Obama's Gas Price Policies Angering Most Americans

(Refiles with tweaked headline)

* Oil companies, foreign countries blamed more than politicians

* Americans angry, but economy bigger issue than fuel cost

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - More than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling high gasoline prices, although most do not blame him for them, according to a Reuters/Ipsos online poll released on Tuesday.

Sixty-eight percent disapprove and 24 percent approve of how Obama is responding to price increases that have become one of the biggest issues in the 2012 presidential campaign.

In the past month, U.S. fuel prices have jumped about $0.30 per gallon to about $3.90 and the Republicans seeking to replace the Democrat in the Nov. 6 election have seized upon the issue to attack his energy policies.

The disapproval reaches across party lines, potentially spelling trouble for Obama in the election, although the online survey showed voters hold oil companies or foreign countries more accountable than politicians for the price spike.

"Obama is getting heat for it but people aren't necessarily blaming him for it," said Chris Jackson, research director for Ipsos public affairs.

Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents all disapprove of the president's handling of gas prices, according to the online poll of 606 Americans conducted March 26-27.


Eighty-nine percent of Republicans said they disapproved, as did 52 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of independents.

"People are unhappy that they are having to pay $3.90 a gallon. They want somebody to be able to lash out at and the president is as good a person as anybody," Jackson said.


BLAMING OIL COMPANIES

The most common reason cited by voters of all political stripes for the rising cost was oil company greed.

Overall, 36 percent of respondents said "oil companies that want to make too much profit" deserve the most blame for higher energy prices. Twenty-eight percent of Republicans said so, as did 44 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of independents.

Twenty-six percent of all respondents said a range of factors was equally to blame, including oil companies, politicians, foreign countries that dominate oil reserves and environmentalists who want to limit oil exploration.

There was little difference in that result across party lines. Twenty-seven percent of Republicans, 24 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of independents said all of those factors were equally to blame.

Republicans have hit Obama particularly hard for his decision to block TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL Canada-to-Texas pipeline as a sign that his energy priorities are hurting America.

Hoping to placate car-loving Americans, Obama toured U.S. oil country last week to tout his "all of the above" energy strategy that includes room for oil and gas development in addition to support for renewable fuels.

In Oklahoma, he pledged to accelerate approval of the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline. Republicans immediately dismissed the campaign-style stop as a stunt, saying Obama does not have the authority to really jump start the project.

Jackson said Obama has little to fear, at least according to historic trends, from gas prices alone if the U.S. economy continues to recover from deep recession.

Previous spikes in fuel prices have not affected U.S. presidential election results. But economists warn that higher gas prices could slow the overall economy, which would toughen Obama's chances of winning re-election.

The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points for all respondents. (Editing by Alistair Bell and Eric Beech)

Comments

[Keir Weimer]

08:21 AM on 05/02/2012

Keir Weimer believes this is a good trend, and a welcome shift in the direction of gas prices in this country before the summer months. Global supply fluctuations and seasonal and varied demand make estimating price levels difficult, but it appears the average price for a gallon of gas in this country is on the wane, if ever so slightly.

-Keir Weimer

[the99pct]

06:05 PM on 04/26/2012

Today I filled up my car in Wesley Chapel, FL. At all CITGO stations, it is $3.59 a gallon. Two weeks ago it was $3.92. I have not seen or heard of any policy changes from the President or the Republicans.

Why not we leave our anger and agree that the price of gas is a function of the free market enterprise we live? It includes the oil futures being traded and speculated by traders in Wall Street Commodity Exchange. If there has to be a policy change, it is here.

[the99pct]

09:24 PM on 04/21/2012

If you look at this from the Republicans point of view, Oil Industry and Gas as a consumer item is a function of capitalism and free market enterprise? This is the area that they want Federal Government out of it and no regulations! Rick Santorum had blood flowing in to his face at the debates telling the audience that Corporations and Businesses are pleading with him to "get the Federal Government off their backs".

[the99pct]

09:19 PM on 04/21/2012

The price of gas in my town has gone down from $3.92 to $3.79. It is not the President, it is not the energy policy, it is not the Keystone pipeline. The main culprits are the speculators in Wall Street who inflate oil futures on something they think will happen next year! My family friend owns a chain of MOBIL stations in NY/NJ/PA/CT. He says there is plentiful supply of oil in the market. According to him, between Feb & Mar, speculators are holding up to 500 million barrels in oil futures with no delivery dates. They make $millions betting while consumers are put at their mercy.

[Make love not war]

04:39 PM on 04/01/2012

'Obama's gas prices anger most Americans, but some Americans are happy to pay $5 for a gallon of gas.'

[TheCarCzarsPage]

11:56 PM on 03/31/2012

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[windwolf]

07:26 PM on 03/31/2012

Commodity traders, and hedge fund operators buying inflated oil futures, oil producers realizing windfall profits, OPEC oil price dictators, oil exporters profiting off our full domestic oil production, ALL complicit in driving prices up, and ALL supporting right side of the aisle politics and politicians, ALL unfettered, unregulated free market exploiters, and ALL supporting the big lie that Obama is responsible for allowing the continued spike in gas prices. This could be construed as an insult to the intelligence of the voting consumer, if most of the voting public had the intelligence to recognize that they're being conned by the 1% and their politician stooges.

[yeswedid08]

07:37 PM on 03/30/2012

Complain about gas prices but don't see people slowing down on the highways and streets. Acceleration is definitely one of the things that burn gas.

[ruburnt]

08:39 AM on 03/29/2012

This could be a beautiful thing for the Romney campaign...The Republicans should be advertising at the gas pumps. What gas prices were in 2008 and what they are today! It would be a constant reminder to voters that we now pay twice as much as we did before O took office!
My fill up cost 50.00 in 2009 and now I'm paying 100.00 in 2012......

[yeswedid08]

07:38 PM on 03/30/2012

Everything has gone up.

[Dan Dolan]

12:14 PM on 04/17/2012

Sorry, the HIGHEST price so far was under BUSH. STOP LYING.

[Paris215]

07:10 AM on 03/29/2012

Gas guzzling Americans need to take charge of their wasteful habits! I have friends who live in countries where gas is twice what Americans pay. Enough about asking our govt. to fix everything, on this issue we need to take control and start buying more fuel efficient cars and support legislation that offers more economic means of fueling this country. We are so, so far behind other western countries on this issue. We have been so spoiled up to now.

[windwolf]

07:46 PM on 03/31/2012

Oh Yeah! Try living in the Hugh sprawl of Southern California, with an almost non-existent and substandard mass transit system, whose potential has been blocked by oil, auto, and tire companies since the thirties, who bought up all the railway rights of way, to protect the largest auto market in the world. This is not highly concentrated Paris with excellent mass transit. Even with economizing auto use and trips, (e.g. long commutes to work) we still are forced to rack up mileage. I and like millions like myself are part of our underpaid, underemployed workforce, and therefore can't afford one of those new "economy" cars, with overinflated price tags. The reality of the auto market in this country is, that new car dealers are currently selling many more USED cars than new cars in order to remain in business. Wake up! Our country will not fully participate in the green revolution until we have a full and REAL economic recovery, which includes in addition to a substantial reduction in unemployment, a recovery of our once envious wage scales, and our once world standard manufacturing excellence, which had accounted for 50% of our employment. Then we'll be prosperous (as we once were) to become green consumers, and our local, state and federal governments financially able to support environmentally, and economically friendly mass transit.

[ShanaJuly]

01:19 AM on 03/29/2012

Fake controversy fueled by Fake Fox and the rest of the msm and punditocracy. UNTIL Americans slow their roll I don't want to hear anything about gas prices since they are unwilling to slow down from doing 60 in a 40 mph zone...they speed down the highway then complain about gas...are you kidding me.

Also, where do they find these uneducated voters or whatever they are? Where is the informed electorate or are you afraid they will expose the lies...

[windwolf]

07:51 PM on 03/31/2012

Hey Shana, the most economic highway speed for fuel efficiency is 57 miles per hour, not 40. What drivers need to do on our interstate highways and freeways is to slow down from the 70+ MPH (all of then commonly drive in excess of posted highway speed limits) they currently are averaging.

[Aberrantangel]

01:03 AM on 03/29/2012

For those of you who still don't know how this gas "thingy" works, pay attention. The president has NO control over gas prices....period. Crude is traded on the commodity markets (same as corn,wheat and yes,even pork bellies also know as bacon) where the price is determined by current supply and demand as well as forecasts of future supply and demand due to world events.

[terminallycharged]

11:58 PM on 03/28/2012

Instead of using individual cars you should better fight for more and better commuting servicies. Like public bus, metro, urbans trains, etc.

Oil is a finite resource.

[yurelostimnot]

09:55 PM on 03/28/2012

High gas prices are good. In case anyone hasn't noticed, oil is a finite resource and as currently used will ultimately become economically unfeasible as an energy source. At various times since 1972 there have been efforts by the government and other non-commercial entities to develop alternate approaches to energy utilization. However, it has only been in the last 8-10 years that any measurable success in that regard has been achieved. The only reason for that success is that higher oil prices has created sufficient profit motive for private companies to invest in alternative energy (solar, wind) or conservation (hybrid vehicles). Obviously these will not solve our energy needs but they are a start. It is better to make the sacrifice now rather than waiting until it is too late to develop alternatives.

Furthermore, the country that can develop the technology/infrastructure to no longer be beholden to the oil cartel, will control the future.

For these reasons and numerous others, high gas prices are ultimately good for the future of the country.

[terminallycharged]

12:04 AM on 03/29/2012

Need is the drive force of invention. Expensive gas promotes better energy solutions.

[Dr Danno]

09:50 PM on 03/28/2012

And how is failure of individuals to plan ahead suddenly the governments fault? The roads I drive are filled with SUV's, pickups, and pseudo power cars.As someone who has been conscious of consumption all along, I fail to find the outrage legitimate at all. The current petro price outrage epitomizes the addicts mindset and sense of entitlement. I have learned to sip rather than guzzle, and I'm confidant that with effort you can too.