Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
It will be disappointing if the 2012 election merely boils down to the prices at the gas pump. Much preferable for the friends of liberty and limited government would be a mass voter repudiation of ObamaCare, the Obama administration assault on religious liberty, Obama class warfare, and Obama's gangster stimulus plan.
But if the average voter is not concerned with losing liberty, she is surely concerned about her pocketbook. Hence, a promising tactic with this type of voter (that is to say, most voters) is zeroing in on how exactly an Obama presidency is costing Americans in dollars and cents.
And the Senate Republican Communications Center has today released a masterful write-up which does just that. First, let us recall the big fuss Obama made about his puny payroll tax holiday, which was supposed to make all the difference in the world for Americans struggling to make ends meet:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: "We asked folks to tell what it was like - what it would be like if they lost $40 out of every one of their paychecks - because we wanted to make sure that people understood this is not just an abstract argument, this is concrete. This makes a difference in the lives of folks all across the country in very important ways… It would be $40 less for groceries to feed your kids; it would be $40 less for the medications you depend on; $40 less to cover bills and the rent; $40 less to take care of an elder parent, or to donate to a church or a charity." (President Obama, Remarks, 2/14/12)
OBAMA: "… $40 can make all the difference in the world." (President Obama, Weekly Address, 2/11/12)
OBAMA: "People can't afford losing $40 ... Not right now." (President Obama, Remarks, 1/25/12)
Next, let us consider how much gas prices have risen since Obama assumed office.
For a typical 20 gallon tank like the Toyota Sienna or Dodge Grand Caravan, it now costs an extra $38.80 to fill up at the pump.
$3.77 per gallon:average price of gas nationwide.("National Unleaded Average," AAA, 3/5/12)
$1.83 per gallon:average price of gas was when President Obama was inaugurated. ("Weekly U.S. Regular Conventional Retail Gasoline Prices," U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 2/16/12)
But the most important piece of the equation to emphasize: higher gas prices are completely intentional. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal prior to his appointment as energy secretary, Steven Chu laid out his course of action: "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said.
And the price of gasoline in Europe? In France, $8.27/gal; in Germany, $8.26; in Italy, $9.03; in the UK, $8.30.
An Obama presidency means we have a government which takes great pleasure in seeing to it that it costs the plebs more money just to get from point A to point B.
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Comments:
Apr '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Luckily, Romney is jumping right on this:
Romney: Obama can't 'precisely set the price at the pump' for gas
Wait, that's not quite the soundbite I was hoping for.
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Lee: Luckily, Romney is jumping right on this:
Romney: Obama can't 'precisely set the price at the pump' for gas
Wait, that's not quite the soundbite I was hoping for. · 2 minutes ago
Wow, disheartening. Really disappointing that he insists on shooting himself in the foot like that.
No wonder Obama wished him luck on Super Tuesday.
Aug '10
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Gas Prices have been an issue in Presidential elections for quite some time. I remember Al Gore asserting that he would open up the Strategic Reserves to stabilize sky rocketing gas prices in 2000.
Remember this ad?
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
According to Pres. Obama, we need to pay our "fair share." That means gas prices too, by golly. If the rest of the world has to pay double what we pay, well, then that's just not fair, so says the great equalizer.
Daniel Hannan, conservative British MP says it best when he tells his American audiences that Britain is already driving off of a cliff, and he sees us in the rear view mirror.
Apr '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Lee: Luckily, Romney is jumping right on this:
Romney: Obama can't 'precisely set the price at the pump' for gas
Wait, that's not quite the soundbite I was hoping for. · 2 minutes ago
Wow, disheartening. Really disappointing that he insists on shooting himself in the foot like that.
No wonder Obama wished him luck on Super Tuesday. · 2 minutes ago
Yes, it's a shame. And I agree, gas prices might be the single most effective metric for the average voter to use when evaluating Obama. It would be nice if we could have a candidate who would use that.
Apr '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Plus, it would be refreshing to talk about something other than contraception.
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Indeed. And it's high time that Republicans went on the offensive. No one looks good when forced to take a defensive posture. That seems to be something the Democrats understand better than do we.
Jun '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
The cost of all those rounds of golf he has played could easily help lower gas prices...!
Dec '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
The mercurial price of gas provides a powerful example of the importance of the right of state and local governments to levy their own taxes. A gallon of regular gas currently costs $3.81 in my neck o' the woods in Florida.
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 10:01pmApr '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Indeed. And it's high time that Republicans went on the offensive. No one looks good when forced to take a defensive posture. That seems to be something the Democrats understand better than do we. · 27 minutes ago
Being able to frame this issue in the right context is just as important as it is with Obamacare.
A campaign that convinces voters that gas prices are high because Obama is incompetent will work, but not nearly as well as a campaign that focuses on the fact that we're paying higher prices because Obama wants it that way.
From there the campaign can segue into the various Solyndra-like boondoggles, and crony capitalism.
Broaden these individual complaints into a seamless critique of the administrations entire approach to government.
May '10
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Is the President aware of how much petroleum products are used in contraception, such as spermicides like non-oxydol 9?
Most pharmaceuticals use petroleum-based catalysts in their manufacture.
IUDs are made of plastic and plastics come from oil.
Feb '11
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
....and on a related note--
http://www.nationalreview.com/planet-gore/292676/volt-unplugged-henry-payne
Feb '12
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
This tiny upward turn in the economy isn't going to be enough to stay off the upcoming increase in Gas Prices,
Or is this this talk of $5.00 gas prices, just a set up like the birth control vs. rights trap the GOP jumped into, head first.
May '10
Re: Americans Need an Obama Payroll Holiday to Afford an Obama Tank of Gas
Add in the reality re: US coming reserves ( in Peter's post above), with the current rise in fuel prices, and we can still snatch victory from the defeat-minded brains of our elected officials. Looks like the conservative voters will have to drag our Republican candidates' sorry derrieres across the finish line once again.