Dear America, Gas Prices Are Going to Rise No Matter Who Is President of the U.S.

[Yavin4]

You can elect Marvin the Martian to be president, and you're still going to pay high prices at the pump. Look at the calendar. It's not 1957 anymore. It's 2012, and you're living in a global economy, and you're competing with billions of people around for oil and gas.

I highly suggest that we start building modern, and sophisticated public transportation systems. High speed rail, hi-tech buses, and other imaginative mass public transportation systems.

I know the suburban sprawl arguments against public transportation. However, you're either going to live closer together and develop better public transportation systems or shut and get use to paying ever increasing higher gas prices.

And, no, voting Republican is not going to fucking cut your gas bill.

That is all.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Besides a Republican president wouldn't dare interfere with the 'free marker'.

[RobertEarl]

2. Not True

Gas prices rose when we had republicans.
Obama made moves to cut prices and the speculators are just ripping us off for now.
Maybe history is not your strongest area?

[KeepItReal]

4. Yep. Speculation and Big Oil making money off EXPORTS of US refined oil

The XL pipeline is to get tar sands oil to refineries on the Gulf Coast so its easier to export

US oil demand is declining...but prices keep going up. That ain't supply and demand at work.

[workinclasszero]

3. But Newty promised 2 dollar gas and rainbow pooping unicorns for all americans

if we elected him Ayatollah and Grand Inquisitor of the United States!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. Martin Bashir just said the only thing Newt is good at taking down are his own underpants

[hifiguy]

16. Blammo!

Oh, that is a zinger worthy of the great Groucho himself.

[workinclasszero]

18. LOLZ thats a fact, eh? :D /nt

[madrchsod]

5. gasoline /fuel products are our number one export

http://online.wsj.com/article/APf917509ee61344a38638e2c08bc47090.html


gasoline prices are determined by speculation not the demand for it.


now is the time to invest into new modes of transportation

[gateley]

8. Yep, it's my understanding that's the problem -- speculation -- NOT a shortage of oil. nt

[Initech]

7. Blaming Obama for gas prices is like blaming the MLB commissioner when your team loses.

[Drale]

10. I always blame Selig, he's a hack and has made terrible moves as commissioner, but I digress. /nt

[JDPriestly]

9. Amen.

Oil is a finite resource. Sooner or later the cost of extracting the few remaining drops will exceed our ability to pay for it.

We need to start learning to live with less of it if not live without it.

I remember the 1950s. Gas was cheap, maybe cheaper than water. (I didn't pay the water bill, but I remember going to the gas station with my Dad.)

Those days are gone. Sorry you are stuck with your gas-guzzling SUV, but I warned you way back when it was already costing you $50 just to fill the tank.

Just think of it. You can continue to fill the tank on your SUV and use it for transportation, and then when you find yourself paying so much for gas that you can't meet your mortgage, you can move out of that oversized house you don't really need and sleep in your SUV.

How's that for thinking like a Republican?

Actually, I pity the poor Republicans who insisted on buying trucks and SUVs they did not need for their work and who now have to fill them up.

I'm for public transportation.

[libtodeath]

11. Anyone that thinks

that President Obama is to blame is just a political hack and a liar.
No President has any control over the price of oil and gas.

[girl gone mad]

12. Completely bogus.

Obama could have crushed the speculators in 2008. Instead, he handed them trillions of dollars to play with. Look back at my posts on DU at the time. This was the completely predictable outcome of our horrible financial and monetary policies. The ECB hasn't helped matters, either, but much of the blame rests with us. It was never a good idea to give our parasitic financial sector endless liquidity and gold plated 'get out of jail free' cards.

[Ron Green]

13. K&R. Jesus, people, quit thinking short-term.

This OP is right on, as is post #9. Some of these responses are embarrassing.

[Ilsa]

14. I was explaining some of this to someone today.

"We" don't get to keep the oil pumped here. It was given to the oil companies to sell to the highest bidder as part of our "free market" economy. It becomes part of a global market pool or resource. I also reminded them that oil speculators are driving the price up, and that the problems in Iran and Syria are causing speculator unrest.

I reminded them that Iran nationalized their oil decades ago, we didnt like it, so we helped overthrew their government and installed the Shah who sold their oil to the oil companies, including American ones.

The two or three people listening were dumbfounded.

[Spider Jerusalem]

15. Well, no, part of the problem is that the US is a net oil importer

US crude oil production: around 5.5-6 million barrels a day; consumption, 17-18 million barrels a day; imports, 11 million barrels a day. Do the math there. The US hasn't been a net exporter of oil in quite some time and hasn't produced enough to meet domestic demand since the 1960's.

[spanone]

17. fracking A

r