Is Bush Hurt More by Iraq, or Gas Prices

Rush points us to an interesting chart which can be found at HeavyLifting.com which suggests that there could be very direct link between Bush's approval rating and gas prices. The gas prices were inverted (higher prices means lower position on the chart), and when compared on a timeline to Bush's approval rating, they match up surprisingly well.



Conventional wisdom would indicate that the perception of the situation in Iraq is what has been driving down Bush's approval rating, but this chart would suggest that there's a very direct correlation involving gas prices. I have no idea how scientific this is, but it's certainly an interesting theory. Gas prices directly affect every American, whereas the Iraq war does not have an equal impact on everyone.

With prices at all time highs in (it's now over $3 a gallon everywhere around where I live), the chart would suggest that the president won't see any positive changes in his rating in the immediate future.