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Bush, George W.

Gas Price Politics: Gore Campaign Targets Bush's Ties to Oil Industry

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As summer vacations loom and gas prices soar, the 2000 presidential campaign has taken center stage, with Vice President Al Gore and his challenger, Governor George W. Bush, engaging in a heated battle over oil prices. The Gore campaign is intensifying its efforts to portray Bush as beholden to the oil industry, citing his financial ties to the industry and his reluctance to address the issue publicly. Bush and Republicans, on the other hand, blame the Clinton administration for failing to develop a coherent energy policy, which they say has led to rising prices.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Gore campaign is focusing on Bush's ties to the oil industry, including his financial contributions and his past statements on the issue.
  • The Bush campaign has received $1.5 million from energy interests as of April 30, while Gore received less than $125,000 as of the same date.
  • The Clinton administration is being blamed by Republicans for failing to develop a coherent energy policy, which they say has led to rising prices.
  • The oil price increases have hit hardest in the Midwest, where the two campaigns are competing most fiercely for votes.
  • Democratic officials claim that new polling shows that voters believe the price of gasoline is the No. 1 problem in the country, with voters blaming American oil companies most and the OPEC oil cartel second.
  • Gore officials see the emergence of this issue as an opportunity to link Bush directly in the public mind with the oil companies and portray Gore as on the side of working families.
  • The Gore campaign has been accused by Republicans of obsessively lobbying for "clean-air fuel" without worrying about the consequences, which has added to the cost of fuel.

Statistics:

  • Gas prices in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are substantially higher than in other parts of the country, with prices as high as $2.39 a gallon in the Midwest.
  • The reformulated gas mandated by EPA regulations costs around four to eight cents a gallon more than regular fuel.
  • Bush's campaign has received at least $1.5 million from energy interests as of April 30.
  • Gore received less than $125,000 from energy interests as of April 30.
  • The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has announced that it will increase oil production by more than most experts had expected.
  • The price increase has hit hardest in the Midwest, where the two campaigns are competing most fiercely for votes.

Sources:

  • "Gore Blames 'Big Oil' for Price Hike," New York Times, June 20, 2000.
  • "Bush Campaign Ties to Oil Industry Come Under Scrutiny," Dallas Morning News, June 18, 2000.
  • "Gore's Energy Plan Draws Fire from Republicans," Washington Post, June 15, 2000.
  • "Clinton Administration Blamed for Energy Policy Failure," Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2000.

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