ABC/Washington Post: Disapproval of Obama Handling of Gas Prices at 65%; Update: Salazar: President Feels Your Pain
**Written by Doug Powers
This helps explain the abrupt moratorium on any mention of our algae-powered future in Saturday’s energy address:
(source: Washington Post)
President Obama’s Energy Secretary recently testified that his main focus is not to lower the price of gas but to decrease US dependence on oil. You’d think that those kinds of policies wouldn’t do much to endear people paying around $4 a gallon at the pump, and you’d be correct:
US President Barack Obama’s job approval rating, weighed down by soaring gas prices, has plunged below 50 per cent, giving his political opponents what appears to be an opening in the November election, a new opinion poll showed.
The survey by ABC News and The Washington Post indicated that only 46 per cent of Americans now approved of the way Obama is handling his job and 50 per cent disapproved.
The situation was a reversal from early February when 50 per cent approved of the president’s performance and 46 per cent disapproved.
According to the survey, the drop was attributed to soaring gas prices threatening to crimp America’s slow recovery from a recession.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts gasoline prices across the United States could average $4.25 (S$5.33) a gallon by May, up from over $3.60 (S$4.52) today.
[...]
The polls also found that 59 per cent of Americans had given Obama negative ratings on the economy, and 65 per cent disapproved of his handling of the gas price situation.
Additionally, misleading statements don’t seem to be having a positive effect on either the price of gas or the large disapproval number. Go figure.
Administration efforts to bring down the price of gas are underway. Those initiatives include accusing Republicans of waging war on women, discussions about tapping the strategic petroleum reserve, and accusing Republicans of waging war on women some more.
Something else that isn’t working is the ridiculing of Republicans calling for more domestic oil drilling:
A focus on “clean energy” and the theory that rising gas prices would force Americans to buy Volts is coming back to bite this administration (hoist by their own biodegradable, carbon-neutral, crony capitalist, Gore-approved petard), but they do appear to be trying to actively ward off events that might make the price go even higher before the election.
Update: Bring on the spinners:
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar took to the White House briefing room Monday to defend President Obama’s energy plan after a new poll suggested high gas prices are eroding the president’s approval numbers.
Salazar insisted that Obama is reviewing short- and long-term actions to lower gas prices, while also noting that there are no quick fixes to the problem.
“All options are on the table because the president obviously feels the pain that the American people are facing,” Salazar said when asked if the administration would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a 696-million barrel emergency oil stockpile.
Monday’s briefing is a strong indication of the White House’s concern with high gas prices, which have emerged as a threat to the president’s reelection.
I’m not so sure Americans will necessarily believe that somebody who’s about to fire up Air Force One, several C-130?s and C-17?s along with countless heavy ground vehicles for the campaign season can relate to their pain at the gas pump.
(h/t Freedom’s Lighthouse)
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Well there’s something to Chu on!
I think that many of those who disapprove, do so because they don’t think Obeyme is moving fast enough to punish BIG OIL with punitive taxes on their record profits!
They can obfuscate the issues with contraception wars and the like all they want, but every time people fill up at the fuel pump, they are reminded of the unmitigated disaster this regime has purposely created.
I have a feeling something is going on with bho and team on all these issues, gas the one most American’s are bent out of shape on, that come closer to election a major something will happen? I know, this sounds outta of this world, but bho will not do squat to help and needs something to see to it come Nov. things are too bad to ‘allow’ elections? Call me an old nut gal, but look who we are dealing with, bho and team!
L
Meh, its still early enough for the problem to be deflected to his opposition or to be forgotten when the next colossal distraction and/or crisis is launched by Obeyme’s cabal.
Obama’s ego and the fact he is an ideolog has always been his Achilles Heel.
When confronted with resistance to his energy policies, his reaction will be to dig in and push back harder. Which goes without saying is suicide for him politcally.
When has he backed away from anything? He doesn’t and we need to use that against him.
Reason 12,485 why the next time the Dems hold a press conference and pull a Sandra Fluke we need to shut the up and focus on the very things the press conference was designed to distract from.
how dumb must these people be who still approve of him?
I really don’t understand WHY it takes high gas prices to get this doofus’ approval ratings down…Waaaayyyy down!! Hasn’t anyone been paying attention to what Obama is doing to this country? Apparently not. Obama’s approval ratings seldom vary by more than a few points. Yet, everything he does tells me he should be the most hated, reviled person in this country. I know he is hated and laughed at by the rest of the world!
Apparently, half the country is just not interested in knowing the real facts about this president and his cronies. Deep down they might think something is not quite right, but they don’t want to know what it is because that would mean their god has fallen off his pedastal…something too horrible to face!! If Obama fails, where will they get their STASH???
Also, stiking down voter ID laws proposed by States, isn’t gonna help your poll numbers.
As opposed to Fast And Furious?
The Justice Department has blocked a new law in Texas requiring voters to show a photo ID, saying that it disproportionately harms Hispanic residents.
He’s not concerned with the collapse of the U.S. economy, as long as it doesn’t happen too quickly.
….is just a branch of the Democratic Party.
I don’t know what’s more depressing:
That roughly half the morons in this country still support OBlowMe, or that more than half seem to believe presidents can wave a “magic wand” and make high gas prices disappear in a week.
Presidents can of course profoundly flock up gas prices via long term policy insanity — as this Rolling Catastrophe has done — but they can’t shoot a bullet and “solve” the problem next week.
Perhaps not. But it will help him win by cheating.
You know, we got the same horsecrap from Democrats during the Clinton years: “More drilling won’t help us now.” Well, if the Dummycrats, and some republicRATS who got money from greenies would have gotten out of the way then, we would be SWIMMING in our OWN oil right now!?!
Given that a frightening number of voters are idiots (that is: they will vote for OBlowMe because “he sounds nice”), I find myself wishing for $6 per gallon gasoline come this October.
Of course that’s stupid, but if stupidity is what we need to trigger stupid people to vote correctly (aleit for a for a stupid reason), it’s as good a reason as any.
Wherever cash and consumer goods can conveniently be had.
Best reason to stay vigilant and well armed and stocked with necessary supplies.
The solution – free gas. Free everything else keeps the proles happy – hey, where’s my circus?
Yeah, but the leftists wouldn’t own and control it. Which is what they are working toward.
Once the leftists have complete control of oil and they can exclusively profit from it, both financially and politically, we’d have domestic oil drilling and production….but not necessarily for we, the people. The leftists still want to manage our movement and keep us out of private motor vehicles and on foot, bicycle and local public transportation.
Wonder if this will hurt bho’s numbers?
Thank God for Andrew and his team for their work!
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/03/12/The%20Vetting%20Obamas%20Favorite%20Congressman%20Hangs%20At%20Communist%20Party%20HQ
L
I agree and I would be willing to put up with higher gas prices for a while to take this POTUS down!! We all know that, if the gas prices go down and Obama is re-elected, the gas prices will “necessarily skyrocket” after he wins the next 4 years. He will be untouchable and WE THE PEOPLE will be living a true nightmare! Higher gas prices, NO drilling, Tap the oil reserves so we don’t have it for an emergency that IS COMING! Iran, Israel, Egypt, Syria…gee, what could possibly happen that we might need our oil reserves? Yet, he wants to tap them NOW to win an election.
If wishing for higher gas prices so Obama is defeated is wrong…then so be it. He MUST be defeated. He is so close to being a dictator already and half the country doesn’t care!! P.S. Has anyone noticed the unbelievable prices of our food these days? Has anyone heard a word about that from the TM? (That’s Traitorous Media in case you didn’t know.)
#20 s/b Thank God for Andrew, RIP,
L
Even if things get really bad for OBlunder this fall, he could easily still get his butt bailed out by — of all people — Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
As in: “Sorry, but I just needed to go to war against him.”
But even how that would play out might be interesting; namely: Which electoral force would be stronger?
That which causes citizens to “stand behind their president”; or, “Geesus, he’s started yet another war”.
Rogue Cheddar – Notice he didn’t say disproportionate harms citizens.
So lemme get this straight;
Tapping the strategic petroleum reserve to increase the supply, and reduce the price of oil = good.
Drilling on our own land to increase the supply, and reduce the price of oil = bad.
It just don’t add up.
Oh crap, what I wrote about above just made me think of a horrible scenario:
Ahmadinejad blocks the Straights of Hormuz this September. Gaoline prices explode. OBlowMe declares he “must” go to war against Iran to “liberate the free flow of the world’s energy”.
The US Military succeeds, Iran recedes. Gas prices plummet. The Traitorous Media hails OBLowMe as the “Hero of the Middle Class”.
OBlowMe wins a “War for Oil”, and the Idiot American Electorate puts him back in the Oval Office.
What a fricken nightmare.
bho’s focus is to get our economy to come to a screeching halt so we will happily prefer his green energy alternatives. The fact that there aren’t any green energy alternative which will support the current demand is over looked. bho may have gotten his affirmative action law degree, but that doesn’t qualify him to have sufficient knowledge with designing central planning. The longer he keeps this doomed policy, the faster his ship sinks.
Have you noticed that this story comes from an ABC/Washington Post poll? They are joined at the hip with Obama. They are attempting to lower the bar as far down as they think it can safely go, so they can raise it by degrees over the next seven months with rigged polls and stories to make Obama more likeable and electable. This is no story, it’s just more political mischief by democrats and their syncophants in the media.
If there’s one thing that gives me hope, it’s remembering that Jimmy Carter was enjoying double digit leads in the polls around this time in 1980, and we know what happened with him. Although there is a sizable percentage of the electorate who will stick with BHO no matter what, I can’t help but wonder if there is still a significant percentage who just don’t want to admit yet that they were hoodwinked back in 2008, and thus are still registering support for him, but as the elections draw closer, they will realize that they made a mistake and admit it to pollsters. Like the saying goes, in 2008 they voted for Obama to prove they weren’t racist; now in 2012 they need to vote against him to prove they’re not an idiot.
Happy, you said it! Where the h*ll is the GOP?!? What kind of fool thinks adding $5 TRILLION to our national debt is a good idea? What kind of fool believes that the democrat socialist party WANTS low energy prices? They hate all things carbon…period.
And as an aside relating to another post: The only people that have a problem with voter ID are those who intend to cheat.
Note to GOP: Quit Flukeing around and HAMMER them on this stuff! Bueller? Bueller?
Two problems:
1. No war with Iran would be that neat (or quick), especially when executed by 0bama.
2. He doesn’t even have to do it. The right story/lie/exaggeration saturating the news at a crucial time will give him the 5-7 point swing he needs to secure the election. Especially since we look to be all but officially stuck with the hapless wooden one as the GOP nominee.
Of course without jobs it is kind of hard to have the money to buy anything.
This dumb
So the Justice Department is claiming that Texas wont allow Hispanic residents to get ID’s? Of wait no, what they meant to say is that Texas is not one of three states where illegal aliens can obtain an ID.
Yeah prog media…high gas prices is the ONLY opening for Republicans in the coming election. :eyeroll:
Doesn’t add up to us, but calculated move by Obeyme and his cabal. Tap out some oil from the reserve for a possible slight reduction in the price of oil to look like he cares about the people. Leave us in the lurch and short if a real emergency arises before what is taken out is replenished. AND, replenishing it will cost a whole lot more to taxpayers adding to our debt.
Manipulating the market by tapping into a supply that is supposed to be reserved for a real emergency is really strictly, and cynically, political, and doomed to fail in its stated purpose.
Disapproval of Obama Handling of Gas Prices at 65%, CNN’s approval of Obama being a Black Supremacist, if Soledad O’Brian is any indication, 100 percent.
CNN lies to it’s viewers and get’s caught.
The 46% that still approve of Obummer causes more concern than anything else at the moment. 17% Black, but where does the other 29% come from? There aren’t that many “Yellow Dog Democrats” in the country. OK, even if you add in everybody that works in media you’re still short of 29% of the voting population.
Can’t say I’m surprised.
Easy! That would be certain Midwest farmers and their college kids or other urban entitlement groups (ie co-ops and ahem, “conservatives” in WI and OH who are scared to death of looking bad at their PTA meetings) and others who either don’t pay taxes or get a tax credit.
Also, keep in mind that some people who don’t approve of Obama (#occupy) don’t think he’s liberal enough.
On March 12, 2012 at 12:53 pm, Flyoverman said:
I think the past couple weeks have been interesting. The left, flailing about to save their little ManChild, tried very hard to distract the masses, and are STILL trying with the same issue. Yet we are seeing how hard it is for them to distract from something hitting the public on at least a weekly basis when they fill their tank.
If Oblahblah continues to try distractions rather than addressing the issue, it will only drag him and his enablers further down.
…and I heard on the radio this morning we are still about 2 months away from gas prices peaking.
Maybe it’s time for an American Spring. Why let a good crisis go to waste.
Agree completely. This president is the consummate egoist. As for “feeling our pain”, this is absurd. He feels no pain for anyone but HE DOES feel confusion. He is confused when anyone disagrees with him about anything.
Holy crap Regulus! where the heck did you find that? And that artist Dan Lacey, nice heads up on the new standard of strange.
On your up-date on salazar Doug, that below human has done everything in his power to make OUR PAIN worse! You can spin all you want bho and team but everyting that gas or gas related is HIGH and you don’t give a flying flit! Why do you think groceries are so high? Why do you think clothing is so high? Why do you think everything that we use is so high? OIL you stupid idiots? It is ALL oil related and a stupid solar panel, a stupid anything your slam down our throats will NEVER DO the job OIL does in our daily lives! PERIOD!
Sorry, I am beyond mad, I am LIVID!
L
…. so BOHICA you jackass rednecks. (Bend over, here it comes again.)
Yeah, somehow martini and wagyu-beef eating Chiclet-smile spokesmodel presidents musing about gas prices doen’t send a tingle up people’s legs much anymore.
Got prison time Littlest Marxist? Rest assured, the hammer will fall.
Kitty litter coverups and the smoke and mirrors brigades just can’t cut the mustard any more Barry?
The American People have this grifter figured out.
He feels our pain?
The man hasn’t driven his own car or pumped his own gas in 3 years, and isn’t likely to do so ever again in his life. He hasn’t paid his own bills, balanced his own checkbook, or had a net worth under a million dollars in 3 years.
About the only way he’s going to “feel” my “pain” is when I write “PAIN” on my pencil in the ballot box and mark the box next to someone else’s name.
Let me guess, Salazar gave Obama a Tums and said the problem is resolved.
Thank you, Letget!! Wow. What a video from the Breitbarts….this Congressman is not only a Communist, but he sounds as dumb as a rock. Thanks, once again, Illinois, for electing traitors to public office.
May 1st may likely be 2012?s opening day for the American Spring, or Occupy II, the Sequel.
May Day would certainly be an appropriate launch date.
We have quite a summer ahead of us.
“Salazar: President Feels Your Pain”
Here’s to hoping you feel a giant, collective foot in your azz come November.
You are welcome. The drip drip keeps coming to finally vet bho? Andrew, RIP, and team are doing what the bhopress won’t do!
L
Guys….Guys……There’s no reason to fear high gas prices. Relief is just around the corner.
The U.S. Navy is spending over 500 million dollars in bio-fuel research and supply. The SecNAV says it can be done. Don’t forget, he was appointed by Barry.
Salazar: “The President Feels Your Pain”
Bill Clinton translation: ““You better put some ice on that.”
I feel a lot better now that Saladczar says that Obama feels my pain.
Can you believe that someone has to speak for the President? It reminds me of an underling speaking for the don in the mafia when the don is in the room. It happens all the time with other Presidents, but it seems apropos in the case of Obama.
On March 12, 2012 at 03:52 pm, Paratus said:
His comment certainly makes things all better doesn’t it?
***
HI LET_GET–#4. And FIRST_SKIRT–#49. Remember–just because we’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they aren’t out to get us! And our wallets / purses, and the horses we rode in on to boot.
***
It’s not for nothing that I always refer to President Obama as Comrade Obama and The Good Comrade. If the shoe fits–wear it!
***
If it walks like a duck, …..
***
John Bibb
***
I’m not paranoid, despite what everyone says.
Thank you for making me sick.
Yeah, tapping into the SPR. Why not go back to simply “tricking” the market into lowering prices? Kind of like heating up your thermometer with a lighter to fool your mother into letting you stay home from school.
It’s all about managing perceptions rather than actually fixing problems. Don’t get me started on “sterilized” QE3.
“Ahhh feel yore payyyn.” Where have we heard that before?
Don’t worry about tapping into the SPR. By the time we really need it, we’ll have algae-powered war planes that can travel at the speed of geese.
He can feel for ya, but he’s not making any effort to reach us.
In fact he’s asking for your vote while going the wrong way, again.
Hello! Where does the Navy operate? In the water. Where does algae grow? In the water. This is the perfect application of all that smart power.
Gosh, you conservatives shore is dumb.
/ILMC
There’s never a quick fix. There’s never a slow fix. There’s never any fix anywhere anytime. The problem can never be solved. That’s why we need Price Controls!
I think it quite possible that Barry will spring them, shortly before the election is my guess but it could be anytime. And you know what? Vast segments of the American people will fall for it. The fools never learn, but if one’s goal is to destroy America, root and branch, that would be one more nail in the coffin. Let the morons clear their throats for the cheering.
President Carter, err, Obama does not learn from history.
Oh please, OweBowMao is capable of feeling only HIS OWN pain! I hit the ‘mute’ button anytime this guy appears on TV – keeps the BS from piling up too high.