Throwing a Wrench in the Spin Machine: Obama on Gas Prices

MOMocrats recently received an interesting email from the McCain campaign, entitled "FOX - Obama says sky high gas prices a good thing." The email quoted this exchange from the Fox News Channel, between Fox News pundit Shephard Smith and Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

SHEPARD SMITH: Could sky high gas prices actually be a good thing? A top Republican is going after Barack Obama saying that he suggested just that. Obama is saying that the problem isn't that prices are too high, just that they shot up too quickly. He told CNBC today "if we take some steps right now to help people make the adjustment than I think ultimately we can come out of this stronger and have a more energy efficient policy than we do right now." Well, the top Republican in the Senate having a field day with that statement

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL: The position outlined by the Democratic nominee shouldn't a surprise to most Americans given that Washington Democrats have repeatedly refused to allow increased energy production here at home – even though as we all know increase supply leads to lower prices.

SMITH: Senator McConnell saying it is like they're going out of their way to keep gas prices from going down. So far, no response from the Obama camp. We'll get it to you when it comes in.

Sounds like the McCain camp just struck campaign trail gold, right? Obama caught saying that the current record high gas prices are a good thing? When so many hard-working Americans are suffering, struggling to pay their fuel bills?

Trouble is, it's not true. The Obama quote Smith used was edited and taken out of context. And Smith's and McConnell's characterization of what Obama said recently during an interview with CNBC's John Harwood is simplistic and misleading. Here's what Obama actually said:

HARWOOD: So could these high prices help us?

Sen. OBAMA: I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment. The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing. But if we take some steps right now to help people make the adjustment, first of all by putting more money into their pockets, but also by encouraging the market to adapt to these new circumstances more quickly, particularly US automakers, then I think ultimately, we can come out of this stronger and have a more efficient energy policy than we do right now.

Did you catch that key sentence there? The one where Senator Obama said, "The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing."

Obama explicitly said in the interview that the recent sharp jump in gas prices is not a good thing. And yet, Fox News and the McCain campaign are trying to claim he said the opposite.

Are these kinds of distortions of an opponent's words the hallmark of "A Leader You Can Believe In?" 

In a time of global energy crisis, and a struggling domestic economy, Obama suggests we do our best to turn our lemons into lemonade by focusing our efforts on improving fuel efficiency and exploring more sustainable alternative fuels, in order to bring lasting positive change to our economy, and reduce our dependence on fickle, limited oil.

That's not discounting the struggles of American families in the face of a sputtering economy; that's looking for long-term solutions to a crisis that won't be permanently solved by any short-term quick-fix.

When Jaelithe isn't exposing Old Media chicanery, she writes on her own blog, The State of Discontent. Okay, so sometimes she calls out media spin machine hijinks over there, too.

Comments

[Kudzu Fire]

Drill Here. Drill Now, Pay Less. Sign he petition. Let's increase the supply before Barrack Hussein Obama raises the price.

[Julie Pippert]

I am LOL at the the comment above. Obama sets the price of gas as President, right-o; of course he doesn't, but wow, I am so glad you acknowledge he'll be the next President!

And, oh, yeah, right, the solution is to make more.

Except it's no longer 1984.

Not even the Republicans think that is the answer.

Obama is right on target: help solve the crunch now for people and effect a solid energy policy to decreases consumption. That's a real solution and one that will help cost overall, long-term.

[sarah gilbert]

I know it's impossible for either candidate to say so, but rising gas prices IS a good thing IMO (and in the opinion of lots of economists not running for president ;). I totally agree with Obama here -- that we should change energy policy and reduce consumption -- but we should ALSO be driving less and being more cognizant of the *true* costs of things.

it's funny that this is such a hot button in the campaign because i'll bet if you got any of the presidential candidates alone in a soundproof room off the record they'd totally admit that gas prices deserve to be about $8 a gallon. ok, maybe not McCain, he doesn't understand that economa-whatchacallit stuff, teehee.

[jaelithe]

I would agree with you completely, Sarah, if I hadn't grown up among the working poor in a failed industrial city with rampant suburban sprawl, limited economic opportunity, and a really poor public transportation system.

Eight dollar a gallon gasoline would literally kill people in my town. As in, without drastic increases in government assistance, the homeless population would shoot up beyond the capability of current shelters to assist. Crime would increase. People would freeze to death. People would starve. Maybe not a lot of people. Maybe not people many other people think or care much about. But it would happen.

As it is many people in my area are already losing their jobs because they cannot afford to get to work. Or choosing between paying for food and paying for fuel. Area food pantries are strapped and running out of food. People applying for food stamps face weeks-long waiting lists. And those already on food stamps are finding they cannot afford enough food to last through the month, because food prices have risen dramatically, partly because of fuel prices, but food stamp allotments have not.

I myself haven't been much affected yet by the rise in fuel prices. My husband and I made a deliberate choice to buy a highly fuel efficient car. We made a deliberate choice to by a house that is only minutes away from my husband's employer, and I myself work from home. We deliberately avoid unnecessary travel. We've been making choices like that for years, to save money and to help the environment.

But not everyone can make these choices.

Of course we need to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels. I wish we'd done it years ago. And I'm perfectly happy to make some sacrifices now to preserve a better future for my son.

But I think Obama understands, as I do, that the people who will be hit hardest by the rising cost of fuel are not the ones with room for sacrifice.

[Donna]

To those who think that drilling for oil now in our country would be a "quick fix," I'd like to point out that even the oil industry admits that it would take years to see any benefit from that... AND that we don't have enough reserves here to make much of a dent in our oil habit.

There are NO quick fixes. These oil prices represent our Day of Reckoning. We must change our energy dependence habits. We must find new methods, invest in new technologies, and find new ways to conserve.

We also need to put value back in the American dollar. I've heard economists say that a large part of the high oil prices is that oil is priced in dollars, and when the dollar is weak, that means it takes more of them to buy a gallon of oil. If our dollar was worth what it was before Bush took office, oil would only cost something like $70 a gallon instead of $130+ (note: I do not recall the exact figures, but the discrepancy was something amazing like that.)

[Dave]

Drill, drill, drill... and reject Obama's socialist nanny state while your are at it.

[Garko Factor]

i agree with most of what you say. what really bugs me though is that so many people have gotten complacent again after gas prices went up $2.00/gallon because they went down .40 or so per gallon since the highest point. it is such sheer and obvious criminal manipulation and many folks just fall for it. So, hurry! before gas prices go up again! go here http://help4gas.com

[Joe the Dog Lover]

Drill, drill, drill. What a joke. We need to expand our nuclear program.

[BUYERS REMORSE]

More like raising the next generation of bedwetting liberal p*ssies.