[Cody Dawg]

Seriously, isn't it interesting that gas prices are dropping just in time for the forthcoming elections?



Think it's just a coincidence?

I don't.

[Dr Reducto]

It also happened last year at this time, with no elections. I think it's that the markets have spoken.

Although im sure the incumbents don't mind it

[Spliffdaddy]

If the Republicans had control over gas prices - we would be paying 25 cents a gallon - not $2.50.

Oil is a commodity....like oranges and coffee and RAM or anything else that has a finite supply. It's value is determined by market speculation, which is primarily driven by supply & demand.

[Millennium]

Gas prices always drop around the end of summer, just like they always spike at the beginning. It's the oil companies gouging as usual, but unfortunately no one can prove it.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Spliffdaddy

If the Republicans had control over gas prices - we would be paying 25 cents a gallon - not $2.50.

Sounds about right. So the Republicans would have to subsidize the drilling, processing, and transportation of the oil and run the deficit up to $25 trillion.

Originally Posted by Spliffdaddy

Oil is a commodity....like oranges and coffee and RAM or anything else that has a finite supply.

Weren't you one of the people claiming that oil is a renewable resource?

[Dakar]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

Weren't you one of the people claiming that oil is a renewable resource?

That was on a Saturday. This is a Tuesday.

[Cody Dawg]

LOL!



Oil is a renewable commodity when the Democrats let the Republicans drill in places where there is oil.

[Dakar]

Actually, I think I recall this argument being used back in '04 before Kerry/Bush.

[tie]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

Sounds about right. So the Republicans would have to subsidize the drilling, processing, and transportation of the oil and run the deficit up to $25 trillion.

Weren't you one of the people claiming that oil is a renewable resource?

Sounds like the Republicans. Have the government pay for it, with no notion as to its costs. Back it up with junk science. Right on.

Anyway, this follows a typical pattern and otherwise is coincidental. But Saudi Arabia has every reason to want Republicans to stay in office. Saudis support terrorist attacks on the US with no consequences, and our government orients all its policies toward driving oil prices higher, etc. If the Republicans really had their way, we'd be sending our tax dollars directly to Saudi Arabia, giving Exxon executives a percentage.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Oil is a renewable commodity when the Democrats let the Republicans drill in places where there is oil.

Meanwhile, the oh-so-concerned-for-the-environment left is amazingly silent on the fact that Cuba is letting China drill oil fields 45 miles off the Florida coast.

[porieux]

...

[Krusty]

Originally Posted by spacefreak

Meanwhile, the oh-so-concerned-for-the-environment left is amazingly silent on the fact that Cuba is letting China drill oil fields 45 miles off the Florida coast.

Wait a second, the article you linked clearly has a "leftie" complaining about the potential environmental impact (Democratic Senator Bill Nelson) and also clearly states that its our own dumbsh*t embargo on Cuba that has opened the door for China to step in instead of us. Your article directly contradicts the conclusions you draw from it

The trade embargo with Cuba was always a bad idea IMHO. But for the last 17 years since the end of the cold war and fall of the U.S.S.R., its been nothing short of the height of stupidity and has been continued by Rep and Dem Presidents and Congresses alike. Either we want to play in the same sandbox with Cuba or we don't ... we've chosen not to ... so no right to complain when they decide to play with the new kid instead.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by Krusty

Wait a second, the article you linked clearly has a "leftie" complaining about the potential environmental impact (Democratic Senator Bill Nelson) and also clearly states that its our own dumbsh*t embargo on Cuba that has opened the door for China to step in instead of us. Your article directly contradicts the conclusions you draw from it.

If the environmental left's motives are pure, they'd be against all offshore drilling, not just US-sponsored drilling. We've heard and seen the environmental left's protests on numerous proposed US drilling intiatives. Yet we haven't seen nearly the outrage from those same groups on this.

US-Cuba relations should play no part in the environmental debate. That is, unless these so-called environmentalists aren't truly concerned about the environment - which is the point I was angling towards. The environment is simply a front for these groups to bash and try to derail US-style capitalism.

One is either against drilling off the coast of Florida, or not.

[porieux]

...

[Saetre]

[mydog8mymac]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Seriously, isn't it interesting that gas prices are dropping just in time for the forthcoming elections?:

You wrote "forthcoming."

[itai195]

All commodity prices are down nowadays, not just oil. Who knows why, I'm not knowledgeable enough in these markets to say for sure. It seems to me that the tide is turning, and the popular viewpoint is changing toward expectation of a recession late this year/early next. That's not to say there will be, but markets are driven as much by perception and emotion as by anything else.

Originally Posted by spacefreak

Meanwhile, the oh-so-concerned-for-the-environment left is amazingly silent on the fact that Cuba is letting China drill oil fields 45 miles off the Florida coast.

For a Republican, you seem very concerned about what liberals do and think.

[screamingFit]

Though prices always fall at the end of the "driving season", I would suspect some of the drop has to do with political pressures. No proof but it's a very fathomable idea. The business of oil refining is corrupt from the bottom to the top with lots of politico wallets being fleeced.

As aside, oil being a traded, futures based market leaves it wide open to all sorts of corruption.

[Krusty]

Originally Posted by spacefreak

One is either against drilling off the coast of Florida, or not.

Absolutely.

The "liberal" in the piece you linked was categorically against it. It was the Republican Senator from Idaho that was being duplicitous about it ... basically saying it'd be OK if it were the US but is "bad" because China was the one doing it.

Originally Posted by your own freakin' article

"We sit here watching China exploit a valuable energy resource within eyesight of the U.S. coast,'' said. Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican.

"I think the American public would be shocked - as this country is trying to reduce dependence on Middle East oil - that countries like China are realizing this energy resource.''

But Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, worried that a Cuban oil spill could hurt the state's environment and $50-billion tourism industry, wants to block drilling in Cuba's northern waters.

"Any oil spill 45 miles from Key West is going to absolutely devastate all those delicate coral reefs, the fragile Florida Keys, and would endanger pristine beaches all the way up to Fort Pierce,'' said Nelson, a Democrat.

Nowhere does the Democrat tie his opinion to what country happens to be doing the drilling.

I think I'm with Saetre and porieux on this one:

[DLQ2006]

Why are U.S. Oil companies not drilling there? Isn't it because of the environmental movements and pressures in the U.S. that prevent them from drilling there? Little good it does for the environment to not allow U.S. companies to drill there, meanwhile China is doing it because they have no such impediments.

[Krusty]

Originally Posted by DLQ2006

Why are U.S. Oil companies not drilling there? Isn't it because of the environmental movements and pressures in the U.S. that prevent them from drilling there? Little good it does for the environment to not allow U.S. companies to drill there, meanwhile China is doing it because they have no such impediments.

Take a closer look at the map in the linked article. The area in question is in Cuba's legal marine zone. So, its Cuba's perogative to decide who does or doesn't drill there. It's NOT a function of US environmentalist movements or pressures but the simple fact that we have chosen to embargo Cuba for the last 4 decades that has counted us out of the running for developing these fields.

[DLQ2006]

Originally Posted by Krusty

Take a closer look at the map in the linked article. The area in question is in Cuba's legal marine zone. So, its Cuba's perogative to decide who does or doesn't drill there. It's NOT a function of US environmentalist movements or pressures but the simple fact that we have chosen to embargo Cuba for the last 4 decades that has counted us out of the running for developing these fields.

I didn't realize that. That's a good point then and yea, they would have that right. I don't fault our govt for not trading with Cuba though. Castro is a communist who oppresses his people. Isn't that why so many are litterally dying to get here on boats? For freedom and a chance to lift themselves out of squalor. I'm glad we don't do trade with a regime like that and wish we didn't have to buy oil from the Middle east. The ME is in possession of much of the world's greatest natural resource that almost flows from the ground, and still there is no economic prosperity for those not in the ruling class. If we ever find an alternative fuel (which I hope we do), they will just all be poor over there instead of just most of them.

[hyteckit]

I'm glad the gas prices are going down. I just bought an expensive sports car that requires premium grade gas and gas mileage ain't so great.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by Krusty

Absolutely.

The "liberal" in the piece you linked was categorically against it. It was the Republican Senator from Idaho that was being duplicitous about it ... basically saying it'd be OK if it were the US but is "bad" because China was the one doing it.


Nowhere does the Democrat tie his opinion to what country happens to be doing the drilling.

I think I'm with Saetre and porieux on this one:

You are totally misunderstanding my point. Of course Sen. Nelson is going to be against it. He has to be with his election coming up (and he ain't that liberal to begin with)

My gripe is with the environmental activist groups who routinely protest any sort of US drilling. Where are the environmentalist protests on this?

You won't find them on this issue, because is does not involve stifling US-style capitalism. But I'm sure you'll rebut with some statement from another representative, even though I continue to rant about ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST GROUPS.

[OAW]

Well I found it interesting that gas prices dropped significantly right before Labor Day. Typically prices go up prior to a holiday weekend because demand is greater due to people traveling on the roads. Supply and demand has its place as the primary determinant of prices, but when it comes to gas prices we should all know by now that it isn't that simple. That's why gas prices can rise 20 cents in an hour ... even though the demand is the same and the gas in the ground under the station has already been paid for. The commodities market has it's influence as well. And can the big oil companies manipulate the market beyond that? Well Enron showed how the electricity market can be manipulated, so I don't think it is out of the question considering ow concentrated the market is. Do they? Well that's hard to prove. I will say that I think the oil industry favors a Republican government. And if they are manipulating the market to favor Republicans in the upcoming election, they will without a doubt do it in a manner that maintains plausible deniability. So in the end it will come down to a personal decision on what you choose to believe.

OAW