Gas Prices vs. Approval Rating

J@ke · Post by **J@ke** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:46 am

I was thinking this might be interesting so got hold of the numbers hereand here. Here's the graph I came up with.
I should say that I removed Alaska ($2.72, 47%) and Hawaii ($3.53, 34%).

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:03 am

Hehe... probably just an interesting coincidence. At least I hope it is. It would be really sad if the only thing that drove our citizens political outlook was the pocketbook.

Andok · Post by **Andok** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:38 am

~~[quote="Count Zero"]~~Hehe... probably just an interesting coincidence. At least I hope it is. It would be really sad if the only thing that drove our citizens political outlook was the pocketbook.[/quote]

I don't think it's just a coincidence â€“ a lot of people â€˜vote their pocketbookâ€™.

J@ke · Post by **J@ke** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:15 am

I figure it might also have something to do with more liberal states having things like higher gas taxes.

J@ke · Post by **J@ke** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:15 am

I figure it might also have something to do with more liberal states having things like higher gas taxes.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:50 pm

~~[quote="Andok"]~~I don't think it's just a coincidence â€“ a lot of people â€˜vote their pocketbookâ€™.[/quote]

I still find it rather sad that all people focus on is money.

Since we are talking about gas prices

~~[url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-industry26apr26,0,3662010.story]~~Why Gas Prices Won't Go Down[/url]

Andok · Post by **Andok** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:12 pm

Good article, although it fails to mention the governmentâ€™s direct role in the cost of gas (taxes). The huge profits that â€˜big oilâ€™ is raking in is only about 6% of the price of gas, while close to 20% accounts for taxes. Our government (local/state/fed) is making over 3 times as much â€˜profitâ€™ as â€˜big oilâ€™â€¦ Anyone supporting the â€œwindfall profits taxâ€ is aiming at the wrong gouger.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:37 pm

Nice scatter plot to show the regression direction Jake

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:40 pm

I think I'd like to see relative affluence compared to the approval rating and the gas prices.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:19 pm

~~[quote="Andok"]~~Good article, although it fails to mention the governmentâ€™s direct role in the cost of gas (taxes). The huge profits that â€˜big oilâ€™ is raking in is only about 6% of the price of gas, while close to 20% accounts for taxes. Our government (local/state/fed) is making over 3 times as much â€˜profitâ€™ as â€˜big oilâ€™â€¦ Anyone supporting the â€œwindfall profits taxâ€ is aiming at the wrong gouger.[/quote]

Come on... when you rake 10 billion in profits, you gotta be working the system on some level. It's 10 billion dollars. If they weren't reporting record profits, I might have some sympathy for the oil companies. Dear God man. The Government isn't the problem. Greed is the problem.

You need to ~~[url=http://mediamatters.org/items/200604260019]~~stop watching Bill O'Riely[/url]. He has the bad habit of being wrong.

The fact of the matter is that we have to move away from oil as an energy source. If Brazil can do it, I think we can too. Until gas gets into the $6/gallon range we aren't going to have the discussion. So let those gas prices climb. In that aspect, I don't mind people voting with their pocketbooks (i.e. choosing a cheaper product)

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:50 pm

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~I think I'd like to see relative affluence compared to the approval rating and the gas prices.[/quote]
Of across states? or the within group of each? Or SES average across the citizens?

Is this like one of those Freakenomics thing:wink:

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:11 pm

~~[quote="Skyman"]~~Of across states? or the within group of each? Or SES average across the citizens?

Is this like one of those Freakenomics thing:wink:[/quote]

I don't know how, exactly, yet. I'm thinking about it.

J@ke · Post by **J@ke** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:15 pm

I think a good one would be change in price v change in approval. Or maybe percent change v percent change.

Andok · Post by **Andok** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:37 am

~~[quote="Count Zero"]~~You need to ~~[url=http://mediamatters.org/items/200604260019]~~stop watching Bill O'Riely[/url]. He has the bad habit of being wrong. [/quote]

I know this doesnâ€™t fit with your stereotype of us evil conservatives, but I donâ€™t watch Oâ€™Reilly. Also, what I said is different than what Oâ€™Reilly said - he said that gas taxes rise with the price of gas, and I said that about 20% of the cost of gas goes to taxes and about 6% is profit. I am right (like usual :wink:), and he is apparently wrong.

J@ke · Post by **J@ke** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:50 am

[quote="Andok"]I know this doesn&#8217]
You're right, I noticed that too. But, it is worth noting that the chunk that goes to taxes stays the same and has been for quite some time. Plus those taxes get re-disbursed throughout the community. So it;'s not fare to compare the two. I've been trying to find some actual data on the increase in profits but the only two places I was able to get any were Conoco Phillips and Harry Reid's websites.

Andok · Post by **Andok** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:11 am

[quote="J@ke"]But, it is worth noting that the chunk that goes to taxes stays the same and has been for quite some time. Plus those taxes get re-disbursed throughout the community. So it]

Unless the shareholders are stuffing their profits in mattresses, the profits are being returned to the community too, albeit in a different way. People use those profits to do things like buy goods and services, and to reinvest in business, all of which helps the economy and creates/maintains jobs.

If you think that oil companies are making obscene profits, you should join them in that profit earning and invest in those companies. Exxon Mobil’s symbol is XOM – if you would have purchased that stock 3 years ago, you would have almost doubled your money by now.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:29 am

~~[quote="Andok"]~~Unless the shareholders are stuffing their profits in mattresses, the profits are being returned to the community too, albeit in a different way. People use those profits to do things like buy goods and services, and to reinvest in business, all of which helps the economy and creates/maintains jobs. [/quote]

Not really. Those people making obscene amounts of money don't spend their money the same way you and I do. Basically, that money is never really put back into the community. Most of that money won't go into "reinvesting". 10 billion in profit is the left over after the reinvestment. Reinvestment is factored into their cost of doing business.

A resource necessary for the "movement" of your society should not be something that you can make obscene profits on, some sure. Not only do those prices effect us at the gas pumps, they effect us across the board by increasing the prices of all products we purchase.

The corporations making a ton of money is not really a benefit to us in any shape or form.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:31 am

~~[quote="Andok"]~~I know this doesnâ€™t fit with your stereotype of us evil conservatives, but I donâ€™t watch Oâ€™Reilly.[/quote]

Actually, it was meant to be a joke... I simply forgot to put this (:biggrin: ) on the end of it. I was in a hurry at work.