My prediction on gas prices

[chemp]

In about 2 or 3 months, gas prices will start to dip. They will near, but not quite reach $3 by election day. Then they will start to climb back up after the election.

This will mirror two years ago when $3 gas dropped to almost $2 as the elections came nearer. Then there was a steady increase since.

It's Big Oil doing its part to support the republicans in another election cycle. "See? Prices are coming down. The crisis is over! We don't need a drastic change in policy. Remain calm."

[LARED]

1. I agree prices are coming down

BTW you do know Democrats are in charge down there is DC? Both parties gain from a drop in prices. You should know I think prices will drop largely do to market forces with little help from congress applying pressure

[chemp]

5. Yep, I know...

But what exactly have then done to stop the endless gouging at the pumps?
Have they looked into alternative sources?
Have they looked into selling US drilled oil IN the US?
Have they looked into higher fuel standards? (well, yes, but they still suck.)

Dems don't have strong enough hold on Congress to defeat Republicon manipulation, bush veto, or the filibuster. Big oil likes how things are now.
They want a weak Dem or a republican Congress
They want a Republican President.

We need a democratic President
We need a Stronger Democratic Congress; one with backbone.

Lower gas prices makes voters less angry. Makes the issue less important than some of the others stewing in American voters brains.

[DCKit]

9. The gouging is going on in the markets....

Commodities traders and hedge funds are completely out of control.

What Enron did to California is now being perpetrated on the entire world.

If nothing else, the deregulation and blocking of further regulations on this bunch of thieves should be hung around John McCain's neck.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Smirk." - Republicon oil cronies

[mdmc]

3. I disagree

Asia, South America, and Africa will still increase their consumption. Lowering gas prices will not help the GOP - Bush has fucked the GOP up pretty bad, perhaps worse then Nixon.

Profit will always take precedent over politics. Its not like the Democrats are gonna do anything that will jeopardize oil company profits.

[jaxx]

4. In 2004 the Saudis agreed to up production for dubya.

Did they do it again on his visit?

Saudis said to boost oil output

No. 1 oil exporter will reportedly increase production before election in effort to help Bush.
April 19, 2004: 7:09 AM EDT



NEW YORK (CNN) - A top Saudi official has assured President Bush that his country will increase oil production to lower gas prices before November to help the president's re-election prospects, according to a broadcast report Sunday.

Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, discussing his new book on the run-up to the Iraq war on CBS' '60 Minutes,' said Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the United States and a long-time friend of the Bush family, has given the pledge that "certainly over the summer, or as we get closer to the election, they could increase production several million barrels a day and the price would drop significantly."

<snip> The ambassador said Saudi Arabia would like to see the price of oil, which now tops $33 a barrel, to be between $22 and $28 a barrel.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/19/news/international/election_saudi/

[chemp]

6. Bingo!

[jaxx]

7. Did you notice those barrel prices in 2004?

Interesting price history for gas at the pumps.... http://zfacts.com/p/35.html .

[LiberalEsto]

8. Absolutely right

Ding ding ding ding ding!
We have a winner!