Gasoline prices have gone down fifty cents here how about where you are??

Question

If it has gone down more than fifty cent then are you living in an area where the GOP (grand oil Party) may lose a seat in the house or senate????

Answer 1

It's down all over the place, because the cost of crude oil is down. This is because demand for motor fuel is down (due to more efficient cars and seasonal demand changes), the demand for heating is down, the oil platforms in the gulf are back online after Katrina, the gulf refineries are getting caught back up with projected demand, output has increased from the Alaska fields, and the main pre-Christmas manufacturing season in China (where all those plastic goods are produced -- one of the biggest petroleum demand sectors on earth) is coming to a close as everything that needs to be on our shelves for November and December is done being manufactured and is now being loaded onto the ships to carry it all here (I know, that's my line of work).

So you think this is an election trick? Funny, people say things that before EVERY election, and I've been watching elections for far too many decades now. Really, if it were an election trick they would do it 2 weeks before the election, not throw away a ton of profits by doing it 2 months before the election. The American public can't seem to remember what happened 2 months ago...

Heres a couple graphs of the last year or so -- notice how gas prices go down after the summer driving months in NON-ELECTION YEARS, too (look at the 2005 data)?
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/prices.html#Motor
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/graphs/retail_graph.html

Oh, and here's a good one:
http://www.randomuseless.info/gasprice/gasprice.html
Hmm... Ajusted for inflation, gas prices were at an all-time high when Reagan, a Republican (*) won the election in 1980. This was after the soaring gas prices of the 1970's which ushered in the acceptance of Japanese automobiles in the USA. While Reagan was in office, gas prices dropped steadily, both in raw retail price and when adjusted for inflation (after exceeding $1.00 per gallon in the later 1970's they dropped down to the $0.70 per gallon mark by about 1986 or so -- I remember taking many road trips with friends back then because of the gas prices). They continued to decline steadily though not as dramatically through G.H.W. Bush's term except for the hiccup during the Gulf War. The period 1993 through 2001 (Clinton) did not see much change in gas prices once adjusted for inflation. Of course in the aftermath of 9-11-2001, there has been constant turmoil, but adjusted for inflation they have STILL not exceeded 1979 levels.

And here is a graph of the situation 9 years ago, well removed from today's political situation. Notice again how as the summer ends the gas prices drop. And this was in 1997, another non-election year. Oh wait, Saint Billary was in office and all was well with the world, I forgot... but wait, if that was the reason then then what happened in 2005?
http://www.energy.ca.gov/contingency/96situationreports/graphs/retail_graph.html

So it looks then like of you want cheap gas then buy it in January, but if you want expensive gas then buy it in July -- regardless of who is in office. If you want gas prices to stay where they are (wherever they are), vote for Clinton (Democrat). If you want them to come down, vote for Reagan (Republican). If you want them to go up, vote for Carter or G.W. Bush (Democrat and Republican respectively). See? It is pointless to try to politicise gasoline prices into partisan propoganda, as energy is a MARKET-DRIVEN WORLDWIDE COMMODITY and the price is determined by completely non-political factors such as weather and manufacturing and seasonal demands far more so than it is influenced by geopolitical problems of the moment.

(*) Reagan was a Republican, wasn't he? Or is the left now trying to rewrite that piece of history, too, after he was found to be the most popular President of modern times despite the left's constant attempts to villify him?

Answer 2

74 cents for us in Marietta, Ga., since the announcement of the BP pipeline damage.

And, no, the GOP is alive and well here in Cobb County, as well as across the state of Georgia.

I talked with the former treasurer of Mobile Oil last night and he said it's supply and demand, pure and simple. Everyone wants to blame "big oil," but the truth is that the federal and state governments and the credit card companies make more off of the sale of gasoline than the oil companies do.

Expect the price to fall even more in the next few weeks as the summer blends of gas are phased out across the country, and as the winter blends are introduced.

Answer 3

Down $.60, but with Tom DeLay trying to stay out of jail the Democrats will take District 22 in Texas.
By the way, the long term solution is to seek alternative energy sources. Dick Cheney is a fool and saying that there is no way alternative can work is the proof. It will be expensive, it will take time, but it can be done. And probably at less cost than we're spending messing around in the Middle East. Where we would let the UN handle issues if there were no oil. Where oil money fuels lots of terrorism.

Answer 4

In much of western Canada - the price has dropped from a high of $119.9 a litre to $0.99 a litre. What a relief. I think part of the reason for the drop has to do with the fact that getting oil out of the Canadian Oil Sands is only profitable when the price of oil is high. Otherwise it's not worth the effort. Many [if not most] oil producing countries do NOT want the world to find other resources. Craig!! :o)

Answer 5

It's nothing political - gasoline prices tend to go down a bit in the fall because of (1) Fewer vacationers buying additional gasoline, and
2) Less air-conditioning means less demand for oil from utilities.

Answer 6

In Mississippi, gas was on average $2.93 for regular. Now on average, it is 2.31 for regular. In my hometown, it's $2.19. I believe this is a gimmick by the GOP to manipulate the November vote. For example, my senator is Trent Lott (remember the strom thurmond comment) and his seat is up. Yet, the fact that oil production was not halted by weather, Iran and Venezuela has released more oil to the US, and investor confidence is rising helps the case.

However, I think that most Americans feel betrayed as they pay at the pump. So most congressmen whose seats are up (whether Dem or Rep) should be ousted. But as my mom tells me, "Never underestimate the stupidity of humans."

Answer 7

Same Here. Goldsboro, North Carolina. From about $3.00 to about $2.50 . But, even at that, it's still about $50 for a 20 Gallon Fill Up.

Answer 8

Indiana 3.19 right now 2.11 so ya it has gone down alot. And I do agree that it has alot to do with the end of summer,etc. And with the election I am not sure of. But it would not matter to me if it went down to 1.50 which will never happen! But I will never vote Republican again. Not with the blood, that republicans like to carry on there hands for no reason

Answer 9

About $.30 cents here in San Diego. And the Governator is a republican...

Answer 10

about $.60 cents in Los Angeles