Suspicion Surrounds Retreat In Gas Prices, Poll Finds

[Rose Siding]

While motorists have welcomed the drop in gasoline prices, a Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday showed that many Americans remain suspicious about the reasons for the recent decline and skeptical about whether it will last......

The survey also showed that suspicions about the steep drop in gasoline prices over the past two months aren't limited to the nation's liberal strongholds. Sixteen percent of people who identified themselves as conservative Republicans, 26 percent of white evangelical Protestants and 29 percent of Southern residents think the plunge in prices is linked to the coming election or other political reasons.

Those beliefs may be blunting the positive impact President Bush and the GOP hoped to get from falling fuel prices. "I think the president's party is lowering the gas prices until the people think the economy is settling down, and then they will raise the price again, blaming it on the Arabs for raising the price on barrels of oil," one respondent said.

"As you may know, gasoline prices have fallen recently in many parts of the country," the survey said before asking: "What do you think is the main reason gas prices have gone down?" The top four answers: increased supply, Bush/GOP efforts to affect the November election, the "upcoming election" and "market forces."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/09/AR2006100901122.html

[Tellurian]

1. # 2 The Bush/GOP efforts to affect the November election..

No doubt about it!

You don't hear a peep from them taking credit..

They're just looking to see happy faces pulling the (R) lever!

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

We Shall Not Forget!!

We will remember in the Voting Booth!

[0007]

2. The truth in broad day light!

Then I'll have Prince Ripandtear lower the price during elections

[pooja]

4. Hand holding with the Prince.. this is the gayest admin. ever...

wish they would all come out of their closets

[RamboLiberal]

12. Woodward's Book says Bush Thanked Saudis in '04

For keeping oil priced low for the '04 elections. Any doubt Bushie whispered "cha ching" into some Prince's ear?

[Journeyman]

3. I think there's more to it. . .

Certainly low gas prices are meant to give a boost to Republican chances in November. But beyond that, I believe the oil companies are preparing for a potential Democratic takeover of one -- if not both -- Houses, and are lowering prices now to stave off investigations then. They know if Democrats take control they'll demand numerous investigations into BushCo's policies and failures. If the price of gas is low(er), they most likely hope to put off or even evade investigation, as the Democrats will have enough on their plate without re-visiting problems that have "self corrected." Witness the behavior of the Energy Pirates when Jeffords threw the Senate to the Democrats -- almost overnight, the "crisis" in the West disappeared and prices returned to previous levels.

[skids]

9. Interesting take.

I had not contemplated that angle.

[Johnyawl]

10. I think you very much hit the nail on the head.

[StClone]

5. Not only fuel prices down

A crescendo of good news!

Stocks up
Tax receipts up
Employment up
It seems too good to be true! After six years the great Republican revolution produces! :sarcasm:

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Up2Late]

7. They'll deny it till the cows come home, but the cooling of the WH...

...rhetoric and fear mongering talk, over the last 2 months, is definitely having an effect. They say that in the mid-summer, there was at least a $20.00 "fear Premium" built up in the price of oil.

Think back to when the price started to fall, after the war in Lebanon, what was different?

Has anyone else noticed the lower level of Saber Rattling and Tough (war) talk over the last two months, coming out of the White House?

I have.

They did get lucky in regard to the lack of Hurricanes hitting the Gulf of Mexico though, that might be one of the factors too.

[UpInArms]

8. the positive impact President Bush and the GOP hoped to get from falling f

the positive impact President Bush and the GOP hoped to get from falling fuel prices

operative sentence

[BluePatriot]

11. Glad to see people get it (nt)