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Dems take huge risk in ‘seizing on’ rising gas prices to push green energy, all the while faulting Putin

March 9, 2022 | | Print Article

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Democrats are doubling down on their inflationary policies even as the American public’s patience with inflation grows thinner and thinner, to the point that some Biden voters are now contemplating voting for Republicans next time around.

“Democrats embrace politically risky strategy on rising gas prices,” a blunt headline from The Washington Post reads.

Published Tuesday, the piece notes how President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats are trying to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for the uptick in gas prices that occurred after the president banned Russian oil.

The piece also draws attention to how “Democrats are seizing on the current crisis to renew their argument that the way to cut America’s dependence on foreign oil is through renewable energy and reduced consumption, not by boosting America’s own production of oil and natural gas.”

And indeed, the president himself said on Tuesday that the current situation should “motivate us to accelerate the transition to clean energy.”

But doing these things — banning Russian oil and promoting “green” energy over far more efficient traditional energy — means forcing higher prices on an already exasperated public.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that it’d asked 2,200 people “where they feel inflation.” The respondents reportedly felt inflation EVERYWHERE:

  • “A car battery costs almost two times as much.”
  • “Bacon is as expensive as filet mignon used to be.”
  • “Cold cereal has gone up, and the box has shrunk.”
  • “Gas. It’s painful at the pump.”
  • “Horse feed keeps going up every week.”
  • “I never thought I would ever see eggs at $5 a dozen.”
  • “The cheap brand of hamburger meat is not cheap anymore.”
  • “The price of pet food is hard to even fathom.”
  • “Prescriptions are so high I have told the drug store to just keep them.”
  • “I am eating expired groceries.”
  • “I can barely afford to drive to work and pay my bills.”

The New York Times registered over 800 different goods and services, including, in addition to those listed above, chicken breasts, clothing, energy drinks, detergent, electrical supplies, electricians, protein bars, public transportation, etc., etc., etc.

“Some described lowering the heat this winter to save money, cutting expenses like family vacations and restaurant meals, and delaying home repair projects. People detailed coping strategies, including comparison shopping, buying in bulk — or, sometimes painfully, simply doing without,” according to the Times.

“In some ways, the responses show consumers observing inflation differently than government policymakers and statistics do,” the Times added.

Indeed, during a joint event with Vice President Kamala Harris this Monday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded to concerns about rising gas prices by again encouraging Americans to purchase an electric vehicle.

“Clean transportation can bring significant cost savings for the American people as well. Last month we announced a $5 billion investment to build a nationwide electric vehicle charging network so the people from rural to suburban to urban communities can all benefit from the gas savings of driving an EV,” he said.

Listen:

According to a CNBC report from last year, the average price for an electric vehicle was $56,437. Given inflation, it’s probably even higher now.

It’s not clear how Americans who can barely afford the current hikes in gas prices would be able to afford doling out more than most Americans make in a year.

Buttigieg’s remarks provoked backlash. So did the remarks made by Harris, who urged the American people to imagine a purportedly better world.

“Imagine, a future the freight trucks that delivered bread and milk to our grocery store shelves and the buses that take children to school and parents to work. Imagine all the heavy duty vehicles that keep our supply lines strong and allow our economy to grow,” she said.

“Imagine that they produced zero emissions. Well you all imagined it. That’s why we’re here today. Because we have the ability to see what can be unburdened by what has been and then to make the possible actually happen.”

Listen:

It’s not clear how imagining something, anything will make the American people’s lives better in this moment.

In fact, it’s not clear how anything this administration has proposed will help the American people:

It’s why even some Biden voters like Anthony Okoko are thinking about changing teams.

“I might go Republican the way things are going. Something’s gotta be done,” he told Indianapolis station WRTV this week:

Listen:

Vivek Saxena
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