Without going full conspiracy, is there any chance this was a pre Koch brothers example of industry undermining government authority until it gets the government it wants?
Btw, the oil price controls were a Nixon initiative, continued by Ford. Carter did not invent them, he just didn't remove them.
Reagan was the beneficiary of the collapse of the OPEC price war internationally.
Something Carter could have done at any time. But he didn't. Reagan did.
> he just didn't remove them
That's right, for 4 years he didn't. He gets the blame for it for those 4 years.
Remember, Reagan did it on his first day in office. Carter could have done it the day before.
If you lived through that transition (I did) it was wonderful to have the gas lines disappear overnight and never return. Thank you, Reagan!