BY KEN ROBERTSON 

I am old enough to remember Ronald Regan’s presidency. I recall being surprised the media presented the news as if Reagan personally set the price of gasoline. If the price of gas went up by any amount, there was great outrage that the President of the United States was conspiring with “Big Oil” to raise gas prices and to increase evil oil company profits. Under President George H. W. Bush, who actually did work in the oil industry, the assumption of underhanded play was even more strongly suggested by the media. There was never a shred of proof he conspired to raise energy costs, just guilt by association. President George W. Bush was blamed for energy prices under the assumption that he was carrying water — or in this case carrying oil — for his father’s buddies. President Donald Trump escaped the rising gas price criticism because the price of energy went down during his presidency. Read that last line again.

Now that Joe Biden is the president, the price of gasoline has risen from below $2 per gallon to over $3 per gallon. That is a BIG increase. Everyone who drives feels that sting every week. Everyone who buys groceries feels that sting every week.

We haven’t seen price increases like this since the Arab oil embargo in 1973-1974. For decades I have watched and read various news stories covering any increase in the price of gasoline, then blaming it on the president. Recently, all the major legacy networks have run stories about rising energy costs. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN have all run stories about the rising cost of gasoline. They just failed to say two words: Joe Biden. They did not mention his name — not once. They did not imply he caused it. They didn’t suggest he could fix it. His name is purposely excluded to avoid any ownership of the problem, or lack of a solution.

I am not one who believes the president is responsible for every single solitary event in the entire United States. The president is not always to blame. However, President Biden is proud that through Executive Order he has “undone” what President Trump “did.” The oil and gas industries were specifically targeted by Biden. We are living with the result of Joe Biden’s presidency.

When you and your neighbors pump that $3 gasoline, say his name. The media sure won’t.

Ken Robertson is a former Iredell County commissioner.

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