Does Obama's $1,000 energy rebate idea -- make him "jump the shark"?

Seems to me a typical ploy -- for the election. This candidate was supposed to be different, but promising MONEY is an age-old TRICK of promises (especially DNC candidates, sorry to say). Did the DNC reach him, and change him -- since the gas prices were HORRID all along, and he didn't say a peep about anything like this $1000 gift when he was running vs. Hillary... something's going on. Also, are we taxing Companies for their profits? does that mean we OWE Ford and GM, for their pathetic decisions, too?