SCENE: A nearly-deserted parking lot. BARACK OBAMA enters from the right side of the screen.
BARACK OBAMA: Hi. I’m Barack Obama, and you probably know I’m running for President. Recently, Hillary Clinton and John McCain have both attacked me over my refusal to remove the gas tax. They say I’m not responsive to the needs of working-class Americans. So I thought I’d just tell you what the real deal is.
OBAMA points on his left side, and a BIG VERTICAL YELLOW BAR shows up. On it, in black, is printed 84.5 MILLION BARRELS PER DAY.
BARACK OBAMA: Now this here is how much oil the world produces every day. Eighty-four million barrels.
He points on his right side, and a BIG VERTICAL BLUE BAR shows up. On it, in black, is printed 84.2 MILLION BARRELS PER DAY.
BARACK OBAMA: And this is how much oil the world uses every day. You can see we use just about everything we can find now, and the problem is that now, we’re at the point where there isn’t enough oil to go around.
The bars disappear. A series of pictures of HIGH GAS PRICES at gas stations appears.
BARACK OBAMA: It’s a pretty simple concept: when there isn’t enough of something to go around, that something gets more expensive until enough people can’t afford to buy it any more, so the supply problem goes away.
Cut back to OBAMA.
BARACK OBAMA: But here’s the thing: if we get rid of the gas tax, that doesn’t make more oil, and the oil companies are still gonna have to set their prices to the point where enough people aren’t buying gas so they can supply everyone who afford it. Getting rid of the gas tax just means we’re letting oil companies pay less taxes. It’s not going to help you at the pump.
A series of pictures of BUSES AND SUBWAYS and things.
BARACK OBAMA: We can’t make more oil appear, but we can invest in renewable resources, in public transit, and if we do that, we can reduce demand, and reduce oil prices that way.
Cut back to OBAMA.
BARACK OBAMA: It’s really simple. Which makes you wonder why Hillary Clinton and John McCain don’t think you can understand it. My name is Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
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13 users responded in this post
But saving around $25 dollars over the course of several months will lift such a financial burden off of me! How can you be so impossibly cruel?!
Except you won’t save any money. As soon as the gas tax is lifted the oil company will raise their prices to curb demand. You’ll still be paying $4.00 a gallon, except now instead of it being $3.00 to the oil company and $1.00 to the government it will be $4.00 to the oil company.
Christopher Bird talks about this more in-depth here:
http://www.idrewthis.org/
This is a great script, and it reflects just about every “why doesn’t he just say this” scenario I play in my head when something stupid comes up.
But every time Obama thinks he can talk to the American public like they are intelligent, reasonable and mature people, he gets mild praise from the commentariat, who then revert to nagging him about the flag lapel pin.
OBAMA: Let’s have a calm discussion about race.
COMMENTARIAT: Yes, yes, of course…. Why does your pastor hate America? Do you support the Palestinians because you hate Jews? Do you condone the Weather Underground’s terrorist tactics?
CLINTON: Yeah! Yeah! He wouldn’t be my pastor! Yeah, yeah!
I’m sorry the actual link is here:
http://www.idrewthis.org/2008/04/five-reasons-mccain-gas-tax-holiday-is.html
hell yeah man
you should email that in to his campaign and just hope for the best 😉
This:
“BARACK OBAMA: But here’s the thing: if we get rid of the gas tax, that doesn’t make more oil, and the oil companies are still gonna have to set their prices to the point where enough people aren’t buying gas so they can supply everyone who afford it. Getting rid of the gas tax just means we’re letting oil companies pay less taxes. It’s not going to help you at the pump.”
…isn’t *quite* technically correct. The tax that they’re talking about repealing is collected direct at the pump, and is paid by the consumer–if the gas doesn’t sell, the tax isn’t paid, so it doesn’t come out of the oil and gas industry’s pocket, though it may pass briefly through their hands. (Not quite sure of the mechanics of the tax being paid.)
However, if the tax was repealed, it’s a pretty good bet that there would be an immediate short term price drop, but the price increases in gasoline would increase in rate to compensate for the drop, since it’s already proven that the price won’t have any serious effect on demand. So the oil companies wouldn’t pay less taxes, they’d instead be getting more profits to (not) pay taxes on.
Your idea has wings:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/30/111541/259/121/506355
And check this one out while you are at it, I finally hit the top of the charts in a community that is NOT made up of blubbering fanboys:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/26/21151/8300/293/504141
Fear me.
Bravo, MGK. Bravo.
If only he would say something like that now and then, I could feel less embarrassed about my desire for him to be president.
…and I can hear him saying every word of this, too. You’ve expertly captured his cadence. Well done.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/gasprices1
not quite what you wrote, but close
[Applause]
Awesome. That’s perfect.
I wish Obama would just stand up and expose all the BS that is politcal pandering. Like, I don’t know – the economic stimulus package?
Congress : Ah crap we’re in a recession.
Bush : Hold on now, no need to use that word. People are pissed enough as it is.
Congress : Well, what the hell are we going to do? We need damage control.
Bush: Now think people. What will make the US population less pissed at us?
Congress : Uh, researching fuel alternatives?
Bush: No dummies, money! Give ’em some money! It won’t help the economy in the long run, but it’ll keep the people off our back for a little while. They’ll be able to buy an HDTV or somethin’!
Congress: Hey, that’s not a bad idea. We’ll pay off the American people to keep some political equity.
Bush: Sold! You write it up and I’ll sign it. We’ll worry about a long term solution later…say around the time I’m outta office.
Congress : I’m sorry, what did you just say?
Bush : Oh nothing. Just get that stimulus package written up. Later ya’ll!