Low Gas Prices: An Election-Year Ploy?

ClickonDetroit ^ | September 26, 2006 | AP

[GoBucks2002]

42%. Wow!

You assume that this polling sample accurately reflects the composition of the US.

[kjam22]

Well, it's not an effective political ploy for those of us who own oil company stocks! :-\

I own a lot too. Ride it out. The election will be over in November... winter coming on. Well make money between now and March.

[airborne]

42 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that the Bush administration "deliberately manipulated the price of gasoline so that it would decrease before this fall's elections." Fifty-three percent of those surveyed did not believe in this conspiracy theory, while 5 percent said they had no opinion.

Sounds about right.

Bush got better numbers than in the 2004 election!

[dead]

"But I think the big important reason is Republicans want to get elected," Mohr, 66, said while filling up for $2.17 a gallon. "They think getting the prices down is going to help get some more incumbents re-elected."

No offense, Mr. Mohr, but you're a complete and utter moron.

The idea that the bigwigs in the GOP can somehow control the market price of crude is about as plausible as the Rove Hurricane Machine.

He's 66. How can you live that long and remain so effing dumb?

[Izzy Dunne]

If the democrats are successful in pushing up the number of morons much higher

Yeah, but remember that they don't breed so much (they kill their own young). They have to recruit to make progress.

[kempo]

The 42% who believe the Bush administration is lowering the gas prices for the fall elections also believe the oil companies hold a patent on a carburetor that will make a car get 100 miles per gallon.

Lets face it, 42% of the population is not very smart.

[Mike Darancette]

For them, the plunge at the pump is about politics, not economics.

If true they had better vote GOP or Rove will make 4$/gal gas to punish them.

They said that if I voted for Goldwater the war in 'Nam would get worse. I voted for Goldwater and they were right.

[Kenton]

Hey, this is a no-brainer. Everybody knows that the reason gas prices are low is because Karl Rove hasn't used his secret Hurricane Machine to destroy the Gulf Coast oil refineries this year.

Isn't it obvious? Who benefits by no repeat of Katrina, huh? BUSHCO and his evil minions, that's who!

I mean, another Class 5 hurricane with women and minorities hit hardest could drive the final stake into the Bush administration's heart this close to November! This HAS to be a Rovian plot to keep gas prices down to help the Republicans in the election.

DAMN HIM! WE NEED high gas prices!

/sarcasm off

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

But I believe the prices are being manipulated for the election cycle.

How did President Bush get the price of oil lowered from nearly eighty dollars a barrel to under sixty? (Note--this price is set in the world market, and nearly all of the oil produced worldwide comes from outside the United States.)

[Nomorjer Kinov]

I assume that whatever the polling sample, the AP feeds most news organizations in the US. The validity of the results, unless challenged in the papers and broadcasts, will remain as undisputed fact among the electorate.

[oldleft]

[N. Theknow]

According to a new Gallup poll, 42 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that the Bush administration "deliberately manipulated the price of gasoline so that it would decrease before this fall's elections."

42%, eh?

No wonder lottery tickets are sold at gas stations.

[linda_22003]

That was tongue in cheek; I'm really not worried. ;-D

[kjam22]

Why was it $80 to begin with? There was no economic reason for that either. Look, I'm on our president's side. I voted for him and would again. But we're just being naive if we think that only Democrats would try to maipulate things to effect the outcome of an election.

[Nomorjer Kinov]

They have to recruit to make progress.

Maybe.

Or teach. Or make films. Or broadcast the news. Or publish newspapers and magazines.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Almost two-thirds of those who suspect President Bush intervened to bring down energy prices before Election Day are registered Democrats

Gasp! I'm shocked, shocked!

[Between the Lines]

Remember back in '04 when Bush was trying to win reelection and Kerry wanted him to release oil from federal reserves in order to lower gas prices because they were too high?

BTW, Bush refused to manipulate gas prices by tapping the federal oil reserves despite the Democrats wanting him to do so.

[evets]

Gas is under $2 in my area!

texasgasprices.com

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Why was it $80 to begin with?

Supply and demand. The same reason it is under 60 today.

You still haven't answered my question--how does Bush control the world price of crude oil?

[Nomorjer Kinov]

Oil got to $80 per barrel because people continued to use it. It is falling now because, as I understand, world storage tanks are brimming. OPEC is thinking of trimming production to keep the prices from sliding back to $30+ per barrel prices.