One of Glenn's readers, Bill Archer, e-mailed him, telling him that the latest Quinnipiac University poll is right on target:
I have heard many of the same things at the local supermarkets, WalMarts, and the BJ's discount club. The subject also came up with some of our customers this morning. A few that I knew had been staunch Obama supporters have stated quite openly that they won't vote for him again, particularly if energy and food prices keep going up as they have.
As a PA resident I can attest to the sea change in attitudes towards Barack Obama here.
It’s public, it’s palpable and it’s entirely due to inflation.
It’s astonishing to me that a bunch of guys who are supposed to be so smart think that women aren’t going to the grocery store and leaving in a state of shock, disbelief and, occasionally, panic.
And a Democrat who frightens women cannot win anything. Period.
I just started playing a sort of instant citizen poll at stores. It began a week or so ago at Sams’ Club:
I was in one of THOSE lines and ended up chatting with a well dressed middle aged woman with a cart half full of grocery items.
I made mention of the fact that while I didn’t normally make the hike to Sams’ that with prices going up I figured I had to make the effort.
She exploded: Prices are sky high, she’s feeding three kids, eating store brands and sale items but can’t afford to stock up, on and on.
Then the lady in front of HER piped in: if prices keep going up she doesn’t know what she’ll do, their budget is already at the breaking point, trying to keep a daughter in college, off she goes.
Then a man in the next line over heard them and HE jumped in: this is ridiculous, Washington is killing us, economy broken, he’s off to the races.
I thought maybe this was just a coincidence, so I’ve started the same conversation in store lines twice more in the past week and it’s exactly the same: people are frightened and EVERYONE wants to talk about it out loud.
The interesting thing to me is that everyone used to be very reluctant to speak out in public against Obama. You were always afraid some leftie whackjob would hear you and tear into you. You know what I mean.
But now the gloves are off, people are freaking out and Obama can raise FIVE billion dollars for his campaign and organize until the cows come home and call everyone in the country a racist until he turns blue but it’s not going to convince anyone that they’re not paying an arm and a leg for half a cart worth of food.
There is no more basic thing to people, and it’s off the hook.
I don’t see how the Republicans could possibly mess this up. Then again, after a lifetime of watching them do just that, if there’s way they’ll find it.
Around here pay raises (assuming anyone actually gets one) aren't keeping up with the rise in prices. Gas prices are expected to be double what they were around here last summer, which will put something of a damper on some activities. (A lot of folks aren't going to be willing to pay $5 or even $6 per gallon for gas to run their boats, particularly if a fill up will cost $200 or more for a day out on the lake. Of those vacationers visiting this area over the summer, most will be from New Hampshire, staying close to home because they can't afford to travel very far for vacation. Even one of the biggest summertime events in central New Hampshire – Bike Week – is expected to have lower than average attendance this year due to the general economic conditions and the price of gas and amenities.
If prices continue to rise and the economic situation does not improve greatly, Obama will see his presidency end in January 2013, no matter how much money he spends on his re-election campaign.