Demand is better than expected. A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is now under $2 a gallon in some areas, which is a nice drop from over $3 not long ago. This is improving sentiment and giving folks a few more dollars to spend on the holidays.
The geopolitical situation and the switch to ethanol are aligning to keep prices high. If prices drop by a third we'll be looking at $50, which wouldn't have been a bargain a couple years ago.