Go vote.

[G.Irish]

Does anyone really know what role the president plays (if any) in gas prices?

One of the contributing factors to the rising gas prices during the past few years is environmental controls placed on refineries during the previous administration. The new regulations made it hard for refineries to upgrade to meet the new standards and still remain financially viable, so many of them shut down. Supply & Demand at work.

The problem with environmental regulations is that no one wants them until something is really f'ed up because it costs money in the short run. But in almost every case it is exponentially harder and more expensive to clean up destruction/pollution than it is to prevent it.

Part of the reason Americans in particular are this way is because we seldom experience (or perceive) the negative effects of environmental destruction directly. This ties into the whole negative externalities concept. From a post from someone else here awhile ago:

The production and consumption of oil creates negative externalities including but not limited to; air polution, noise pollution, water pollution, light pollution, unsightlyness, increased run-off, heat pollution...... As individuals it is impossible for us to collect compensation from each of the consumers and producers. Therefore, those that produce and/or consume the most end up relatively better off than those who consume the least because they get to enjoy all of the benefits while only suffering a portion of the total costs---pollution or otherwise.