What Would President Obama Do About the Price of Gasoline?

By John W. Lillpop

As soaring gasoline prices continue to wreak havoc among poor and near poor American families, presidential nominee Barack Obama has made headlines by telling the poor what he will not do to resolve the energy crisis.

Specifically, as president, Obama would not:

Advocate domestic drilling;

Seek additional refining capacity; or

Encourage development of nuclear power.

Having ruled out all reasonable ideas for increasing supply, Obama seems obsessed with reducing demand, even though oil is the mother's milk of America's economy and fuels the way of life that Americans adore.

So, what is a card-carrying Marxist to do when the well being of the unwashed masses conflicts with the socialist agenda of the Democrat Party when it comes to insects' rights?

Should government seek to lower gasoline prices at the expense of the cross-eyed gay mosquito, an endangered species found only in Alaska and off the coasts of California and Florida?

Nuclear power might be plausible, but surely liberal-minded scientists can find a greener way to boil water?

Installing more refining capacity is out because it would take at least five years to implement. By then, science will most likely have perfected the technology needed to convert conservative talk show commentary--ergo, hot air--into affordable home heating products and fuel pellets for compact imported cars.

What to do, in the here and NOW? Especially since most of the folks suffering from high gasoline prices are die-hard Democrat voters?

Perhaps Obama should lift a page from the play book of the last American president who actually took a pro-active step(s) on energy and gasoline prices?

That would be one James Earl Carter, 39th president of the United States and the American politician most responsible for the Reagan Revolution.

Immediately after being inaugurated on January 20, 1977 , President Carter and his wife Rosalynn jumped out of their limousine and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

Mind you, Jimmy Carter was setting an example for the American people and the entire globe about the urgent need to conserve energy.

After all, gasoline was all of $.65 a gallon as Carter and his family walked to the Oval Office, where the new president immediately exercised his awesome powers by mandating a non-negotiable schedule for the White House tennis courts.

Unfortunately for America and western civilization, Carter's stroll down Pennsylvania failed to prove anything, except that Jimmy was even more of a loon than Republicans had alleged.

Still, Carter's walk showed the unwashed masses that he was doing something.

Since then, Americans have come to understand that sometimes something is worse than doing nothing at all, especially when Democrats are involved!

Further proof of this truth came when President Carter created two new cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, which dang near ruined energy and education in America.

But back to 2008.

Perhaps Barack Obama should sprint down Pennsylvania Avenue, in light of the fact that gasoline is nearly ten times more expensive than when Jimmy Carter rained on America's parade in 1977?

Lord knows that Obama should be fit enough to jog down Pennsylvania Avenue without even working up a sweat, especially after spending nearly two years running for office.

Better still, Mr. Obama: For the sake of America, don't do something, just stand there!