Gas Prices Slam Mobility -- and Obama's Popularity Too

[Kurmudgeon]

Source: abcnews.com

The price of gasoline is damaging not just Americans' finances and mobility -- but the public's broader economic sentiment, and with it, Barack Obama's re-election prospects.

With gas up 26 percent this year to an average $3.88 a gallon, seven in 10 Americans in this ABC News/Washington Post poll report financial hardship as a result, six in 10 say they've cut back on driving -- and, among those hardest hit, Obama's ratings are suffering.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gas-prices-slam-drivers-obamas-poll-numbers/story?id=13453640

---

So, as Right Wing Oil Corporations, you know, Bush's big buddies put the screws to the US Consumer, they get to have their cake and eat it too as Obama gets blamed for their actions.
Insane profit and affecting US elections to their benefit, the big Oil boys just can't lose!

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Gasoline prices don't affect the economy until they affect the economy

[Safetykitten]

15. Gas prices don't effect Obama till they affect Obama.

[Hawkowl]

2. Good.

Maybe Obama will get a fucking clue that big oil and big corporations hate his fucking guts and are jacking the gas price up to hurt him. Maybe he will pull his head out of ass and have that useless Attorney General get off his knees for two minutes and prosecute the speculators responsible for ruining the economy. And his election chances.

No. I don't think Obama will get a clue. He'd rather just smile and try to get along with these Cheney/Bush/big oil cronies intent on brutally ass fucking him. Metaphorically speaking.

[OKDem08]

3. I don't think he's ever been deceived as to

what the rules of the game are. He's merely a puppet. Little manifest difference between him and the prior occupant.

[Kolesar]

7. fact-deficent post ... eom

[No Elephants]

4. Damaging Obama's re-election prospects? Jumping the gun much ABC "news?"

Good ole media and pollsters, always trying to create a fulfilling prophesy of doom for Democrats, even as Republicans flail fruitlessly for a viable candidate to run against Pres. Obama.

Obama and his team are very mindful of the connection between oil and elections, so he appointed a commission right away.

[madrchsod]

5. isn`t the election---next year?

[PuffedMica]

6. Windfall Profits Tax

The Federal Government should impose a Windfall Profits Tax on the big oil companies and then reinvest the money in clean, renewable energy. Put the screws right back on big oil.

[Mimosa]

14. ^ DEFINITELY! ^ but 'if only'

Politicians FEAR big oil.

[mwooldri]

17. + something over 9000 n/t

[florida08]

8. Right on cue

No it's not the speculators, it's Obama? Free market? lol, Yeah free to put the screws to you and me. And the goppers want to continue with subsidies? Didn't the Saudi oil ministry just say there's a glut in the market? This is the corporate strategy. Throw everything out, see what sticks to manipulate the confused hurting voters per Boehner/corporate GOP/media. But it ain't working.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201104250005">Don’t Tell Fox News: Americans Blame Oil Companies For High Gas Prices (Not Obama)

[Kurmudgeon]

9. Good link, but it troubles me that anyone could logically blame Obama for this.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. He's to blame for just about everything else

(according to the right- and even some on the left) :banghead: To listen to some Repubs, he's almost singlehandedly responsible for the deficit/national debt in just the first two years of his presidency. :puke:

[Kurmudgeon]

18. I expect it from the hard core right, lies and delusions are their meat and taters.

However, I do get disgusted when liberals bash Mr. Obama, do they really prefer another Dubya? I used to think you couldn't get worse than Reagan, olde GWB proved me wrong. I don't even want to risk having a conservative worse than him in the White House, imagine a Cheney as President with less intelligence and more rabid. However, smart enough not to upset the rubes.
It's a zero sum game, Mr. Obama isn't perfect, but it could be so much worse and has been.
However, no Dubya, no insane deficit, it's HIS and the GOP's love child, no one elses.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. I hope people remember

that the Republicans have no short-term nor long-term plans to deal with gas prices other than to drill up the entire country, which won't deliver gas for decades and then would just go for sale on the global market to the highest bidder. They haven't committed (and probably never will commit) to eliminating taxpayer subsidies for mega-oil companies and continue to serve as apologists for the oil companies and their negligent behavior (i.e. BP). Meanwhile, President Obama is trying to eliminate taxpayer subsidies for oil companies along with investing in alternative forms of energy. If people punish Obama and the Democrats over this and reward Republicans at the ballot box, then, well, we're just lost as a country. :banghead:

[FrenchieCat]

12. Pres. Obama gets blamed for everything.....

As long as it is bad news....
and the media are making sure that
bad news is all we hear about.

[BeyondGeography]

13. Better this year than next

Because if the average price of a gallon has a 4 next to it next year, he's going to lose, IMO. Nothing is going to happen in this economy in the next 18 months to make up for that.

[Awsi Dooger]

16. I have no idea how anyone here can be confident toward 2012

It feels like an alternate universe, with gas prices destined to go higher yet threads touting an electoral base of 247 and no trouble going far over the top