Consumers skeptical of dropping gas prices

[sabra]

http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=42056

Consumers skeptical of dropping gas prices
The Associated Press

<snip>

Almost half of all Americans believe the November elections have more influence than market forces. For them, the plunge at the pump is about politics, not economics.

Retired farmer Jim Mohr of Lexington, Ill., rattled off a tankful of reasons why pump prices may be falling, including the end of the summer travel season and the fact that no major hurricanes have disrupted Gulf of Mexico output.

"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."

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." Fifty-three percent of those surveyed did not believe in this conspiracy theory, while 5 percent said they had no opinion.

[truthisfreedom]

1. that's a heck of a big number. people are thinking.

and thinking hard.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. Yes. Except for the 43%

who still believe Saddam was behind 9/11.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/06/iraq.poll/

[truthisfreedom]

2. that's a heck of a big number. people are thinking.

and thinking hard.

[tanyev]

12. You're thinking twice as hard!

:)

[Sam Odom]

3. A friend of mine is VERY Happy

I don't think lower gas prices will change his politics but he is very happy about the cost saving for his biz. His biz consist of using 2 autos and 6 vans on the move 6 days a week 12hrs per day. You can figure why he is happier.

[No Exit]

18. Tell him not to buy those low-gas-mileage vehicles just yet...

in case he is thinking of doing so. I pity anyone who relaxes their concern about getting higher-gas-mileage vehicles, based on this temporary drop in gasoline prices.

As we all know, if/when the repukes stay in power (crossing myself), gas prices will rocket back up. Gotta keep those unconscionable profits comin'.

[babylonsister]

4. That's really good news. People are 'getting' it! Thanks,

a thousand times for your relentless quest and sharing, sabra! :pals:

[CarbonDate]

5. $2.17!?

It's still over $3 here on Guam. Hmm, I wonder why that might be....

[FloridaPat]

6. Price of oil has dropped like a rock. From near $80 to $60

in the last month. There are more people involved here than US oil companies. Now let's see - why would global oil producers dropped the price of oil so much before a US election? Something smells very big here.

[ronatchig]

7. This proves manipulation

I think.
Does anyone recall that when price of oil first hit 60 per bbl, the pump price spiked to 3 per gallon. now that it(crude) has fell back to 60 its at 2.15 here. Am I buzzed or does this show that we were gouged last fall.

[Gin]

8. here in Virginia Beach the WAWA station is selling regular for $1.96

a gallon..that is the lowest price I have seen. Amoco is $2.05 for regular. I like the low prices but truly believe it's all about the election. Big business has been hurt by the high gas prices (Walmart & SUV sales)...again..it's all about the election. (IMO)

[Lindacooks]

15. It does to me too.

There's no proportionality at all.

And if the price is going to drop below $2.00 a gallon, that would put it in the range of the 1990s prices, when the PPB was $26.00.

Yes, we were gouged this summer. Otherwise, why would oil company profits have been so obscene?

[ACause]

16. Hell yes it's manipulation

Between the speculators and the Oil companies, and no..for the record..no tin-foil hat here where I envision 7 or so oil executives in a shadowy room conducting their business..but I definitely think they all benefitted from the speculation that ran the price of oil up so much.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

22. Of course we were gouged

(Or rather, "we" were -- I haven't owned/driven a car in 4 years).

If the price was only rising to "make up" for the rising prices of crude, ExxonMobil wouldn't keep posting record profits year after year.

[Theres-a]

9. Sulfur?

I smell sulfur...

[pinniped]

10. Some stupid Merkans fall for this shit.

"They think getting the prices down is going to help get some more incumbents re-elected."

That's why they pull this shit.

[Kolesar]

14. "They" often lower interest rates in an election year as a gimmick

Or so goes "Common Wisdom"

[stlsaxman]

11. BushCo to oil cartel- "We won't stop you price gouging, just as long as...

you drop the price of a gallon of gas through October..."

Part of Cheneys secret energy meetings, no doubt.

[sendero]

13. Exactly..

... "if the Dems win Congress you are looking at windfall profits taxes. Is that what you want?"

The fact is, the price of gas is a complicated thing but it in no way tracks the price of crude or anything else. There is tons of wiggle room in the price, as evidenced by the extraordinary profits the oil cos have racked up the last couple of years.

[Love Bug]

19. Hopefully, this will be the half that votes

[hatrack]

20. Whoda thunkit? After five years of lies, people are skeptical!!

:eyes:

[slackmaster]

21. We've seen this game before

Some of us were not born yesterday.

[Ragin_mad]

23. Was there an election lasty year as well

The prices dropped considerably this time last year, and the year before, and the year before....

[Maeve]

24. Try a better chart--gas futures are not pump prices

While gasoline prices DO drop at the end of the summer driving season, they have been considerably more volatile in the past year.

[maddezmom]

25. well done on all accounts

:D

[AX10]

26. Well, we all know which half of the population knows that this is all..

in the name of getting the GOP another "win" this fall.

[krispifried]

27. 'Conspiracy Theory' is not a pejorative, it is descriptive

of Thinking People.

Saudis to reportedly lift oil production - Apr. 19, 2004
April 19, 2004: 7:09 AM EDT. NEW YORK (CNN) - A top Saudi official has assured ... Record-high gas prices have become an issue in the presidential race ...
money.cnn.com/2004/04/19/news/international/election_saudi/

Forbes.com: Saudis pledged oil price cut before US vote-report
That's the Saudi pledge. Certainly over the summer or as we get closer to the election they could increase production several million barrels a day and the ...
www.forbes.com/home/newswire/2004/04/18/rtr1335645.html

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose... 'ceptin fer prices of course - It was 37 and change a barrel back then.


Edited to add that the source for these claims (quickly rebutted the following day by the election thieves) was Bob Woodward.