Correlation between elections and gas prices?

[bright eyed]

Hey,

In CA, i noticed the gas prices dropped pretty quickly to the lower part of $2 a gallon before the election. There was an initiative on the ballot to tax oil companies...

I thought - isn't that interesting the prices dropped steadily until the election.

Now, we are well above $3 again - w/ the lowest grad (87 octane) at about $3 and up from there.

Can someone 'splain this to me? I've never been satisfied w/ the arguments about price per barrel etc and i even finally heard an economist say around election time he thought the elections were influencing the low prices - isn't this malarky? doesn't it show they are raising prices based on nothing but raising revenue?

There was an interview w/an oil exec (like exxn or one the big co's) when the prices were sky high and he basically said, well we have to raise $ to please our shareholders. I'm so fed up with these people and feel so helpless...