I have just returned from a trip through the Austin-San Antonio-Corpus Christi “corridor” during which I bought regular gas for $2.99 a gallon, saw another station selling it for $2.97 and saw other prices ranging from $3.02 to $3.29 a gallon, with some a little higher.
This was after reading in USA Today that the national average price for regular gasoline price has gone down from $3.94 in April to $3.47 today — down 47 cents from this year’s high just a couple of months ago — that it could drop below $3 in the fall and that motorists in some regions are already paying less than $3 a gallon
I know that is not quite the $2.50 a gallon that Newt promised to magically set the price of gasoline at, if elected — the centerpiece, piece de resistance in his menu of wild promises and also the salient attack piece of his short-lived presidential campaign attempt.
I also know that the $2.99 price is part of some stiff competition presently going on in this part of Texas and that the price could easily rise again
I also know that the price of gas may never reach the $2.50 level, but it does go a long way to show you that the price of gas is not set by the president, nor influenced by empty and silly campaign promises. It goes a long way to show you that it is determined and influenced by supply and demand, oil and gasoline production, inventory and shipping issues, other market forces and conditions — including overseas — the overall economy, international tensions, speculation, etc.
But it also shows me how hollow, uniformed and opportunistic Newt’s $2.50 promise was, just as ludicrous as his grandiose idea to colonize the moon, to grant gun rights to everyone left behind on earth and other outrageous ideas and promises.
While I don’t expect Republicans to give Obama credit for the drop in gasoline prices — not that they should — I found it very disingenuous for them to blame Obama for the earlier higher prices and somewhat dishonest for Gingrich to promise $2.50 gas prices if elected when he darn well knew that there is very little the president can do to directly affect gas prices.
Newt, what do you say now?
