Rising Gas Prices: Political Repercussions

The national average for a gallon of regular gas is now $3.81 and climbing. As prices rise voters and politicians are more likely to blame the sitting president. But Obama, in his defense, says that this same cycle of blame has been going on for decades. And he’s right, according to our Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich. For example, drilling in ANWAR is proposed every few years or more by republicans. Democrats, for their part, propose taxing large oil companies and opening the strategic petroleum reserve. Unfortunately, none of those proposals would do much for the global price of a gallon of gas. Todd Zwillich is The Takeaway’s Washington correspondent.