Poll: Public Backs Obama Over GOP On Gas Prices, 66% Blame Big Oil Or Mideast Tension for Price Spik

[ProSense]

Poll: Public Backs Obama Over GOP On Gas Prices, 66% Blame Big Oil Or Mideast Tension for Price Spike

By Joe Romm

A new poll finds that the public supports President Obama over Congressional Republicans on gas prices. The National Journal survey shows that 44% of respondents trust the President “to make the right decisions to help bring down the price of gasoline,” against 32% for the Congressional GOP.

We’ve previously reported that both Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal and Koch-fueled Cato Institute agree: “It’s Not Obama’s Fault That Crude Oil Prices Have Increased.” The poll found the public shares that assessment:

When asked what the main reason behind the price increase was, some 38 percent laid the blame on “the manipulation of prices by large energy companies.” Twenty-eight percent cited “tension in the Middle East, particularly over Iran and nuclear weapons.” Well down the list were “the policies of President Obama” (14 percent) and “the policies of congressional Republicans” (5 percent).

These findings are particularly impressive because conservatives and GOP presidential candidates have been bashing Obama almost nonstop on this issue, trying to blame the President for high oil prices.

What the president can do is reduce the oil intensity of the economy, the amount of oil consumed per dollar of GDP, which is the true measure of how vulnerable the economy is to the price spikes and generally rising prices that are inevitable as we approach peak oil production. Obama has been pursuing such policies, which include his aggressive fuel economy standards and investing in clean energy alternatives.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/03/13/443461/poll-public-backs-obama-over-gop-on-gas-prices-blame-big-oil-mideast-tension-price-spike/

[FSogol]

1. K & R. n/t

[auburngrad82]

2. The GOP just can't win this year

I think they've shown too many times that they can't be trusted to tell the truth or to do the right thing.

[dballance]

3. Wow, that is really great...

...the citizens seem to be waking up to the games being played. Let's hope it holds through Nov.

[LynneSin]

4. Of course they are! Because the GOP solution to rising gas cost is to create more laws....

to repress women and minorities


I'd post a joking smoking here but honestly - it's the truth!

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. Yet they are trying to sell the meme that Obama is dropping in the polls...

over gas prices.
That poll is a load of crap.

[a kennedy]

9. That what faux noise would have you believe too...

it's all the President's fault. They start every program with it..... Ugh. I watch at the top of the hour to see what's up and sure enough, it's the President's fault, and how he's slipping in the polls, and how it's going to lose him the election.

[groundloop]

6. Hmmm.... that's different than a poll that network news was talking about yesterday

I haven't looked at either very closely yet, I'd wager that the wording of each poll was drastically different.

In any case, this gas price issue is potentially dangerous for Democrats. If facts don't get out there far and wide that prices are set by commodities speculators and not by the President a lot of lesser informed independent voters may flip to the dark side this fall.

[ProSense]

7. The piece

mentions one of the polls, read the entire piece at the OP link.

Also, here's more on recent polling: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002418952

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. If that is the CBS poll that you're referencing, note that they sampled 7% more

Republicans than Democrats.

And yet, the entire Corporate Media, touted that poll all day.

I was especially furious at some of the commentators on MSNBC for falling for the bullshit.

I understand why Ed Schultz would fall for it; he's not very smart or informed. But I can't understand why any other commentator who should know better would fall for this.