The Walkerville Weekly Reader

National Desk: Hard-hitting journalism from your completely un-biased (pinky swear!) reporters in Walkerville, VA.

Walkerville, VA
Monday, December 9, 2024
Carolyn Purcell, Editor

How’s Obama doing? Just check the price of gas

Reader Armando Gutierrez asks why, with the economy doing so poorly for the average person, people are feeling better about the President?

Armando Gutierrez of El Mirage, Arizona, asks:

I read you articles faithfully or perhaps I should say I rarely ever miss reading your column… if the economy is doing so poorly for the average Mary or Joe, then why are the latest polls consistently showing that more and more people are feeling better about it? Are they actually experiencing some good or is it that they keep hearing how well it is going, so they just feel better about it based on the power of suggestion?

And, oh yes, I am from a border state and am well aware of how the Obama machine is working on its latest portrait. They are in the process of painting a picture of racism within Arizona’s state and local governments and in the House of Representatives in reaction to the worst gun-running scheme ever by the United States.

The latest polls do show some improvement in peoples’ perception of the economy, although it’s still strongly negative. But there’s no mystery there: it’s all about gasoline prices. It turns out that there’s a stunningly close relationship between short-term movements in Obama’s approval rating and changes in the price of gasoline. In fact, given the fall in gas prices to pre-Arab uprising levels, the surprising thing is how little of a boost Obama and his economic performance ratings have received.

As for the Fast and Furious gun-running scheme, there are some interesting allegations that the administration is using claims of racism to draw attention away from the Fast and Furious murders. You can see it for yourself at an interesting web site, DailyCaller.com. (The site is very anti-Obama but provides interesting analysis whatever your politics.)

  1. <- ABC Toyota shocker!
  2. Disbanding united citizens ->