel bills have far more immediate concerns. As the November 3, 2026, midterm elections approach, the political debate is increasingly colliding with an inconvenient reality: Americans worried about the cost of filling their gas tanks are unlikely to make artificial intelligence infrastructure the defining issue of their vote. The election that some Democrats hoped to frame around data centers may instead become a referendum on gasoline, diesel and the cost of living.

In mid-September, Obama urged Democratic candidates to capitalize on public concerns surrounding data centers, suggesting that the r...