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Pander-Fest '08: Hillary Vs. OPEC
Fresh off a gas tax holiday idea that over 200 economists (including noted elitist Nobel Prize winners) have panned, Hillary Clinton has followed-up with another startling proposal sure to rouse populist blood pressure but, like the tax holiday, never amount to a hill of beans. As oil prices have reached record levels, Hillary has sensed a campaign opening, so she's sticking with the "Gas" category, but raising the wager somewhat. Now, she's going after the big boys: OPEC, your days are numbered. As Ben Smith reported yesterday, Hillary boldly declared the following:
"We're going to go right at OPEC. They can no longer be a cartel, a monopoly that can get together once every couple of months in some conference room in some plush place in the world, they decide how much oil they're going to produce and what price they're going to put it at."
And the Indiana crowd applauds, Mission Accomplished. A couple of problems: OPEC isn't to blame for our sorry state of affairs, and a President Clinton would be hamstrung to do anything about it even if it was. But hey, it sure made for a nice campaign speech.
What is the problem facing our fossil-fuel dependent planet? Matthe Yglesias:
The Clinton campaign idea of somehow busting up the OPEC cartel not only seems impractical (how, exactly would this get done?) but it also bespeaks a real ignorance of what's happening with the price of gas. It's not just the the case that the current price escalation is driven by OPEC-induced supply restrictions--all indications are that everyone's producing as much oil as they possibly can. After all, with prices this high how could you afford not to pump as much oil as you could? It's just that demand for oil is high and rising, so the price goes up.
Josh Marshall concurs, and adds:
Hillary is certainly not the first candidate to bash the oil producing states or oil companies around election time. And the polls seem to show it's working for her. But I'm concerned about the widening gap between reality and her campaign trail statements. First with the pledge to obliterate Iran if they attack Israel, then the rebellion against economists and now this. Where are we going here?
Megan McArdle links to a list of reasons why anti-trust action against OPEC isn't going to happen, and chimes in:
Hillary Clinton wants to sue OPEC for not producing oil from wells they haven't drilled yet. Next: a lawsuit against Ford for not building us the cool flying cars we were promised in The Jetsons. I WANT MY FLYING CAR!!!
You want a scapegoat for why the price of gas is getting out of hand? How about China, where an economic boom has given the world millions more drivers over the past few years. Or how about the American auto industry, who resisted all calls to build more fuel-efficient vehicles? There's plenty of blame to go around on this one, but it somehow feels right to bash a bunch of rich Arabs.
Let me anticipate a few of the comments that may be left in response to this post and say that I find the Clinton-supporter defense, "Well, at least she's trying!" to be more than a tad off-bases. Yes, symbolic gestures are important, but if our candidates are free to offer up pie-in-the-sky solutions that ignore the most basic principles of supply and demand, and that even they know aren't ever going to become reality, then our politics have devolved into a sorry, sorry state of being.
Recent Comments
(Page 1 of 5)Katherine9:42AMMay 6th 2008
Is this yet another type of gas tax article on AOL...I'd rather not bother.
Hey, anyone see the cover of Wall Street Journal yesterday? Obama promised the Teamsters that he would lift federal scrutiny of them if they endorsed him. So the Teamsters did.
GREAT!
My Choice9:43AMMay 6th 2008
The only chance we have for change is to vote for Obama. Hillary is just one more of the same pandering politicians.
My Choice9:53AMMay 6th 2008
Bill Clinton raised the gas tax and no one in the political press seems to remember that, including George Stephanopoulos, who helped him do it.
Most political reporters obviously have no idea that in his first year in office President Bill Clinton raised the gas tax. He did it in a package of tax increases that amounted to the biggest tax increase in history, and after a presidential campaign whose centerpiece was a middle class tax cut that he forgot about once in office. If reporters knew that President Clinton raised gas taxes by 4.3 cents, they would be peppering Hillary and Bill with questions about the Clinton gas tax hike like, if you think gas taxes are too high now, are you in favor of repealing the Clinton nickel?
My Choice9:55AMMay 6th 2008
Bill Clinton raised the gas tax and no one in the political press seems to remember that, including George Stephanopoulos, who helped him do it.
Most political reporters obviously have no idea that in his first year in office President Bill Clinton raised the gas tax. He did it in a package of tax increases that amounted to the biggest tax increase in history, and after a presidential campaign whose centerpiece was a middle class tax cut that he forgot about once in office. If reporters knew that President Clinton raised gas taxes by 4.3 cents, they would be peppering Hillary and Bill with questions about the Clinton gas tax hike like, if you think gas taxes are too high now, are you in favor of repealing the Clinton nickel?
M2D59:59AMMay 6th 2008
Katherine9:42AMMay 6th 2008
Is this yet another type of gas tax article on AOL...I'd rather not bother.
Hey, anyone see the cover of Wall Street Journal yesterday? Obama promised the Teamsters that he would lift federal scrutiny of them if they endorsed him. So the Teamsters did.
GREAT!
Yo, Katie why did you leave ?
You have already posted this on the other web site that actually dealt with the "union thing".
Are you trying to just tip-toe thru the tulips and sprinkle your droppings all around?
God, I love shining a flashlight on cockroaches and watch them scatter.
Right Way10:03AMMay 6th 2008
Will Hillary Repeal the Clinton Gas Tax? - Lawrence O'Donnell, 05.05.2008
Anyone who votes for Clinton in order to save 18 cents per gallon for 3 months should not let her stop there; they should demand that she repeal her husband's gas tax hike.
Katherine10:05AMMay 6th 2008
Yo, M2D5, why don't you shine that flashlight on Barack Obama 'cause no one knows who the F**K he is.
hillcountry10:13AMMay 6th 2008
yeah, shine that flashlight on obama ! and you might see knowless in that dingey corner too. today, you people will see that obama is done. the exit polls will show you.
TJ10:16AMMay 6th 2008
David knowles, i get a feeling you've been in overdrive the past few days. Everything you come up with is anti-Clinton.
well, i guess we're finally here. We'll see if your frenzied support for Obama worked on middle-class americans or not... people who cant stand Obama.
Keep pedalling , Mr Knowles.
Just like Obama supporters, you have no clue where you are headaed, just pedal...
If Hillary wins, i will come find you....
the Messiah is down and dirtied up and out of steam
OXOX
TJ, THE OBAMAMANIA BUSTER
suzanne10:17AMMay 6th 2008
David.....can I take it back? :o(
ltsofenergy10:17AMMay 6th 2008
HILLARY BREAKS INTERNATIONAL LAW!This lady is totally out of control!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-cohen/hillary-should-be-dismiss_b_100082.html
TJ10:18AMMay 6th 2008
David knowles, i get a feeling you've been in overdrive the past few days. Everything you come up with is anti-Clinton.
well, i guess we're finally here. We'll see if your frenzied support for Obama worked on middle-class americans or not... people who cant stand Obama.
Keep pedalling , Mr Knowles.
Just like Obama supporters, you have no clue where you are headaed, just pedal...
If Hillary wins, i will come find you....
the Messiah is down and dirtied up and out of steam
OXOX
TJ, THE OBAMAMANIA BUSTER
ltsofenergy10:18AMMay 6th 2008
Another hillary lie!
HILLARY SUPPORTS MCCAIN IN LONG TERM IRAQ STAY!
(why doesnt the media report this?)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/05/clinton-in-2005-i-agree-w_n_100168.html
I am a registered independent, and I am voting for Obama.
david knowles10:20AMMay 6th 2008
Suzanne,
Of course.
Right Way10:22AMMay 6th 2008
According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, whose "primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient travel," the "gas tax holiday" would cost the Federal highway system nearly $9 billion in lost revenues. Additionally, for many Americans, the "gas tax holiday" would result in the sort of vacation that many dread - unemployment. Over three hundred thousand jobs would be lost over the course of the next 3-4 years if the "gas tax holiday" were enacted.
That includes 6,390 jobs in Indiana and 7,071 in North Carolina. Why do I specifically mention those states? Oh, no reason!
jerry10:22AMMay 6th 2008
HUSSAIN OBAMA IS A MUSLUM THAT IS ANTI AMERICAN AND ANTI WHITE--WE NEED TO WORK AS ONE TO SUCCEED--THIS RACE BAITER IS DONE--
VOTE WRIGHT--SUPPORT THE MINISTER--OBAMA DID
LobosCentral10:22AMMay 6th 2008
http://www.shunshineproject.org Exposes the Clinton Bush Conspiracy! And McCain is worce than Bush! Please don't let any one of these COMUAZI win. Our world and country is at stake!
M2D510:27AMMay 6th 2008
Katherine10:05AMMay 6th 2008
Yo, M2D5, why don't you shine that flashlight on Barack Obama 'cause no one knows who the F**K he is.
Like I said I enjoying doing it to cockroaches.
If no one knows who he is then I am absolutely sure that you and the others from HRC&co will be glad to tell everyone.
Like I stated once before using " A Bridge Too Far" as analogy, Wife: "What is that sound?"
Husband: "PANICKE!!".
sblum10:33AMMay 6th 2008
M2D5
you're an idiot, just like knowless, obama is going down, ahahahahahhahh
frickin idiot obama lovers,,,,ahahahahhhaha
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lighten up9:34AMMay 6th 2008
I can't get to the article for the shock of the picture! HAHAHAHAHA! Oh my!!