That darn OBAMA is making my gas prices go up....right?

[pghin08]

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...109474,00.html

Or, wrong.

[AUTaxMan]

There are definitely some misleading facts in that article, which is nothing more than a puff piece to make Obama look like he cares about the price of gasoline.

First, the article praises the fuel efficiency standards put in place on newly manufactured vehicles as a way of decreasing demand and thus decreasing the price of oil. However, the costs associated with complying with those standards essentially cannot be met unless manufacturers move away from gasoline as a primary source of power. This means lighter, less safe vehicles that do not have the range that most people need. It will also drive up the cost of electricity (created by coal-fired power plants, btw). Thus, you will be forcing people to buy cars they don't want and are less safe so that Washington democrats can feel good about saving the planet, while at the same time having little effect on the world demand for oil (you think China and India are going green?) and necessarily jacking up our power bills.

Second, Obama gets ZERO credit for any success on the home-front in the area of domestic oil production. Production is up because of activity on private land over which Obama has no control to lease or not lease, only to increasingly regulate.

More oil rigs working in the US than the rest of the world combined? That has absolutely nothing to do with Obama.

U.S. oil company profits have nothing to do with Obama.

Federal offshore drilling moratorium is Obama's fault and is NOT justified by the BP spill. Are there deepwater oil spills happening all over the rest of the world? No. They are using the spill as a reason to stall the execution of new leases.

The goal of the President is to do what he can to increase the price of gasoline so that it economically justifies his alternative energy projects like wind and solar, which are way too expensive and inefficient to be practical at this time. This is a documented fact, stated by Energy Secretary Stephen Chu a few years ago. Chu is publicly backtracking on his comments, but the policy is quite clear.

The bottom line is that Obama really has no energy policy. His prior policy, to line the pockets of his donors by way of government financing their green energy projects, is coming to an end, and he really has no intention of increasing domestic oil production.

The American Petroleum Institute says we could be energy independent in 30 years if we maximized our rich natural resources. Unfortunately, which leadership like Obama in the WH, that will never happen.

[shrewsbury]

has to be bush

[WilyWestbrook0]

Neither Obama nor Bush, sub-par presidents though they may be, are to be blamed for gas prices. People often forget that there are factors outside the presidency that affect citizens as well.

[pghin08]

There are definitely some misleading facts in that article, which is nothing more than a puff piece to make Obama look like he cares about the price of gasoline.

First, the article praises the fuel efficiency standards put in place on newly manufactured vehicles as a way of decreasing demand and thus decreasing the price of oil. However, the costs associated with complying with those standards essentially cannot be met unless manufacturers move away from gasoline as a primary source of power. This means lighter, less safe vehicles that do not have the range that most people need. It will also drive up the cost of electricity (created by coal-fired power plants, btw). Thus, you will be forcing people to buy cars they don't want and are less safe so that Washington democrats can feel good about saving the planet, while at the same time having little effect on the world demand for oil (you think China and India are going green?) and necessarily jacking up our power bills.

Second, Obama gets ZERO credit for any success on the home-front in the area of domestic oil production. Production is up because of activity on private land over which Obama has no control to lease or not lease, only to increasingly regulate.

More oil rigs working in the US than the rest of the world combined? That has absolutely nothing to do with Obama.

U.S. oil company profits have nothing to do with Obama.

Federal offshore drilling moratorium is Obama's fault and is NOT justified by the BP spill. Are there deepwater oil spills happening all over the rest of the world? No. They are using the spill as a reason to stall the execution of new leases.

The goal of the President is to do what he can to increase the price of gasoline so that it economically justifies his alternative energy projects like wind and solar, which are way too expensive and inefficient to be practical at this time. This is a documented fact, stated by Energy Secretary Stephen Chu a few years ago. Chu is publicly backtracking on his comments, but the policy is quite clear.

The bottom line is that Obama really has no energy policy. His prior policy, to line the pockets of his donors by way of government financing their green energy projects, is coming to an end, and he really has no intention of increasing domestic oil production.

The American Petroleum Institute says we could be energy independent in 30 years if we maximized our rich natural resources. Unfortunately, which leadership like Obama in the WH, that will never happen.

You just proved my point. Gas prices (whether they're high or low), have almost NOTHING to do with whoever is President.

Edit: I get the feeling you wouldn't say these things if someone were talking about Bush. How come something is a "puff piece" when it surrounds someone you dislike, but articles that come out which are critical of Obama are bastions of truth? I agree that Obama is not solely responsible for pushing America towards energy independence, but your reaction to this strikes me as a typical "anti-party-in-power response" (like I saw so many Dems do to President Bush), that no matter what, the person in power can do no right, simply because you don't like him.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Beat you by a minute...lol.

[duane1969]

I do not blame Obama for gas prices going up. However, I blame him for shoving his hands in his pockets and ignoring the problem.

And like it or not, if gas prices stay this high or go higher it won't matter who the Republican candidate is, Obama will find it very, very hard to win.

[*censored*]

WHAT?!

The president isn't the be-all and end-all of every single thing in the country?

Color me shocked!

[DaClyde]

I don't see how Obama doesn't cruise into a second term. It will be 1996 all over again as the GOP is putting a placeholder up against the President. While Dole didn't stand a chance of being elected, Obama doesn't even need Clinton's popularity to beat Romney, all he needs to do is run a minimal campaign and let Romney bury himself by opening his mouth.

But neither have anything to do with the price of gas. Politicians only talk about the price of gas, they never do anything about it. Especially not within a time frame that has any relevance to their discussions.

[AUTaxMan]

Our nation's becoming more energy independent would certainly lead to greater world supplies and curb the fears of speculators which drive the price up. Also, his terrible monetary policy that has weakened the dollar also affects the price. Finally, the regulatory costs he has put in place are only passed along to consumers, again increasing gas prices. So, yes, the President can have a small short-term and substantial long-term effects on the price of oil and thus gasoline.