Rising gas prices damp Obama's approval ratings
E. Thomas McClanahanDuring his campaign, President Obama said that under his plan, energy prices would “skyrocket.” On fuel prices, he got his wish, and it’s putting a real damper on his approval ratings.
A recent Washington Post/ABC poll finds that Obama is basically tied with both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. The Rasmussen daily tracking poll shows him three points behind both Republicans.
It would be a lot worse for the president if natural gas prices were shooting up along with gasoline, but they’re lower than they’ve been in more than 20 years. The irony is that what the president opposed — drill, drill, drill — is partly saving his bacon. He is acutely aware of this: Witness the administration’s recent applause for the increase in good ol’ fashioned fossil-fuel energy production.
But even if gasoline prices stopped rising and leveled off, Obama would still be in trouble because of his obtuse handling of the Keystone pipeline. The project was supported by labor, it wouldn’t cost any federal money, it would provide a secure energy source and the oil will be sold regardless — if not to us, then to overseas markets. Never mind: Obama decided to please his greenie friends. He not only turned thumbs down, a few days ago he worked behind the scenes to quash a Senate vote that would have overturned his earlier decision.
This will dog him as the campaign heats up because it sends a clear message that Obama not only doesn’t care about rising fuel prices, he isn’t interested in doing anything to mitigate them in the future. Instead, he’s still talking like it’s 2008 — pushing expensive, taxpayer-dependent modes like wind and power that don’t create much actual energy. This is dumb policy and dumb politics.
George Hunsucker
Northland
1 year, 2 months agoLuckily for America ET, all the fracking activity, which has led to the natural gas glut, has taken place on private land which jimmy ii cannot close-off as he did the Gulf of Mexico, and as he is doing by refusing to build the Keystone pipeline….
Steve Alleman
Kansas City
1 year, 2 months agoMcLanahan: “During his campaign, President Obama said that under his plan, energy prices would “skyrocket.””
Typical McClanahan lie. He was talking about cap and trade’s effect on coal-powered utilities, and it was electricity rates that would “skyrocket.” Not gasoline prices. This kind of mendacity isn’t even shocking anymore, but it is still disgusting.
Mark Hastert
1 year, 2 months agoOooo, Oooo! Gas was 2 cents cheaper yesterday than last week when I filled up . Thank You Mister President!!!!!! We all know that you have a magic gas meter that you just turn up and down.