Bush popularity mainly depends on gas prices.

[electropop]

If Bush's goal is popularity, all he really has to do is manipulate the petroleum market, say by selling off the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Of course, that would be if Bush's goal was popularity. If his goal were to make huge oil profits for himself and his pals, at any cost, he would, well, do exactly what he's doing:

Invade and shut down one of his biggest foreign competitors (Iraq).

Threaten another one with Regime change: Venezuela.

Threaten another one with Regime change: Iran.

Talk pretty about alternative energy, while slashing the budget for alternative energy research.

Allow one of the major centers for petroleum extraction and refining to be submerged and destroyed: New Orleans.

Threaten to drill in a pristine wilderness, creating a false sense that oil is the only energy and it is so scarce that desperate measures are justified.

Subsidize the oil companies to the tune of many billions of dollars in tax breaks.

[WI_DEM]

1. I've said this for a long time

when people start to feel it in the pocketbook that is when they start caring. The war hasn't been the major reason for the dramatic declines but energy and gas prices have been and it affects all of his policies now.

[Broken_Hero]

2. Yeah, I agree with that statement ...n/t

[leveymg]

4. They're masking it by keeping gas low but letting heating oil & diesel

rise. The big energy companies are all diversified, so they also own natural gas and electric generation, as well. In places where they've been deregulated, those costs have risen most steeply in the past year.

They manipulated prices before the 2004 elections, also. See, http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0408/S00278.htm

[ladjf]

3. The oil companies will lower the prices at the opportune time

prior to November. They definitely want Bush and the Pubs (their alter ego) to stay in power.

[jedicord]

5. Yeah, but Rush said gas prices really aren't going up that much.

He couldn't understand what the big liberal MSM hoopla was about. "Gas has gone up, what - 7 cents? Big deal!"

That's in ONE DAY pigboy. Then the next day it goes up 4 cents. Then the next day it goes up 8 cents.

But then he wouldn't know that, 'cause his driver gasses up the Hummer limo.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. It was the same thing only reversed with Bill. Those super low prices

helped keep him over the 70% line for quite a while.

[Pab Sungenis]

7. Bush can't sell out of the SPR

because he knows he's going to need it when we invade Iran.

[RC]

8. SPR?

Super Pretty Rabbit? Stupid Petty Repug? :shrug:

[Oneliest]

9. More of a commentary on us

If a presidents popularity is tied to such a pittance as a nickle or so per gallon of gas , that means our price (as a nation) is pretty low.

http://lonelyistheoneliestnumber.blogspot.com/

[Strelnikov_]

10. Strategic Petroleum Reserve

http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/

[Massacure]

14. That link is interesting.

They say that can go without imports for 59 days, but the draw down capacity is only 4.4 million barrels per day. That means that they will only be able to draw down 259.6 million barrels out of the 700 million in a 59 day period.

[electropop]

18. Bit of fuzzy math, huh?

Maybe they didn't mean 59 days in a row. :sarcasm:

[Strelnikov_]

11. So, Will It Be Negative Popularity When Gas Goes Over $5/gal This Year?

How low can he go?

[Joe Fields]

12. What Poularity? 35%?

No dems and one half repubs?

[NewJeffCT]

13. My gas has shot up like 30 cents in 2 weeks

Not that Bush had any popularity in my home... but, still.

[Imagevision]

15. Gas is only the tip of the iceberg - he's totally incompetant!

he cares about big business as he takes away medicare benefits from the disabled and Nam vets and the list is just to long - remember the 2 babies who died waiting for water in New Orleans,

[Imagevision]

16. Gas prices always drop after sunner vacations are over no-one is traveling

Factories are back in full swing - kids are back in school.
this is the way it has always been before Bush became president

[0007]

17. $2.50/gal here in Midland.

And ya better not saying nothing mean about junior here.

[newportdadde]

19. If gas was 1.25 most Americans would give two shits about Iraq or spying.

Personally the average American cares about one person, themselves and their wallet. If gas was a buck they could care less if some poor kid they don't know got the crap shot out of him/her as long as they had cheap gas to drive to the lake and fill up the ski boat.