Joe Biden and an old retail trick

As a young man I worked in retail, men’s clothing and accessories, mostly. A venerable retail tactic was, and is, to subtly raise prices over time, then suddenly announce a sale, dropping prices back down to what they were, or perhaps just a bit higher. Everyone expects at least a little inflation, so virtually no one notices. They might suspect retailers are engaging in shenanigans, but they’re not sure who, when, or how, and who doesn’t like a sale? Back then I was a lowly salesman. I wasn’t making policy, and my employers didn’t use that shady tactic to any real degree, but they made me aware others did, and I’ve been able to identify it since.

I recall gas prices inching toward $3.00 per gallon before Donald Trump took office, and was delighted as they slipped well below $2.00 before he left office. I know because I keep a maintenance log for my vehicles, noting the date, place, price and cost of every fill up, as well as all maintenance items. I’m not obsessive, just “squared away,” as my brother-in-law puts it. During Trump’s time in office, I paid as little as $1.79.9. Under Biden, $4.59.9.

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That’s a major change, and benefit, for people living anywhere, but particularly for places like Wyoming, where folks regularly travel several hours and more, one way, for necessary shopping, which they often combine with eating out and tiny vacations.  Particularly when traveling in winter, Wyomingites also like to keep their tanks as full as possible. The cheaper the gas, the better and the more often one can avoid cabin fever.

For several years now, visits to the pumps have provoked much wailing, gnashing of teeth, and the taking of Joe Biden’s name in vain from surrounding drivers, particularly after he’s been mumbling yet again about Bidenomics and how he’s brought gas prices down. Who you gonna believe? Joe and his old retail trick, or the gas pump?

President Joe Biden and Democrats regularly celebrated falling gas prices over the last year. Even though gas prices soared to record highs while Biden was in office, the president and his left-wing political counterparts regularly blamed the hike in prices on a variety of matters, including the pandemic, former President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the war in Ukraine. However, anytime the price of gas dropped, Biden would take credit.

Note: they never dropped to Trump levels.

Yet, with the 2023 ending and Biden about to begin his fourth year in office, gas prices remain much higher than on Trump’s last day as president. The Biden administration’s political propaganda and public opinion manipulation did nothing to make gas prices more affordable. Even though gas prices decreased from the record highs of 2022, people are paying, on average, close to a dollar more than in December 2020, Trump’s last full month in office.

According to data from the Energy Information Administration, the average retail price of a gallon of gas was $2.28 in December 2020. For December 2023, the price was approximately $3.26 per gallon. This is less than the peak average gas price under Biden of $5.03 per gallon in June 2022. However, the current average price represents a 42.5% gas price increase under Biden compared to December 2020. That’s the harsh reality of “Bidenomics” and the president’s “Build Back Better” program.

What’s next? Bidenomics is helping us cut down on stressful driving? It’s for our safety and fights climate change too?  Thanks, Brandon!

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor and retired police officer and high school and college English teacher.  His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.