RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Hang in there My wife utters those very words on a daily basis.
The US president can ask anything of anyone in the world - but that doesn't mean that people will jump when he asks them to. The US-Saudi relationship is fairly complex, and probably not as significant in terms of influence as it was a decade ago. The Saudis have openly opposed the US over geo-political issues (i.e. invading Iraq, Israel, etc) on many occasions, with little to no ramifications to their well-being.
In terms of "national security", the Saudis import more arms from the UK than they do the US (42% vs 40% as of 2009) - not by a lot, but it certainly deconstructs the idea that SA is entirely dependent on the US.
Saudi Arabia doesn't care who it does business with, as long as they get money. I believe China/Europe are the primary benefactors of Middle Eastern oil, no? At the end of the day, they (just as every other country in the world) do what is in there best interest. If the Saudis increase oil production, it's not because Obama asked them to, it's because doing so will benefit them.
@ Troyahorse - again, there is an apparent disconnect between the price of oil and the price of gas. The price of oil has dropped 20% in the last month. How much has the price of gas dropped? So when the media asks if the price of oil will determine the outcome of the US election, they're asking the wrong question.