Obama: Rising Gas Prices Means The Economy Is Strengthening (video)

RealClearPolitics ^ | February 15, 2012 | RealClearPolitics

[i88schwartz]

At a press event on the payroll tax cut yesterday, President Obama mentioned how extending the proposal would help Americans pay for gas as the price increases.

Obama attributed the growing price of oil to a strengthening economy which in turn means demand for oil increases.

"And when gas prices are on the rise again because as the economy strengthens, global demand for oil increases. And if we start seeing significant increases in gas prices, losing that $40 could not come at a worse time," Obama said.

[kempo]

Obama and his friends in the news media that elected him know that if you tell a lie loud enough and long enough at lest 50% of the people in this country will believe it.

The problems we are having in this country are coming from the 50% who have their hand out bitching how the other 50% are not giving up enough of their property. Barack = Hugo

[Gilbo_3]

You know what we need? : An effective opposition party to Democrats, one that is smart enough

still searchin for the shades of grey in the black & white of the master/slave world eh ???

thats so special...hehehehe...

what really would be refreshing is if they, both *parties*, would just come out and say that they want and need all assests to balance the books...

they could even promise to then do everything 'better & smarter' if we go along with it and let em live...

as it stands, the only reason they allow us to live is to mow their grass and cook their meals...

[mort56]

“Is there any lie this clown won’t speak?” The real question is there any lie this clown speaks that the media won’t foster as truth?

[Vendome]

This guy’s stoopity is truly astounding...

[Gilbo_3]

where is that determination and effectiveness and teamwork on the Republican side?

are you accusing speaker boner of allowing the totus multiple mulligans everytime they meet on the golf course ???

[sickoflibs]

Well my faith in Republicans is pretty low but the TV show is getting pretty boring with only one side landing all the punches.

Republicans concern with deficits and even big government is superficial and new-found, Their real concern is that huge deficits will get most voters to favor tax increases (which already is to some limited extent) as a solution which will leave them with zero purpose for being elected.

[thackney]

U.S. Total Gasoline Retail Deliveries by Refiners

Your chart and link are a partial data set of our gasoline market. It does not include all the gasoline produced and sold.

You chart and link is for gasoline direct from the refineries to retail sales. With our multiple different gasoline "recipes" required, more and more gasoline is produced first as components from the refinery, then blended at terminals for the final product for retail sales.

When you look at the total production, you see:

We are actually producing so much gasoline domestically, that we are exporting more than we import.

We still import some of the gasoline components, but that seems to be running at a fairly steady rate, although it continues to jump around.

In short, there is no shortage or slow down of gasoline production in the US. There is reduction in gasoline demand, see posts above.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”where is that determination and effectiveness and teamwork on the Republican side? ...
are you accusing speaker boner of allowing the totus multiple mulligans everytime they meet on the golf course ???”

Boehner doesnt strike me as either determined or very smart, he is placemarker for a real leader.
Pelosi kicks his behind in the art of political war. He breaks into tears when the first shot is fired, that is not inspiring his members. Pelosi rallies a team (army).

[peeps36]

Berry must have been golfing when they read the report showing the demand for gas was down 47%. That must also be a sign of recovery if you’re an arrogant prick grasping for straws.

[ExCTCitizen]

psst... rising gas prices = no KEYSTONE PIPELINE you MORON...

[sarge83]

Rising gas prices didn’t mean the economy was getting better in 2008, just the opposite. So which is it boy blunder?

[JewishRighter]

“Gas demand is on a downward spiral!!! TOOL!

http://energypolicyinfo.com/2012/02/falling-u-s-gasoline-demand-not-a-happy-valentine-for-consumers/";

Oh, but don’t you realize that the downward spiral in gas demand is because everyone is turning to green energy to power their cars: solar cars, wind cars, electric, etc which in turn is producing an enormous surge of job growth and a booming economy? /s

Thank you for your post. It was the one we were waiting for.

Not a day goes by that he doesn’t do or say something that makes me despise him more than the day before.

[thackney]

the report showing the demand for gas was down 47%

Whatever the source of the report was, you need to disregard anything else they tell you. They are making it up instead of using real data.

Demand is down, but no where near that amount.

[rollo tomasi]

Rhetorical questioning of Obama’s cow manure he is peddling.

I am to the point where all I can respond is through ridicule with this current Clown-in-Chief's actions//images/words.

[himno hero]

Its so bad that America is blind to this.

“When will this experiment be over?”

[brownsfan]

“Its so bad that America is blind to this.”

I used to think it was just a matter of people being too busy, or just wanting to avoid all the misinformation of politics. I can understand that. For those of us that pay attention, the amount of truth bending is mind boggling. And who can blame someone who’s dog tired, and has no energy left to wade through the bullcrap from the media and political elites.

But this is out there, in easily digestible form. In fact, it can’t be avoided, it’s there at the gas pump!

I can only conclude that the average American is dumb as a brick and deserves what’s coming his or her way.

Obama’s re-election will justify my low opinion of Americans.

[Saltmeat]

“Wonder if reduced domestic refining has anything to do with it?”

Yes. We always see refineries take annual maintenance turnarounds this time of year. It is something that must be done. When refining capacity is reduced, then supply diminishes and prices will trend up. This is but one current factor though.

The Iranian situation has the crude markets nervous thus causing an over reaction which also can drive prices up. No one in the petroleum refining and marketing business wants to be caught with a case of the shorts.

One thing that we know for sure. The surging economy is not the reason for the rising prices. It is the uncertainty in the market place.

Obama’s policies of anti-fossil energy and his willingness to bet the ranch on “green energy” have and will continue to contribute to that uncertainty. Thus no price relief in site.

[b4its2late]

Yes... Agreed. And here's a few fact:

Let’s see…the unemployment rate when Obama was elected was 6.8 percent; today it is 8.5 percent — at least that’s the official number.

In reality “if the same number of people were seeking work today as in 2007, the jobless rate would be 11 percent.”

In addition, there are now fewer payroll jobs in America than there were in 2000 — 12 years ago — and now, 40 percent of those jobs are considered “low paying,” up 10 percent from when President Regan took office. The number of self-employed has dropped 2 million to 14.5 million in just six years.

Regular gasoline per gallon cost $1.68 in January 2009. Today, it’s $3.39 — that’s a 102 percent increase in just three years. (By the way, if you’re keeping score at home, gas was $1.40 a gallon when Bush took office in 2001, $1.68 when he left office — a 20 percent increase.)

Electricity bills have also skyrocketed, with households now paying a record $1,420 annually on average, up some $300.

Some 48 percent of all Americans — 146.4 million — are considered by the Census Bureau either as “low-income” or living in poverty, up 4 million from when Obama took office; 57 percent of all children in America now live in such homes.

Since December 2008, a month before Obama took office, food-stamp use has increased 46 percent.

Total spending has more than doubled in just four years to a record high of $75 billion. In 2011, more than 46 million people — about one in seven Americans — got food stamps.

That’s 14 million more than when Obama took office. Median household income has dropped nearly 7 percent in the last six years, taking inflation into account. What’s more, nearly 20 percent of males age 25 to 34 now live with their parents.

Low- and middle-income Americans 65 and older now hold more than $10,000 in credit card debt, up 26 percent since 2005.

The average age of the American car is 10 years; in 1990, it was 6.5 years old (by the way, in 1985, Americans bought 11 million cars; in 2009, less than half that, 5.4 million).

On the macro side, America’s annual budget has jumped to $3.8 trillion — and yet the United States brings in only about $2.1 trillion in revenue.

The U.S. trade deficit for 2011 was $558 billion. America’s total public debt stands at $15.23 trillion; in January 2009, the debt was $10.62 trillion. Obama is on pace to borrow $6.2 trillion in just one term — more debt than was amassed by all presidents from Washington through Bill Clinton combined.

The debt is rising by $4.2 billion every day — $175 million per hour, nearly $3 million per minute.

But don’t blame Obama when we go to the polls - he clearly believes he’s been a great success.

[Grampa Dave]

The prices above were shown on SF KTVU this morning. They are blocking the prices of the higher grades which were over $5/gallon.

Remember the hate America Enviros have wanted $5/gallon for gas for years. If our economy was recovering, this will drive a wooden stake into its heart!