Obama’s Re-election Campaign Disconnected: Says Americans Don’t Blame Obama for High Gas Prices

Unreal!  This is one of those “let them eat cake” moments:

Obama campaign: Consumers ‘don’t blame’ the president for gas prices
By Ben Geman – 03/02/12 – The Hill

A top official with President Obama’s reelection campaign expressed confidence Friday that consumers won’t punish Obama politically for rising gas prices and touted “significant accomplishments” on energy, including tougher auto mileage rules.

“They don’t blame the president. They understand what’s going on with the global marketplace,” said Stephanie Cutter, the president’s deputy campaign manager, on MSNBC. “But they also acknowledge that we have to do everything we can to make sure that America is independent and not tied to foreign oil and they appreciate what the president has done.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail have increasingly attacked the White House over gasoline prices amid the recent run-up. Obama’s energy record was already under fire over the bankruptcy of the Energy Department-backed solar company Solyndra.

[...]

Republicans in Congress and on the stump say the White House is keeping too many areas off-limits to drilling, including the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and want faster permitting for drillers on public lands and in Gulf of Mexico areas where development is already authorized.

They have also taken aim at Obama’s rejection of a cross-border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring Canadian oil sands to Gulf Coast refineries.

[...]

Gasoline has increasingly become the stuff of election-year battles even though policymakers have few options, especially in the near term, to substantially affect prices at the pump, which are tethered to crude oil prices set on global markets.

That’s a load of BS.  Behold, the average price for a barrel of oil on the world market before and after Bush lifted the moratorium on oil exploration along the Eastern and Western Continental shelves:

A new Pew Research Center-Washington Post poll shows that 18 percent of adults surveyed say President Obama is most to blame for rising gasoline costs. The poll generally showed that the public spreads blame among a number of parties and causes.

[...]

While you might think that 18 percent is insignificant, when you look at the overall poll from Pew Research, out of an infinite number of possibilities, Obama is the number one “entity” being blamed for high gas prices:

Quinnipiac University Poll: Cain Tied With Romney in Virginia

Despite the Lame Stream Media’s efforts, Cain keeps slaying the competition:

October 11, 2011 – Cain, Romney Top Pack In Virginia GOP Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Both Tie Obama As Perry Fades

Quinnipiac.edu

Businessman Herman Cain ties former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the leading choice of Virginia Republicans for their presidential nomination with 21 percent each, followed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 11 percent, less than half his showing a month ago when he had led the pack, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

President Barack Obama’s job approval and re-election numbers remain seriously under water in Virginia, although he is in a statistical tie with Romney and Cain, while holding a narrow lead over Perry, in general election matchups, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe- ack) University poll finds.

[...]

“Herman Cain is moving up the ladder at breakneck speed. His 21 percent share of the GOP primary vote is more than three times the 6 percent he received when Quinnipiac University surveyed Virginians September 15,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling institute.

[...]

REPUBLICANS…………….

Tot    Men    Wom    Evngl

Perry                11%    13%    10%    16%
Gingrich              7      9      5     11
Romney               21     22     21     18
Bachmann              7      7      7      3
Santorum              2      2      2      2
Paul                  9     12      6      9
Huntsman              1      1      2      -
Cain                 21     23     18     22

Zogby Poll: Cain Slays ‘Unable’ 46% – 44%

The Lame Stream Media tried to ignore him into oblivion, but that just made him stronger:

IBOPE Zogby Poll: Cain Expands Lead Over GOP Field & Leads Obama, 46%-44%

Obama Approval Steady at 41%

UTICA, NY–Herman Cain has opened up a 20 percentage point lead among likely Republican primary voters in the race for the Presidential nomination, and also holds a narrow lead among all likely voters over President Barack Obama.

Cains share of the GOP primary has jumped 10 percentage points since Sept. 26 and is now at 38%. Mitt Romney is second with 18%, followed by both Rick Perry and Ron Paul, at 12% each.

The Oct. 3-5 IBOPE Zogby interactive poll also matches Cain, Romney and Perry against Obama. Cain led Obama, 46%-44%, while Obama is one-point ahead of Romney, 41%-40%, and leads Perry, 45%-40%.

As for President Barack Obama, both his job approval (41%) and the percentage who believe he deserves re-election (38%) are virtually unchanged from recent polls.

Republican Candidates (asked only of the party’s primary voters)

If the Republican primary for President were held today, for whom would you vote?

Candidate	Oct 5	Sept 26	Sept 12	Aug 29	July 25	July 11	June 30
Herman Cain	38%	28%	12%	8%	18%	16%	15%
Mitt Romney	18%	17%	14%	12%	17%	15%	14%
Rick Perry	12%	18%	37%	41%	-	-	-
Ron Paul	12%	11%	11%	11%	11%	13%	11%
Newt Gingrich	4%	6%	2%	3%	1%	4%	2%
Jon Huntsman, Jr.	4%	5%	3%	3%	3%	4%	4%
Michele Bachmann	3%	4%	7%	9%	25%	28%	34%
Rick Santorum	1%	2%	3%	3%	5%	3%	7%
Gary Johnson	<1%	1%	1%	<1%	<1%	1%	<1%
Other	<1%	2%	2%	8%	3%	4%	1%
Not sure	7%	6%	8%	2%	9%	10%	8%

Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Obama’s Approval Index at -24 for Third Straight Day in a Row

It’s certainly not looking good for Obama’s re-election bid as this trend shows that it’s definitely not a hiccup in the data collection:

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Thursday, October 06, 2011 – Rasmussen Reports

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 19% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -24 (see trends).

[...]

By the way, that 19 percent “Strongly Approve” rating is tied with the lowest ratings ever for Obama.  Furthermore, it has been that way for three days straight.  Apparently, even the Dumbtards are starting to see the light.

It’s Official: Libtards Are ‘Economically Challenged’

Well, this would explain a whole lot:

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
Self-identified liberals and Democrats do badly on questions of basic economics.

By DANIEL B. KLEIN – The Wall Street Journal

Who is better informed about the policy choices facing the country—liberals, conservatives or libertarians? According to a Zogby International survey that I write about in the May issue of Econ Journal Watch, the answer is unequivocal: The left flunks Econ 101.

Zogby researcher Zeljka Buturovic and I considered the 4,835 respondents’ (all American adults) answers to eight survey questions about basic economics. We also asked the respondents about their political leanings: progressive/very liberal; liberal; moderate; conservative; very conservative; and libertarian.

Rather than focusing on whether respondents answered a question correctly, we instead looked at whether they answered incorrectly. A response was counted as incorrect only if it was flatly unenlightened.

Consider one of the economic propositions in the December 2008 poll: “Restrictions on housing development make housing less affordable.” People were asked if they: 1) strongly agree; 2) somewhat agree; 3) somewhat disagree; 4) strongly disagree; 5) are not sure.

Basic economics acknowledges that whatever redeeming features a restriction may have, it increases the cost of production and exchange, making goods and services less affordable. There may be exceptions to the general case, but they would be atypical.

Therefore, we counted as incorrect responses of “somewhat disagree” and “strongly disagree.” This treatment gives leeway for those who think the question is ambiguous or half right and half wrong. They would likely answer “not sure,” which we do not count as incorrect.

In this case, percentage of conservatives answering incorrectly was 22.3%, very conservatives 17.6% and libertarians 15.7%. But the percentage of progressive/very liberals answering incorrectly was 67.6% and liberals 60.1%. The pattern was not an anomaly.

The other questions were: 1) Mandatory licensing of professional services increases the prices of those services (unenlightened answer: disagree). 2) Overall, the standard of living is higher today than it was 30 years ago (unenlightened answer: disagree). 3) Rent control leads to housing shortages (unenlightened answer: disagree). 4) A company with the largest market share is a monopoly (unenlightened answer: agree). 5) Third World workers working for American companies overseas are being exploited (unenlightened answer: agree). 6) Free trade leads to unemployment (unenlightened answer: agree). 7) Minimum wage laws raise unemployment (unenlightened answer: disagree).

How did the six ideological groups do overall? Here they are, best to worst, with an average number of incorrect responses from 0 to 8: Very conservative, 1.30; Libertarian, 1.38; Conservative, 1.67; Moderate, 3.67; Liberal, 4.69; Progressive/very liberal, 5.26.

Americans in the first three categories do reasonably well. But the left has trouble squaring economic thinking with their political psychology, morals and aesthetics.

We Could See Doctors Leaving in Droves

It doesn’t look pretty:

To Repeat: Doctors Could Hang It Up
Investors Business Daily

Health Overhaul: We were harshly criticized last September for an IBD/TIPP Poll that showed 45% of doctors would consider leaving medicine if a health care takeover passed. A new poll has vindicated our findings.

Our questionnaire went out Aug. 28 to some 25,600 doctors nationwide. Of that substantial sample, we got 1,476 responses. One hundred of those were retired, leaving 1,376.

At the time, virtually no one had stopped to ask doctors how they felt about the medical takeover being discussed in Congress. We thought it was vital to ask them, since any overhaul would rise or fall on its implementation by doctors themselves.

To say we were stunned with the results is an understatement.

Of the physicians queried, 45% said they’d consider closing their practice or retiring early if the overhaul then being considered were enacted. Also, 65% said they opposed the government’s attempts at taking over the health care system. Just 33% supported it.

Given that the White House and Congress both promised then — as they do now — to provide health care coverage for 31 million new patients while at the same time cutting costs from the $2.4 trillion a year we spend on medical care, we thought it was important to reveal that doctors wouldn’t go along with it.

What we found was that of the 800,000 physicians practicing in the U.S. in 2006, as many as 360,000 might leave the profession. So with the proposed overhaul, we’d be trying to cover 31 million more patients with up to 45% fewer doctors.

Impossible. It can’t be done.

What came after the Sept. 16 article in which we detailed our poll results was bizarre and in some ways disheartening. A number of liberal groups attacked us for telling the truth, hinting that we were lying, part of an ideological conspiracy or just incompetent.

“IBD/TIPP Doctors Poll Is Not Trustworthy,” ran the headline of one much-read piece on the FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right blog. The Huffington Post attacked the very integrity of our poll: “Investor’s Business Daily Publishes Ludicrous Poll Claiming 45% Of Doctors Would Quit Over Reform.”

Meanwhile, after the poll was aired on Fox News Channel, Media Matters, the liberal watchdog, went with the relatively sedate “Just in case you needed another reason not to listen to Investor’s Business Daily,” then called it “garbage.”

Others were far less kind, but because we’re circulated at a number of schools across the nation, we can’t reprint the comments here. Suffice to say that many of those comments lacked logical coherence and often contained language that failed to measure up to minimal standards of civil discourse and polite political debate.

Why bring all this back up? For no other reason than to note that a new poll completely vindicates our findings of last summer.

At 43%, The Putative Pres__ent Obama (Minus his ID) Hits New Low in Total Approval Rating

Hmmm…  A 43 percent overall approval rating with a Strongly Approve/Disapprove Index of -21…

Well…  I guess C-SPAN’s coverage of Obama’s much touted “Bi-partisan health-care summit” has given a few more voters a glimpse into the real Obama, and not just the myth created by the Lame Stream Media:

2/27/2010:
Presidential Approval Index:  -21 percent
Strongly Approve:  22 percent
Strongly Disapprove:  43 percent
Total Approve:  43 percent
Total Disapprove:  55 percent

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 22% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21. That matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for President Obama.

The only other time the Approval Index was this low came in late December as the U.S. Senate prepared to approve its version of health care reform (see trends). Most voters continue to oppose the proposed health care plan.

[...]

Overall, 43% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. That is the lowest level of total approval yet measured for this President. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove.

[...]

At only 22%, Obama’s “Strongly Approve” Ranking is at Lowest Level, Yet

I want to know just who these jack boot-licking sycophants are that make up 22 percent of the population!  Obviously, they are a product of the SICK program ( Socialist Indoctrination Centers for Kids— a.k.a. Public Schools).

Friday, while doing some work with my dad, we decided to head out for some lunch.  Unfortunately, the deli we found ourselves at had only CNN on the plasma screen.  Obama, in all his odiousness, was busy lying his butt off to Nevadans and slamming those of us who don’t believe in the anthropogenic global warming fairy.   As I was looking for a remote to change the channel, I noticed that the customers sitting at the deli seemed to be ignoring the screen, and instead, were studying their lunch meats rather intently—slowly dissecting their food with forks as one would a frog in a high school biology class.

Now, there is something about Obama that just makes my stomach churn everytime I hear him open his mouth.  I guess I just don’t like pathological narcissists and liars—especially the commie variety.  So, I turned to my dad and told him I didn’t think I could stomach eating anything because Obama was on the plasma screen and I couldn’t find a remote to change the channel.  Well, the deli customers studying their lunches at the nearby tables suddenly popped their heads up started chiming in about what a POS commie liar Obama  was and how they couldn’t stand the little commie bastard!  So, we all sat around trashing Obama for about the next half-hour.

Sure, there was that one crazy old “cat lady” who was still bashing Bush.  But, when asked to make a decision between Obama and Bush, she said she would pick Bush over Obama, anyday!

It was great little political conversation we had going there.  And, I was even able to finish eating my meal.

So, if these people who were at the deli are indicative of mainstream Missourians, then Obama would be wise to avoid Missouri at costs, because he is certainly NOT welcome here!  Besides, we Missourians like eating and don’t appreciate anyone spoiling our appetites.

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 22% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. That is the lowest level of strong approval yet recorded for this President.

Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19. The Approval Index has been lower only on one day during Barack Obama’s thirteen months in office (see trends). The previous low came on December 22 as the Senate was preparing to approve its version of the proposed health care legislation. The current lows come as the President is once again focusing attention on the health care legislation.

NYT Poll Finds 81 Percent of Americans Want to Get a G.R.I.P. on Government by Getting Rid of Incumbent Politicians

Yup!  It’s not looking good for the Progressive Commie Libtards in Congress when even the New York Times starts ringing the death knell:

Only 8 percent say incumbents should be reelected
By JAKE SHERMAN & ALEX ISENSTADT | 2/12/10 | Politico

A stunning 8 percent of Americans believe members of Congress should be reelected, a staggering indictment of the legislative branch as Democrats prepare to defend their majority in the midterm elections.

Eighty-one percent of people surveyed in a New York Times poll believe “it’s time to give new people a chance” to serve in Congress, the worst assessment of Congress since the newspaper began polling on this question in 1992.

But the 8 percent figure is staggering. Republicans see it as a reason to throw Democrats out of Congress, while Democrats want to blame Republican obstruction for the overwhelmingly negative feelings reflected in the poll.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s spokesman, Nadeam Elshami, said the House shares in the “frustration of the American people because we have passed the president’s agenda to create jobs” but blamed Republicans for obstructing legislation for short-term political gain.

The poll, which was conducted in conjunction with CBS News, also shows that just 15 percent approve of the way the legislature is doing its job, while 75 percent disapprove.

Looks Like the Senate Will Have a New Majority Leader…

Good riddance!

Harry Reid Languishes Near the 40 Percent Mark, Trailing All GOP Hopefuls
02/5/10 – Politics Daily

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continues to languish at about the 40 percent mark in terms of support for his re-election, putting him behind four potential GOP rivals, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Feb. 2.

Former state GOP chair Sue Lowden leads Reid 45 percent to 39 percent with 8 percent preferring another candidate and 8 percent undecided.

Businessman and former college basketball star Danny Tarkanian leads Reid 47 percent to 39 percent with 8 percent preferring someone else and 6 percent undecided.

Assemblywoman Sharron Angle leads Reid 44 percent to 40 percent with 7 percent preferring someone else and 8 percent undecided.

Reid now may draw a fourth challenger in Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki who is being urged by some Republicans in Washington to get in the race because they see the current field of candidates as “second tier,” according to the Las Vegas Sun. Krolicki had been indicted in 2008 on charges of misusing funds when he was state Treasurer, but the indictment was dismissed.

[That tells me that the Republicans still haven't gotten the Tea Party's message.]

However, at this point, Krolicki has the smallest lead on Reid, running ahead of him by 44 percent to 41 percent with 7 percent preferring someone else and 8 percent undecided.

Surveying the field, Rasmussen notes that while Reid’s numbers are weak, the Republican hopefuls “are not doing as well this month, down slightly from the 50 percent high they’ve hit in the previous surveys. This continues to suggest that the race is still about Reid and not about them.”

Reid is viewed unfavorably by 55 percent of voters with 46 percent viewing him “very” unfavorably, which is more than the percentage of all those who regard him very or somewhat favorably.

The poll’s margin of error is 4.5 points.