More Bad News For Republicans As 61% Support President Obama On Keystone XL

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On the eve of the State Of The Union, Republicans were hit with more bad news as 61% of those surveyed in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll supported President Obama’s position on Keystone XL.

Via ABC News:

If the economy is providing new wind in Obama’s sails, some issues are puffing along for him as well. This poll finds broad backing, 61-34 percent, for his position on the Keystone oil pipeline, in a question that focuses on the specific dispute at hand – whether to approve it now or await a needs assessment.

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The results of this poll reveal that the Republican attempt to paint the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline as a jobs bill has mostly fallen on deaf ears. The 34% who support the construction of the pipeline falls into line demographically with the 30%-35% of conservatives who strongly support the Republican Party in every poll. In short, the (false) Republican message that Keystone XL will be great for the economy is largely falling on deaf ears outside of Republican circles.

President Obama’s call for the approval process to play out is resonating well with many Americans who don’t feel a sense of urgency as it relates to Keystone XL. It is possible that plummeting gas prices have taken the teeth out of the main false Republican argument that the pipeline will lower gas prices and the United States more energy independent.

Mitch McConnell and John Boehner thought that they could paint the president as an obstructionist by forcing him to veto the Keystone XL bill, but they have misjudged the political climate as a majority of those polled agreed with the president’s position. Not only are Republicans going to fail in their quest to get construction of the pipeline authorized, they aren’t going to be able to score many political points off of Obama’s veto.

Like a growing wave, the bad news keeps rolling in for the Republican Party. President Obama’s popularity appears to be growing by the day, and their agenda is not widely supported by the American people. The midterm election that the pundits called a disaster for President Obama is starting to feel more and more like ancient political history.



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