Gas Prices: Bush vs. Clinton vs. Obama

Here's a comparison the media won't be making:

8 years of Bush - Gas prices up 25%
8 years of Clinton - Gas prices up 38%
4 months of Obama - Gas prices up 31.7%

Where is the media outrage?

This very good post from a couple of years ago inspired me to look at updated numbers.

When President Bush took office on January 20, 2001, the national average gas price was $1.46 per gallon. Six and a half years later, on August 27, 2007, the national average gas price had jumped to $2.76, roughly 89% higher. Compounded annually, this represents about a 10% jump each year Bush has been in office.

Now, let’s compare the numbers over the same time period for President Clinton. (emphasis added)

When Clinton took office on January 20, 1993, the national average gas price was $1.06 per gallon. six and a half years later, the national average gas price had jumped to $1.22, roughly 15% higher. Compounded annually, this represents about a 2% jump each year.

Fast forward to January 20, 2009 when Bush left office. At that time, the average price was $1.83 per gallon, roughly 25% higher. Over Bush's entire term of office, gas increased at a compounded annual rate of approximately 2.85% per year. Now, compare that for the entire Clinton term. Over Clinton's entire term, gas went from $1.06 to $1.46 per gallon, approximately 38% higher. Over Clinton's entire term, gas prices increased at a compounded annual rate of approximately 4.1% per year (an annual rate that is approximately 44% higher than under Bush). None of these numbers are adjusted for inflation, but that likely makes little difference.

Since King Barry's coronation, gasoline prices have risen from $1.83 to $2.41. That is 31.7% in only four months.

Does the President really have much influence over this? In my opinion, the answer is no, but don't tell that to Nancy Pelosi who was convinced that Bush was responsible for the high gas prices that were present during a portion of his term. Where are the Congressional hearings, Nancy? Where is the media outrage?

The circle of despair

The automobile company bailout is but one example of the circle of despair that taxpayers are caught up in. Today, the CEO of GM is saying that higher gas prices would be "good for the environment." Let's see how this works:

1. Incompetent car company is failing because not enough people want to buy its product.
2. Incompetent car company's union helps current regime get elected.
3. In order to pay back the union for its support, current regime bails out incompetent car company. [Enter the taxpayers into the circle of DESPAIR].
4. Incompetent car company bets the taxpayers' "investment" on an unproven hybrid car.
5. King Barry works to do everything he can to make sure gas prices stay high. [taxpayers/drivers continue in the circle of despair].
6. High gas prices cause more people to buy hybrids.
7. Gas prices start to drop and less people become interested in hybrids.
8. Have CEO of incompetent car company suggest higher gas taxes so that gas prices will go back up.
9. TO COME: King Barry and the CEO get their higher gas taxes [taxpayers continue in despair]
10. TO COME: Higher gas prices lead to higher inflation - union goons get raises [taxpayers continue in despair]
11. TO COME: Union goons continue to support King Barry Obama and work to get him re-coronated. [taxpayers continue in circle of despair].

The higher gas prices are coming. If you think you're grabbing your ankles now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Where is the Outrage?

Back in 2008, Nancy Pelosi was screaming about how Bush's "big oil agenda" was scamming the American people. Where is the outrage today? I've talked about this previously, but with gas prices continuing to rise, where is the outrage?

Gas was $1.81 per gallon when Barack Obama was coronated.

Where is the outrage in the media? Where are the interviews of grandmas and working class folks telling us, in their best Southern drawl, that they just can't make it to work, that they can't afford their medicine, that they are having to cut back in every area of their life, etc.? Where is the outrage? We saw these stories and interviews when Bush was President. Every. Single. Day.

Based on the February 21, 2011 weekly average of $3.189 per gallon, gas prices are up 76.19% since Obama took office. [Updated to add: AAA says the average is $3.368 per gallon today.] Let's call it 25 months. So, to update my prior post on this subject:

8 years of Bush - Gas prices up 25%
8 years of Clinton - Gas prices up 38%
2 years of Obama - Gas prices up 76.19%

You mean government can't make gas cheaper?

Now the White House says that Bush can't do much about the high gas prices. No joke. About all the government manages to do for gas prices is make them go up by increasing regulation, decreasing allowed drilling, keeping refineries from opening, etc. But where are the Democrats on this? Nearly two years ago, they promised lower gas prices in order to get elected. Where are the lower gas prices? Those liars! Of course, only the stupid and ignorant believe that a politician has the power to deliver a lower gas price without screwing something up dramatically. The free market does not work like that. Of course, that won't stop the Democrats from pandering to the fools who believe that the government is the solution to every problem.

Gas Prices Continue To Rise

Here is an interesting chart that you can use to show where gas prices have been. Interestingly, since King Barry's coronation, it looks like gas prices have risen over 20%. Where's the outrage? Where are the hearings on Capitol Hill? Why haven't the oil executives been called up there to account for this? You know why.

More on Gas Prices

The Weekly Standard gets in on the game, showing how gas prices are now up 67% since Obama took office. They include a helpful graph from the Heritage Foundation which compares this to the same period in the Bush administration. Of course, my readers have been aware of this issue for quite some time.

Well, it's official

Gas prices have doubled in just over two years of Barack Obama's presidency. We've been watching this for a while here. At the same point in their respective presidencies, this is much worse that Bush or Clinton. Remember when Barack Obama took office? Gas was $1.81 per gallon then. So, whose fault is it? Nancy Pelosi blamed Bush when gas became more expensive during his term. Where is Nancy now?

Gas was $1.81 when Barack Obama took office

Really, what else needs to be said? I guess with his economic policies, the good news is that fewer and fewer people are affected by the high gas prices. The cost to drive to work doesn't matter as much when you are unemployed.

Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

Well, duh. Interestingly, the chart shows how much gas prices have increased over the last four years. And I haven't personally had a pay raise in 4 years, but instead get phantom pay cuts with every increase in the costs of insurance, etc. I've spent 4 years essentially going backwards. I hope you have fared better.

Nice Edit Job, Ford Report

I wonder why The Ford Report so heavily edited what I said?

More Praise For Ford's New Immigration Ad
Congressman Ford's new radio ad that talks about immigration seems to be going over very well with the voters of Tennessee. The following praise for the new ad comes to us from the blog 'Someone Needs To Say It': U.S. Representative Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) has a great campaign ad on the subject of immigration. It is very convincing and is the single best ad that I have heard among those who are running for the Senate seat that is being vacated by Bill Frist....In any event, Ford is getting in front of the immigration issue and it will be a big issue in this election.

In case anyone is wondering, the text which is conveniently obliterated by the ellipses is as follows:

Ford's prior ads were utterly ridiculous. In one of them, he accuses President Bush of "giving away" the ports to another country or some such nonsense. In another, he whines and complains about gas prices and CEO compensation - a sure appeal to the ignorant and easily manipulatable masses. Maybe someone told Ford that the CEO of Exxon was not a candidate for the Senate.

It is no wonder that I am such a cynic when it comes to politics. I actually went to the site hoping to find the ad copy or a link to it so that I could post it here (which I will now not do) and stumbled across the link to my earlier post.

I was rather disappointed to see this kind of chop job. I cannot say that I am surprised. Similarly, I would not have been surprised if Bob Corker's minions had linked to the post and cut out my praise of Ford. But to my knowledge, they didn't. Or maybe they will just link to this post since I have already done the chopping for them.

While this is a clever use of ellipses, it hardly catches the spirit of the original post.

Harold Ford's Immigration Ad

U.S. Representative Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) has a great campaign ad on the subject of immigration. It is very convincing and is the single best ad that I have heard among those who are running for the Senate seat that is being vacated by Bill Frist. Ford's prior ads were utterly ridiculous. In one of them, he accuses President Bush of "giving away" the ports to another country or some such nonsense. In another, he whines and complains about gas prices and CEO compensation - a sure appeal to the ignorant and easily manipulatable masses. Maybe someone told Ford that the CEO of Exxon was not a candidate for the Senate. In any event, Ford is getting in front of the immigration issue and it will be a big issue in this election.