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The Morning Plum: How rising gas prices put Obama at risk [View all]
The Morning Plum: How rising gas prices put Obama at risk
By Greg Sargent
Most economists think the recovery is accelerating, and that it’s real. Yet in the new Post/ABC News poll, Obama’s approval numbers are dropping. It’s the first clear sign that rising gas prices could imperil his reelection chances — by imposing additional hardship on struggling voters otherwise inclined to believe the economy is improving.
The poll finds that Obama’s overall approval is down to 46-50; his approval on the economy is upside down at 38-59. After gains among independents and downscale whites, the new poll finds disapproval among them running high, at 57 percent and 66 percent. After leading Mitt Romney, Obama is now statistically tied with him, 47-49.
And yet the poll also finds that public optimisim about the economy is rising. A 49 percent plurality say they’re optimistic about the state of the economy, up from 44-52 at the end of last year; two-thirds, 66 percent, are optimistic about their own families’ financial situation. The public is evenly split, 49-49, on whether their personal experiences indicate the economy is recovering — up significantly since January.
In all these findings you see two major GOP attack lines converging. By relentlessly blaming Obama for the financial hardships rising gas prices are imposing on swing voters, Republicans are trying to make them less willing to credit Obama for the recovery, perhaps leaving them more receptive to the other GOP argument — that the economy is only improving in spite of Obama’s policies, and not because of them.
* Dems making gains on women’s issues: One bright spot in the Post poll: Dems are trouncing the GOP on the question of which party cares more about issues important to women, 55-30.
Sixty-one percent say insurance companies should be required to cover birth control (support declines when the question refers to religious institutions, though it’s still a plurality, 49-46).
- more -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-morning-plum-how-rising-gas-prices-put-obama-at-risk/2012/03/12/gIQAjwAA7R_blog.html
By Greg Sargent
Most economists think the recovery is accelerating, and that it’s real. Yet in the new Post/ABC News poll, Obama’s approval numbers are dropping. It’s the first clear sign that rising gas prices could imperil his reelection chances — by imposing additional hardship on struggling voters otherwise inclined to believe the economy is improving.
The poll finds that Obama’s overall approval is down to 46-50; his approval on the economy is upside down at 38-59. After gains among independents and downscale whites, the new poll finds disapproval among them running high, at 57 percent and 66 percent. After leading Mitt Romney, Obama is now statistically tied with him, 47-49.
And yet the poll also finds that public optimisim about the economy is rising. A 49 percent plurality say they’re optimistic about the state of the economy, up from 44-52 at the end of last year; two-thirds, 66 percent, are optimistic about their own families’ financial situation. The public is evenly split, 49-49, on whether their personal experiences indicate the economy is recovering — up significantly since January.
In all these findings you see two major GOP attack lines converging. By relentlessly blaming Obama for the financial hardships rising gas prices are imposing on swing voters, Republicans are trying to make them less willing to credit Obama for the recovery, perhaps leaving them more receptive to the other GOP argument — that the economy is only improving in spite of Obama’s policies, and not because of them.
* Dems making gains on women’s issues: One bright spot in the Post poll: Dems are trouncing the GOP on the question of which party cares more about issues important to women, 55-30.
Sixty-one percent say insurance companies should be required to cover birth control (support declines when the question refers to religious institutions, though it’s still a plurality, 49-46).
- more -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-morning-plum-how-rising-gas-prices-put-obama-at-risk/2012/03/12/gIQAjwAA7R_blog.html
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