What's the best method to get your point across? The wisdom of the past has taught, “Say it in a song.”
That's the suggestion MSNBC host Roben Farzad listened to Wednesday, while talking about gas prices alongside Host Katy Tur.
If you haven't noticed, Biden peered into a Teleprompter at the beginning of the week, and proposed the possibility of a vacation from gas tax.
Senior Editor Joe Cunningham covered it thusly:
Joe Biden has officially announced his plans to ask Congress to grant a 3-month gasoline tax holiday. Many see the chance to reduce the burden that high prices for gas are putting onto American families, especially families of middle and lower class.
The issue, as some people who oppose it, is the negative impact the holiday could cause.
My colleague Nick Arama pointed out earlier today, one of most significant effects a tax on gas holiday could bring about is an increase in demand, while decreasing supply. If demand increases and supply drops the prices will also rise. The cost of 18 cents per gallon motorists will save? Detracted by the growing cost of the diminishing supply.
In addition to blaming Big Oil, the President blamed Putin and Republicans:
“[F]or all the Republicans in Congress accusing me of the high prices for gas in America. Do you think you are saying we're wrong to stand up for Ukraine? Are you saying that we weren't right to show solidarity with Putin? Are you saying we would prefer to have lower prices for gas within America along with Putin's iron hand within Europe?”
On MSNBC, reporter Mike Memoli seconded oil-company castigation:
“You heard him talk about the oil companies, who are making record profits at a time when Americans are increasingly concerned about record costs.”
Then, radio host, and NPR reporter Roben Farzad exploded into the classic Backstreet Boys hit.
“Who's to blame for the cost of oil being so high right now?” the man asked. “Is it because of President Biden's policies, or are there other effects going on?”
Roben hit his ball and took his club back…
“Did you witness this exchange between Biden and the head of Chevron? And, if you look at his feelings, he was extremely receptive and I could see that if the oil executives had a more calm approach to them, they'd say ‘Don’t go breaking my heart.’”
He didn't just say the words. Roben performed it at his boy band best. In truth, he wasn't terrible.
The man even performed the moves.
It was an absolute game changer.
Afterward, it was clear that the conversation was unable to be conducted as normal. Katy acknowledged, “I mean, I love the way you sing. I was a bit shocked by your singing even though I'm sure I was warned that you were planning to sing it. …”
If anyone is able to concentrate on what came next, Katy posited that Americans don't have to feel guilty about oil companies when electric vehicles “wipe out [their] business model.”
“If you really want to get into it,” she suggested, “and talk about why we are so dependent on oil, you could make a strong argument that Exxon is the reason because they changed their corporate model.”
Roben was in agreement: “But ask Exxon, Exxon is owned by its shareholders…and they're likely begging for a higher dividend as well as dividend visibility, or buybacks of stock. Nobody wants to hear it and it's not patriotic. It's not an official government-owned company for oil.”
Now back to singing. I'm of the opinion that every one of the MSNBC guests should be singing their opinions for the rest of their lives. In the end, there were some great ideas.
