No election anytime soon. Why aren't gas prices being jacked up? [View All]

I just want to revisit this theory about international oil companies lowering gas prices to influence U.S. elections, since we haven't heard much about it recently. I'm curious about a few things:

Why did oil companies try to get the GOP to win? Has the Democratic Party done anything in the last 7 months which has any real effect on oil company profits? What exactly was Big Oil afraid of? With respect to Big Oil's agenda, the Democratic Congress hasn't even changed lanes, much less taken a different path.

If some sort of energy cabal controls the executive branch as is claimed here, isn't the FISA vote the latest in a series of confirmations that a Democratic Congress isn't willing to do anything to seriously challenge the authority of this cabal? So why voluntarily surrender billions in revenue by lowering prices, when there's no benefit to be reaped?

A quick and dirty cost-benefit analysis of oil companies dropping gas prices before elections suggests that it would be very stupid for them to do.

Moreover, if gas prices follow a "gouge us when they can, then lower prices before elections" cycle, then why aren't we in the gouging part of the cycle? There aren't any elections for another 17 months. If gasoline prices are dictated by political considerations, then why are they 25 cents a gallon cheaper than they were a couple months ago? What's the motivation? Don't tell me they're trying to prop up Bush's support. Does it really make a difference if his approval rating is 28% instead of 23%?

The theory that erratic oil prices are generated by a semi-monopolistic market with an inelastic demand makes a lot more sense than the notion that oil companies cede billions in the remote hopes of making miniscule differences in public policy.