Poll: 58% say Obama’s policies driving gas costs higher, 48% expect unemployment to rise

Hotair ^ | 03/19/2012 | Ed Morrissey

[SeekAndFind]

While the national media focuses on polls from Reuters and Pew that use skewed samples to show Barack Obama's approval rating going back up, The Hill takes a look at what might come in the future --- and it's not pretty for the President. In a survey of 1,000 likely voters in the 2012 general election, almost half expect the Supreme Court to overturn ObamaCare, with only 29% confident of its constitutional legitimacy. And that's not the worst of the poll, either:

Half of likely voters expect the Supreme Court to strike down President Obama’s signature healthcare law, and strong majorities see other major policies coming from the White House making life more difficult for themselves and the country, according to this week’s The Hill Poll.

The poll indicated that 49 percent of likely voters said they expect a court ruling that is unfavorable to the Affordable Care Act, while just 29 percent think it will be upheld and 22 percent aren’t sure.

On economic issues, 62 percent of voters say Obama’s policies will increase the debt, while 25 percent think they will cut it, and by a 48-percent-to-38-percent margin, voters believe those policies will increase joblessness rather than put people back to work.

On energy, 58 percent say Obama’s policies will result in gasoline prices increasing, while just 20 percent expect them to cut prices — and by a 46-percent-to-36-percent margin, voters believe they will cause the United States to become even more dependent on foreign oil.

The sample in this case is a little skewed, but in an unusual direction. The D/R/I is 32/36/32 for an R+4 advantage, one of the rare occasions when a pollster favors Republicans. The four-point advantage for the GOP has low odds of becoming reality in the fall, though; the midterm elections, without a Democrat defending the White House, had a 35/35/30 split in CNN exit polling. Republicans will do well if they get to that kind of parity in November with Obama at the top of the ticket.

Even adjusting for the R+4, these numbers look very bad for the President, especially on gas prices. Overall, blame for increases in gas prices falls on Obama by 38 points, which means he’s especially vulnerable if prices shoot up this summer as they did in 2008 and 2010. Younger voters put even more blame on Obama, 70/8, as do lower-income earners ($40-60K is the worst for Obama, 75/13 but the under-$20K is almost as bad at 62/15), perhaps because they feel the loss of disposable income and capacity for independent travel even more. Independents blame Obama 61/13, while only a plurality of Democrats think Obama has made gas prices lower, 31/42.

Rasmussen also polled likely voters on ObamaCare, and finds that support for repealing it has remained remarkably consistent:

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the national health care law next week, and the number of voters who Strongly Support the law’s repeal is now at an eight-month high.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 56% at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law, including 46% who Strongly Favor it. Thirty-nine percent (39%) oppose repeal, with 29% who are Strongly Opposed. (To see survey question wording,click here.)

Overall support for repeal is up three points from two weeks ago and is at its highest level since last September. The number that Strongly Favors repealing the law is at its highest point since July of last year. Since the law’s passage, most voters have favored repeal in nearly every survey, with support running as high as 62%. Opposition to repeal has ranged from 32% to 44%.

Strong support for repeal hit an eight-month high, but the range on overall demand for repeal in those eight months has been very steady indeed. Today’s number is 56%; the lowest it has gone in those eight months is 51%, and the high was 57%. Opposition to repeal has never gone above 42% in the past two years. At the moment, independents back repeal 57/39, with almost half (48%) strongly supporting its repeal. Even among Obama’s natural constituencies, support for repeal is strong or at a dead heat with support for ObamaCare: women (51/42), 18-29YOs (47/45 split), black voters (48/49 split), under-$20K income (50/35), $20-40K (53/39), and so on.

Given that the only real accomplishments of the Obama term has been ObamaCare, the failed stimulus bill, and Dodd-Frank, the fundamentals of this election look very bad for Obama — and will get worse if the Supreme Court throws out ObamaCare and gas prices continue to rise.

Update: I almost missed this from the Washington Post, which looks even worse:

Most Americans want the Supreme Court to invalidate at least part of the landmark health-care law that was passed in 2010, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. …

More than four in 10 — 42 percent — want the high court to throw out the entire law, 25 percent want to do away with the mandate alone and a similar proportion wants the justices to uphold the entire law.

Overall, among general population adults, 67% want the Supreme Court to partially or completely overturn Obama’s signature accomplishment. That number rises to 70% among independents, and it’s 48% among Democrats.

[NEMDF]

Time for Carney and crew to figure out how to play it out to show that those who voted in these polls are just racists who want to bring 0bama down.

[Hodar]

What triggered the first collapse? IMHO, it was $5 gasoline. You see, I MUST put gas in my car, so I can drive to work, buy groceries and run the errands that are a part of my life.

Paying my Mortgage is OPTIONAL, when compared to paying for gas, food, utilities and medical necessities.

When gas prices go up, cost of manufacturing goes up, food goes up - and we are going to start the whole cycle again.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Barry ain’t wiggling out of this one. His campaign will be in tatters if this goes on for another month or two.

Enviroweenies, prepare to go under the bus.

[erod]

and he’s still a lock to win re-election? /yeah right

[FrankR]

[Terry Mross]

If obama can get the SC to “approve” of his eligibility to be president, that means they’re afraid of him. Don’t be surprised if obamacare is upheld.

[DustyMoment]

There’s a POLL to underscore what an economic disaster Obama is!!??

A POLL!!????

Seriously??

Un-freakin’-believable!!!

[nathanbedford]

The sample in this case is a little skewed, but in an unusual direction. The D/R/I is 32/36/32 for an R+4 advantage, one of the rare occasions when a pollster favors Republicans. The four-point advantage for the GOP has low odds of becoming reality in the fall, though; the midterm elections, without a Democrat defending the White House, had a 35/35/30 in CNN exit polling. Republicans will do well if they get to that kind of parity in November with Obama at the top of the ticket.

I am not clear why the breakdown between Democrats/Republicans/independents should move in favor of the Democrats between now and the election just because the Democrats have a President at the head of their ticket. First, the data shows the independents are breaking substantially against Obama and the Democrats and therefore I do not think that the Democrats can look to this group for help.

Second, even if the Democrats can improve their share of the split to 35/35/31 I would expect history to repeat itself from the November midterm elections when such a split produced a Republican landslide.

So if all things remain the same, which they most certainly will not, I would expect the Republicans to be in good shape right up to the top of the ticket.

However, I am coming more and more to the belief that Obama will strike against Iran and contrive an October Surprise if his polling numbers stay adverse.

[kearnyirish2]

“Barry ain’t wiggling out of this one. His campaign will be in tatters if this goes on for another month or two.”

There is simply no way for Obama’s media commissars to hide stark truths staring everyone in the face: our paychecks are losing value, and many that have been fortunate enough to find work again are making much less than they used to. Simply put, too few people can say they are better off now than four years ago to re-elect our affirmative action token president.