Barack has a policy of negotiation with foreign oil countries.

[cooolandrew]

Poll question: Barack has a policy of negotiation with foreign oil countries.

Will his policy of negotiation with nations help raise or lower oil prices? Noting this policy of negotiation helped end the cold war and is no negotitionsis unique to GWB.

[Mooney]

1. I voted "Not sure"

and I don't care who it offends.

[cooolandrew]

4. It's a reasonable answer soem answer are just don't know.

I try to take aside myself if I can but your rightto answer as you feel is right.

[OzarkDem]

2. Obama has no skills or experience in this area

thanks if I decide to forgo his "on the job training" for it.

[papau]

3. well said

[Fresh_Start]

5. My first generation relatives were born in 6 different countries

and speak 5 different languages.
I must be qualified for head of state.

[OzarkDem]

9. More than Obama, I'd say

[cooolandrew]

6. He negotiated lower health care costs while in the illinois senate and has highly skilled foreign a

[cooolandrew]

7. He negotiated lower health care costs while in the illinois senate and has highly skilled foreign..

...foreign advisors. here...

www.members.aol.com/cooolandrew2/outstanding.mp3

[anonymous171]

8. Neither does Hillary

At least he knows not to directly insult another country's leader.

[cooolandrew]

11. Exactly,people are superimposing Bill Clinton on to her. Negotiations take diplomacy have you noted.

noted any great attempts at diplomacy with Barack. Remember she will engotiate not Bill and only with conditions that doesn't leave room for any compromise to gain anything.

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. Negotiation won't solve anything.

Here's why: Worldwide oil production is flat. It peaked in the summer of 2005; total production has not increased beyond those levels since. Worldwide demand for oil has increased, to the point where it is very nearly equal to total production, driven largely by increased demand from the industrial expansion of China and India. Market dynamics of supply and demand, since oil is a commodity traded on an open market, drive up the price; the fact that the US dollar has lost 50% of its value relative to the Euro in the past seven years ALSO contributes to the observed increase in oil prices (and OPEC have been talking about decoupling oil from the dollar, and moving to the Euro as the standard petro-currency, because of the dollar's precipitous slide).

New oilfield discoveries are not enough to make up production shortfalls, and major oilfields are either past their production peaks or nearing them (Cantarell in Mexico, the North Sea, Ghawar in Saudi Arabia), which means a net year-over-year production decline following the current plateau.

Short version: it's extremely unrealistic to expect that the next president will be able to do anything at all to lower oil prices, regardless of who's elected; the best-case scenario is a large-scale investment in development of oil alternatives to mitigate and offset the economic impacts of reduced petroleum availability and increased costs.