Over simplification, but certainly gas prices have a horrendous affect on the working poor and lower middle-class. It's hard to work a low paying job, pay for a mortgage and utilities (not that rent is any different), and spend 300 dollars a month on gasoline (in some instances obviously lower, in others much more). Extreme increases in heating prices, while not directly related to oil, are another killer. Not to mention that these kinds of gas prices make everything more expensive, most obvious of all being food.
Both parties squeeze the poor in different ways, this is just the most glaring example of how out of touch the Democrats are with the people they like to claim as their primary constituents. It's not an issue of Obama being able to control oil prices, but it is an issue of the Democratic establishment's refusal to consider any options, and their appearing to show absolutely no concern.
There are more people out there struggling to get by due to gas prices than there are members of the Sierra Club. It's not just stupid, it's stupid politics for the Dems to not even give the appearance of wanting to do something about it.
'Big Oil' seems to be doing just fine. Why not impose a windfall tax on their profits and pass the revenues from that down to consumers in the form of gas tax relief?
Did I say anything about wanting to help 'Big Oil'?
I think taxes on the oil companies (coupled with price controls so that it can't be passed on the consumer) to partially fund subsidies, along opening up new areas for exploration, would be a huge step in the right direction. Just taxing oil companies though isn't going to help anyone, especially if it's merely to fund some kind of tax cut. It's the price at the pump that matters for people struggling now.
The only way you're going to get any Republicans to go along with taxes and subsidies is to allow greater drilling. The Democrats aren't willing to do that.
