Gas prices - coincidence

[Smilo]

that suddenly there are more refineries off line coming up towards the election and gas prices are going higher every day?

Paid $4/gal Tuesday - Wed it was $4.09/gal and yesterday it was $4.15.

[Democrats_win]

1. Definitely! The GOP IS big oil.

Prices should be going down after Labor Day--and it's been nearly a month. Yet they are going up.

When Obama was here in Denver big oil had two full-page ads in the special section of the newspaper that covered the upcoming debate. Meanwhile they receive welfare from our government. How sickening!

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Not in this case.

Big oil knows whence their uninterrupted subsidies will come -- same guy who wants to kill Big Bird.

[justabob]

3. prices going down in my neighborhood

Got regular for 3.35 yesterday down from 3.65 a couple of weeks ago.

[MrDiaz]

4. gas prices

have been steadily increasing for a VERY long time... not a coincidence...its reality.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

5. I's been dropping around my area

We're at around 3.54 a gallon to 3.60 depending on where you look. Down from the 3.70s or low 3.80s.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. That's A Huge Challenge

As the economy recovers , people use more energy, causing the price of energy to rise, and therefore stymieing the recovery.

Of course it's more complex...

[onenote]

7. Right. Driving up gas prices in California but not Florida is going to impact the election. Not.

Every time gas goes up, its a conspiracy to some people. But just as the BLS data isn't being manipulated to impact the election, neither are gas prices. Gas prices are going down in many places with a small uptick in the last couple of days as signs of an improving economy increase demand which increases the price. In California, very specific refinery issues have led to a major spike in prices. But does anyone really think that California is suddenly going to shift to Romney's column because of a spike in gas prices? Just as its true that if the President could manipulate the BLS, he would have done so months ago, its also true that if the oil industry was trying to impact the election they'd be focused on driving up the cost in swing states like Virginia, Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin.

In Florida, prices are down by a cent from a month ago and down by a fraction over the past couple of days:
http://fuelgaugereport.aaa.com/?redirectto=http://fuelgaugereport.opisnet.com/index.asp

Same thing in Virginia,Wisconsin, and Ohio (in fact, in Ohio, the drop from a month ago is two cents).

[MindPilot]

9. This happens almost every year in California.

Our stricter-than-anybody-elses emission laws require a special seasonal formulation that is always in short supply during the summer-winter transition. But it also always seems to be big surprise to the refiners.

[Smilo]

12. Not in CA

Nevada - which is a swing state.

[onenote]

14. so, why not the other swing states?

[Smilo]

16. I can only speak about NV

so who knows.

[Matariki]

8. I had that same thought the other day. Which oil company does the Koch bros. own again?

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Gas prices dropped another $.10 here (NE OK) last night.

[moondust]

11. Would love to know

if the oil companies do try to influence the electorate either for or against the incumbent President by raising or lowering gas prices at the pump. It would seem to require a conspiracy of ALL the oil companies--including CITGO--in order to work so I have some doubt.

[Drahthaardogs]

13. Gas dropped $.20 a gallon here today.

I am not saying you are wrong, but it is doing weird stuff.

[sarcasmo]

15. 3:73 here in west Michigan.