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Gas prices: There's not much that presidents can do about them
NBC News ^ | October 17, 2012 | John W. Schoen

Posted on 10/17/2012 5:26:16 PM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia

When you pull up to that gas pump and nearly faint from how much it costs you to fill 'er up, you may be tempted blame the government for not doing enough to keep a lid on prices.

Resist the temptation. The truth is the global nature of the world's energy supply means that no president has much power over what you pay at the pump.

The question of whether the nation's chief executive can do anything to lower soaring energy costs has been a bone of contention between President Barack Obama and his GOP rival, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.

That bone was tossed about in Tuesday's debate at Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y.

“The proof of whether a strategy is working or not is what the price is that you're paying at the pump,” Romney said in response to a question from the audience. “If the president's energy policies are working, you're going to see the cost of energy come down."

If gas prices were driven by decisions made in the White House, it’s a safe bet than any incumbent president would do everything possible to drive them lower ahead of a re-election campaign. With the possible exception of the unemployment rate or the Dow Jones industrial index, it’s one of the few numbers voters care most about when they head to the polls.

(Excerpt) Read more at economywatch.nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: debate; gasoline; prices
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

I remember the media outside gas stations and oabma was moaning about Bush.

Now it;s a 180 yet again on yet another issue,.

NBC what a joke just like CNN.

If obama did the drilling which the media fail to mention and that Romney was right we coudl get our own oil thus making it cheaper for us.

Obama ignored the gas price question and has yet to be called out on this by the media, obama wants us to all drive volts and ride a donkey while he gets his RV and plane


21 posted on 10/17/2012 5:42:31 PM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: TigerClaws
Everynight is right!

And another thing, what happened to those almost $4 a gal prices when Bush announced he would loosen drilling regulations?

The prices dropped to between $1.65 and $1.87 per gal (the very prices that Obama inherited before he decided to tighten those very same regulations.

Bush's statement and a statement alone was enough to move the prices.

22 posted on 10/17/2012 5:42:57 PM PDT by tsowellfan ("President Obama, We built it, you broke it, we'll fix it and you are fired.")
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Obama’s war against oil, coal , natural gas and Obama printing trillions of $ is raising gas prices


23 posted on 10/17/2012 5:45:44 PM PDT by rurgan (Sunset all laws at 4 years.China is destroying U.S. ability to manufacture,makes everything)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
Introducing: The 2012 Obamamobile Sedan Deluxe!


24 posted on 10/17/2012 5:50:43 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

There is no such thing as a screw up that Obama is responsible for.

He can always place the blame somewhere else.

The buck stops wherever Obama tosses it.


25 posted on 10/17/2012 5:53:52 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Dear NBC,

YOU LIE!

The entire Oil/Gas fiasco started under our current President’s Daddy, Jimmy Carter. At the time we were importing about 30% of our Oil, The DOE was created for the SPECIFIC purpose of Reducing our dependence on “Foreign Oil”. Now we Import 75%-80% of our Oil. At the time of it’s creation I went to work in the oilfield, fresh out of high school. We were Ordered to Shut down 25% of the Producing wells and reduce output on another 25%. All of this is by design by very EVIL PEOPLE, whose sole purpose in life is to Have Power and Control over Others, so That they can be the one with the solution to your problems, never mind they created them in the first place. Get Big Brother out of the way and watch what happens to Production, supply and Price. A cheap,abundant supply of energy can only fuel the thirst for freedom and independence, this my friends is Bad for Government.


26 posted on 10/17/2012 5:55:13 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
We have to stop using the biased media meme. It really is starting to come across like whining.

Why not name names?

The yahoo that wrote this article (John W. Schoen)is the one perpetuating a lie lets call him what he is; a liar.
27 posted on 10/17/2012 5:55:53 PM PDT by John 3_19-21 (Desperation leads to curious events)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Pure bull. Take away the speculation that is being driven by problems in the mid east, and the prices fall.

The fuel refining capacity is another matter. But, stop the insane blend problem of which there are many nationwide, and refineries will build up inventory.

Romney is 100% correct, we become oil independent here in North America, and the mid east problem will collapse. We have VAST amounts of energy and all they need be is tapped into.


28 posted on 10/17/2012 5:57:01 PM PDT by crz
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To: South Dakota
Unfortunately, that's not true.

The biggest factor in the rise of gasoline prices has been the decline of the U.S. dollar and its purchasing power. That's why gold and other commodities have also risen dramatically in recent years.

If the U.S. were to drill more oil, we'd end up exporting more and more of it because it's simply less affordable to us with a weakened U.S. dollar. That's why the whole Keystone XL pipeline is really not being discussed correctly. Nobody likes to mention it, but the primary purpose of that pipeline is to transport oil from Canada and the northern Great Plains to the Gulf Coast ... for export.

29 posted on 10/17/2012 5:57:33 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("If you touch my junk, I'm gonna have you arrested.")
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Total BS. My tagline for the last year says it all.

Stop the EPA, leave it up to the states.

Back in the early 80’s Honda had a small car that would go 45 MPG. US Car lobby did not like it so they bought off the congress to change the “safety standards.”

I am so sick of this, who ever has the most money, they get to make the rules.


30 posted on 10/17/2012 6:01:56 PM PDT by hadaclueonce (you are paying 12% more for fuel because of Ethanol. Smile big Corn Lobby,)
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To: Alberta's Child

Yes Alberta’s child.
We will be exporting our oil. Our oil will provide the way for our dollar to recover. The more oil on the market means the price will fall. We will not be held hostage to a group of people who do not have our best interests at heart. We will be able to control the price of oil


31 posted on 10/17/2012 6:07:48 PM PDT by South Dakota (shut up and drill)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

So did NBC I think the same thing in 2008? I remembered many articles saying that people were having to choose between gas and food because of high gas prices.

Like anything else it only counts if a Republican is President


32 posted on 10/17/2012 6:13:00 PM PDT by Personal Responsibility (The Left blaming Jim Lehrer for the debate is like blaming Liencoln's assassination on the play.i of)
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To: South Dakota

We need a President who believes in such a thing, not one - Democrat or Republican - so in the tank to islamists.


33 posted on 10/17/2012 6:18:02 PM PDT by onedoug
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*


34 posted on 10/17/2012 6:31:06 PM PDT by PMAS (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing)
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To: surroundedbyblue
>>>This BS takes me back to the summer/fall of 2008. Gas was around $1.89 & it made the headlines daily as part of the “Bush economy”

No, you are off by a couple of dollars there. Gas prices in Jan-05, the start of W’s second term were about $1.85 (sound familiar?). They peaked in Jul-08 at $4.09. The week prior to the Lehman collapse in mid Sep-08 they were still about $3.80.

Prices moved below $2.00 in mid Nov-08 and bottomed out at $1.63 at the end of Dec-08, as 4Q08, GDP fell at a rate of 8.9%. The Jan-09 decline in payrolls of 818,000 likely contributed to the prices witnessed when Obama took over.
35 posted on 10/17/2012 7:10:56 PM PDT by nc28205
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To: onedoug

The politician are creatures of polls. What we need is for the people to come together and demand a better energy policy.

That is what is so insidious about our politicians. We are a country divided and it is because of them that we are


36 posted on 10/17/2012 7:15:59 PM PDT by South Dakota (shut up and drill)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
Gas prices: There's not much that presidents can do about them when they're ignorant and lazy like Barack Obama and only like to party and have a good time.

There I finished the sentence for NBC.

37 posted on 10/17/2012 7:24:53 PM PDT by Harley (Those that don't engage in politics are destined to be governed by inferiors. -Plato)
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To: skeeter

$5.00/gal gasoline is what the President wanted!


38 posted on 10/17/2012 9:50:52 PM PDT by stocksthatgoup (ZERO DARK THIRTY (coming soon to an embassy near you))
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

The mystery is the kind of mentality that when the President BRAGS about wanting higher gas prices the democrats don’t react negatively BUT POSITIVELY!!!!!!....

Must surely be a HIVE mentality.. like Bees or Termites.. maybe Ants.. Whatever the collective does is right.. Just admitting you are a democrat must be embarrassing..


39 posted on 10/17/2012 10:22:23 PM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

bullshit


40 posted on 10/18/2012 1:42:41 AM PDT by The Wizard (Madam President is my President now and in the future)
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