> Politicians doing a good job keeping the blame away from them. Phyllis > And lots of voters in denial about their car buying decisions and gas-guzzling habits. --bill > > > E&ENews PM > Monday, June 5, 2006 > CAMPAIGN 2006: Voters blame oil companies for high gas prices -- poll > Lucy Kafanov, E&ENews PM reporter > With gas prices hovering at $3 a gallon, most American voters are driving > less and cutting household spending and favoring Democrats to manage > energy prices, according to a poll by Quinnipiac University. > Fifty-six percent of voters surveyed said they have cut back > significantly on their driving. Low-income voters seem to be most > affected, with 67 percent making less than $30,000 saying they are > driving less, compared to 34 percent of those making more than $100,000 a > year. > The poll, released on June 2, found that driving habits also broke down > along party lines: 47 percent of Republican voters said they are driving > less, compared to 60 percent of Democrats. > Forty-six percent of voters said Democrats would do a better job on gas > prices, compared to 25 percent who thought Republicans are better suited > for the task. Among Republicans, 59 percent said their party would do a > better job, while 78 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of independent > voters say Democrats will do better. > An overwhelming majority, 90 percent, blame oil companies for the their > financial pain at the pump. Eighty-two percent blame oil-producing > countries, 69 percent blame normal supply and demand, 64 percent blame > President Bush and 52 percent Americans who drive gas-guzzlers. > The poll of 1,534 registered voters nationwide was conducted May 23-30 > with a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: > [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]