Clark, I keep hearing rhetoric about "the evil, gas guzzling SUV". I own a 2007 GMC Yukon. I live in rural Wisconsin, about an hour north of Milwaukee. We have country roads, many hills, and we have winter! My Yukon is basically a pickup truck drive train with an enclosed, secure cargo and passenger area. It is an extremely safe vehicle because of its build and its road handling technology. A majority of households here have some sort of truck, SUV, or van in them. It's just the nature of where we live. And that SUV of mine performs better when it comes to fuel than many pickup trucks, which are not labeled as "evil"! Here anyway, there will always be a market for "more able" vehicles. I do take a pass on some other, less important consumer goodies in order to have what I consider the perfect truck. It is just a matter of choices ... I do not find those choices difficult at all, just a matter of doing the math.

In the age of instantaneous information, over-reaction to negative economic news is commonplace. Our economy has always behaved in cycles, and that is likely to continue.

Since folks like me tend to plan conservatively when it comes to what we can afford, don't you think the media and the marketplace (and maybe GM) are over-reacting to the present market?

@ medical student
first, reagan conservative =/= republican. nice try on the "worship" comment.

second, the oil in the ground that we ALREADY KNOW of in the U.S. is an estimated amount of about 30 years of being 100% free of foreign oil. in the meantime INDEPENDENT companies can continue to work on technology to wean the U.S. off oil.

third, we would need to build more refineries if we were pumping our own oil on U.S. turf.

fourth, the oil prices are tied to supply and demand. only so much is being pumped right now in the world and with the growing economies of china and india, we are having to compete with them in purchasing the crude.

fifth, "oil prices kept in check"... hardly. have you heard of the oil "futures?" oil prices driven up because of what these "futures people" THINK is going to happen? (kinda like the stock market now-days...it's all about guessing and feelings instead of bottom lines of companies)

sixth, a whole other topic - the dollar IS weak and continues to decline, thanks to the government overspending and putting the country further into debt. the money the government steals from all U.S. citizens (taxes) doesn't even cover the interest we owe year to year on the debt the country has, let alone the $$$ the government keeps spending on things.

last, democrat = communist. they want a bigger government to "take care" of everyone. that will translate to more rules and regulations that will only control the way we can live. like obama's one comment... "We can't drive our SUV's, eat as much as we want and have our thermostats set at 72 degrees and expect other countries talk to us." *#$& obama and his socialism. if that's his personal belief, fine. practice it in your own life, don't impose it on everyone else - as all dems want to do with their "policies."

Aren't current refineries operating at only 85%? What would building more do? Isn't the dollar terribly weak now? Doesn't that make foreign products more expensive? Like oil? Aren't oil prices kept in check (relatively!) by the comforting fact that the U.S. could tap into reserves in an emergency? Wouldn't that evaporate if we drilled it all out, driving oil prices higher? Also, the last time I looked, having a technical majority in congress doesn't mean squat. You need 2/3rds, remember? Hey, I'm no fan of either party but calling one communist while worshipping the other is pretty asinine and narrow-minded, don't you think?

how did small cars turn into it's the Republicans fault? Wake up and see that the oil market is global.