Free market, huh? Why are the Republicans bitching then so much about gas prices and that Biden doesn't do anything about it?

Maybe because Biden and the Democrats have tried to destroy the demand for ICE vehicles and create “demand” for electric vehicles through various steps and initiatives. He has pledges on multiple instances to end the fossil fuel industry.

Not really a free market in that sector.

Even now, he is demanding that drillers lower prices and their profit margins during this time…..but is still making it clear that long term there will not be investment in the industry (pipelines, new refineries, leases….etc)

Laughable

Nobody will be laughing when the world ends due to climate change.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...droidApp_Other
At least Biden and the Dems are worried about it and trying...

Also cancelled Keystone XL

The world isn't going to end due to climate change, the sooner people grown up and stop pretending that is, the sooner we can end up with a sustainable energy policy that makes the transition to renewables whilst taking into account the energy requirements of today.

US crude oil production in mbpd, historic and forecast. Source: EIA



So much for the myth that the Biden admin cripples US production.

Keystone XL was a pipeline meant for exports mostly. Would not have benefited US availability

Here's what the EIA says crude oil production looks like in reality:

Ha. Indeed. I took the table from a Reuters terminal that normally is very accurate in data, but here there seems to be a bug. I should have noticed that 20 mbpd was way tooo high.

Still, the graph shows a drop with Covid and increase since. Latest data point 11.5 mbpd vs pre-Covid peak of 12.9 mbpd.

I’m sure this is normal and acceptable

What I want to know is why YOU and YOUR were in capitals?!

This is the problem when people vote for "anyone but", people like Joe Biden become president.

That is a nonsensical argument in a system that only knows two candidates.

It is far, FAR more acceptable than Trump trying to overturn democracy and lead an insurrection on the white house.

You're forgetting the Democratic Party presidential primaries.

Just proves Trump was a sentient human being

What I found odd is how Biden was losing to several candidates and had no energy in the campaign. Suddenly before South Carolina one prominent democrat endorses him and within days several candidates dropped out of the primary and endorsed Biden. Biden rolled through the primaries from that point forward. (hardly surprising as the D base just votes for who you tell them to)

A couple of these people are now in the administration or closely associated

Back-room deal anyone?

sentient definition: 1. able to experience feelings

In this case, resisting experiencing the reality of being a loser

Absolutely. The establishment Ds decided that nominating any of the more popular candidates would be a disaster in the general election. These three in particular were never going to get enough crossover Trump voters:
Bernie - openly calls himself a "democratic socialist".
Warren - always talking about raising taxes.
Buttigieg - is gay.

Someone said it in this thread or another pretty well:
People voted for Trump because he wasn't Clinton
People voted for Biden because he wasn't Trump

IMO the Ds would be foolish to put up Biden and/or Harris again.
They needed someone boring and predictable and Biden fit the bill

It was strange how quickly the voting patterns changed, though ultimately I think it was just down to Dems realizing the rest of the candidates were quite unelectable in the same vein as Hillary Clinton. Joe Biden was seen as a safe pair of hands, or rather the least worst option.

That's a given in any POTUS election, on both sides. The running mate alone will make demands, being the fringe vote collectors they usually are. The other candidates, in order to endorse whoever gets to run, will demand favors as well, though presumably less important ones. You don't become cabinet member without clout.

I think Buttigieg is getting built up, by 2024 he'll have 4 years cabinet experience. But the Dem's own slogans like "don't say gay" may return to bite them in the butt if they're not careful, they themselves seem likely to reinforce antagonism with this stuff.

Some reasonable suggestions.

----

A Rescue Package for Joe Biden

His presidency is beset with huge challenges, many of his own making. Here are five pillars of wisdom to help him meet them.

By David Frum

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...ection/661406/