Soaring Gas Prices Tank Obama's Approval Rating

 

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BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

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Gas prices are up 45 percent from a year ago, but President Obama’s disapproval rating might be rising even higher.

NBC: “When gas prices go up they hurt any president. We saw it with Bush. We’ve seen it for a long time.”

According to the latest CNN Poll of Polls, Obama’s approval rating is edging steadily downward -- its lowest this year at 45 percent.

The president himself even blames his declining approval rating on skyrocketing prices at the pump. And some in the media are speculating how these new numbers will affect 2012. The National Journal’s James Barnes writes...

“Political Insiders in both parties concurred that the party that controls the presidency in the White House was the one that was going to shoulder disproportionate blame with the public. ‘If you're in the White House they are your gas prices,’ said one Democratic Insider.”

But a blogger for the Independent isn’t so sure.

“...assuming Republicans can come up with a credible candidate. That is, of course, a big ‘if’, when none of the party's likely field has made much of an impression, and when such headlines as exist are dominated by Donald Trump, who is pushing the far-right ‘birther’ argument against Mr Obama.”

And in an editorial for The Boston Herald -- Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly is even more skeptical. He writes...

“In normal times, that kind of poll number would be catastrophic for a president about to enter the re-election season. But these are not normal times. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll says that despite the country’s dour mood, Obama would still beat every single Republican who’s showed any interest in running.”

But the president isn’t taking chances. In an attempt to win back some public affection, the administration recently announced a task force to look into price gouging -- to mixed reviews. The Huffington Post’s Bill Schneider says he doesn’t except it to help much.

“Expect lots of photo ops at gas stations... Government can provide some temporary relief by doing things like releasing oil supplies from the strategic petroleum reserve. That's a short-term solution. But politics is lived in the short-term, and right now, gas prices are taking a toll on all elected officials.”

But gas price drama might be coming to an end soon. According to an industry analyst cited by Reuters, the increases have slowed and could even stop rising in the near future.

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