Obama and gas prices

About two weeks ago Pres. Obama's approval ratings were over 50% for the first time in a long time. Today the New York Times released a poll that shows the president dropping all the way down to 41%. This is a remarkable change. Most commentators put the reason as Republicans recent hammering him consistently on gas prices and their increase. The question that needs to be asked is if the fact that gas is approaching four dollars a gallon and then a candidate for president on the Republican side is promising gas at two dollars a gallon is that enough for someone to change their vote.

Does anyone really believe that a politician or a president can determine the price of gas. We now are drilling more domestically than we have since 2003. Perhaps a better question would be is why we continue to be so dependent on oil not just American oil not just foreign oil but oil in general.

Gas prices for the last 20 to 30 years have always been artificially low. if one looks at prices in other countries that's easy to see. One also can look at the cost of inflation overall.Looking at products in America since the 1930s and they will clearly see the gas should not be two dollars a gallon. About three years ago, the last time gas reached over four dollars a gallon a friend of mine who drove a giant pickup truck that probably got about eight or 9 miles to the gallon went out and bought himself a small car for the commute to work. this was because he could buy the car make the payments and still save money on gas. When gas prices went back down his habits have not changed. He sold the car and then until this day still drives the large truck .
.
The fact is everybody has a certain price point which makes something uncomfortable. for some it may be paying hundred dollars for a tank of gas. For others it may be the cost of gas per gallon being over four dollars. For us and our home we now are paying almost double the amount we were paying for gas before. we pay each month with a credit card one statement one bill for all of our purchases for the month and it's easy to see the changes and increase.

Last summer we purchased a Honda pilot. My wife wanted to have a large vehicle so that all the kids and friends and in-laws and mothers-in-law and dogs all accompany us when we all went some place for a trip together. This does not happen very often as our kids are all teenagers and as one might know by now if they had teenagers themselves they rarely want to be with us and even more rarely all want to be with us at the same time.

So now I have this Honda pilot which gets about 20 to 22 miles per gallon on the highway but as it is my vehicle and I use it mostly to go places around town take the kids to school, and do small appointments we are getting about 13 miles to the gallon. This is an expense that we really have no need for. So if things do not change it is likely that this car will not be with us for a long time and we will change it as soon as we are able. I like it, it's comfortable, it rides well, it's roomy however I am not sure that we can justify that expense for as little as we use it.

So the question is are Americans really so shallow that when everything is going on the world they will choose their president over how cheap they're gasoline is. If this is the case one needs to remember that perhaps the most important thing and most relevant thing we can say is that we get the government we deserve.