If someone has already suggested this, then forgive me, but wouldn't it be possible to either:
1) change the options in the drop-down box as such:
(GMT-5:00 hours) Eastern Standard Time (US & Canada)
(GMT-4:00 hours) Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada)
and so on...
Then even those people who are technically in Eastern time, but do not participate in Daylight Savings Time (e.g., Indiana) could opt out, so to speak.
OR
2) Have a check box that the user would check if they participate in Daylight Savings Time, which would adjust the time accordingly.
I don't know how customizable vBulletin is, but surely we can't be the only ones with the dilemma, you know?
-Elizabeth