"great deal" or "quite a bit" of impact on them and their families.

Interesting the way the question was worded...

I wonder did they poll that nut congressman out of Florida, Alan West who was complaining about the price of filling up his Hummer?

It's not only an individual's driving distance that may affect their answer, but I would think gas price's effects on goods, especially groceries.

Feisty -

As someone who's worked on 1000's of surveys in the last 42 years, I've never seen those two choices worded that way. Any English teacher would tell you "a great deal" and ""quite a bit" are virtually interchangeable in meaning. The choices are usually more like "Significant impact", "Moderate impact", "Slight impact" and "No impact at all".

I've seen some goofy rating scales in my day, but that one takes the cake.

As someone who's worked on 1000's of surveys in the last 42 years

JoAnne,

Thanks! Your expertise is much appreciated!

The wording just struck me as odd...

Well 96,

All you have to do is follow the Obama lead: put more air in your tires and get a tuneup! Or go out and buy one of those Government Motors Volts! Don't need any fund, just get your Obama money!

Then put those solar panels on your roof to lower your energy costs.

We all must go along with the program from the Great Leader.

winemaker-4308406

Ignoring the fact that we need to start using energy more efficiently, is one of those conservative traits.

goes along with small low functioning, brains.

Ever been to Europe, say Norway, an oil producing country. Gas is much higher there.

Same in Canada, gas is way over $5/gal and they ship gas to US!

Say winemaker, I've been wondering, Germany has some of the highest gas prices, highest tax rates (individual and corporate) and largest social program funding in the free world, but yet their economy is stronger than the U.S, unemployment is lower than the U.S (5.5% as of Mar 2012) and they are making the U.S look kinda third worldish. Can you help a fella out and maybe give me some clues why all that is.

Yeah Frank, they don't have Obama and the Progressive Party.

And to Just the facts, yep, during my corporate days I had to visit Sweden a few times a year. Not only is gas higher there, but so are income taxes, housing, social welfare and just about everything.

Why is it so important for the US to outspend more for oil than Europe? It must make you happy to see the rising costs for gasoline in this country.

Do you buy into the need to pay higher taxes for more social engineering that the Progressives want to impose on the majority of the population? Go ahead and pay it. Have a small business and see what it is like to pay taxes and fees prior to paying tax payments.

My brain does function granny, I don't buy into the progressive logic.

Apparently Winemaker thinks America should be above the "free market" and artificially keep prices low.

I thought cons were FOR the "free market". Bit of a hypocritical position don't you think?

And you totally ignore the fact that Germany is doing better, yet is much more socialistic than this country,

Hard to refute truth, huh?

AND you would have us believe that "socialist practices" are going to be the end of America.

You don't want America to be a successful country?

Those countries in Europe that the grumpy ones disdain, have a far better life style than most in the US and they have had that great level of living for many years. They take better care of all their citizens valuing all no matter their age or status. We could learn from them, but when you have neanderthal thinking that keeps us from moving forward, mediocrity is what we end up with.

Well, it appears Gingerbread Mamma and Just the facts are misinformed.

@Just, yepper, I am a free market person, but artificial supply doesn't keep cost down, it raises it. Re: the Obama energy policy. Abundance of supply will help to lower US gasoline costs, provided the eco groups allow construction of refining plants. Please don't place your silly libbie terms into my post.

Are the European Union folks doing better today? I think not. Most of the EU members are tying to change from massive debt due to social programs, moving more to a capitalist society. Our leader however, doesn't agree and is moving us to a broken EU mode of government. And no It isn't difficult to debate.

@ginger bread,

Please tell me how those EU countries have a better life style than ours? Read my above to Just. Yes, we can learn from them, especially how they tied the great experiment and are now moving to our style of governing. At least the gov. we had prior to the Progressive movement of the past fifty years.

And no, granny pants, I am no neanderthal. I leave that to your libbie tribe, who have no concept of fiscal responsibility. Mediocrity is the direction we are headed. We need to again grasp the greatness of this country.

Thank goodness Henry Ford was a product of the great America environment, for if he had to build cars in today's arena, we'd still be driving horse and buggy. Over-regulation is killing manufacturing, along with sky-rocketing taxes, labor unions, and the like.

But this country can again be successful, and we shall.

Great questions for a pollster to ask, Palm Springs!

...All these polls are borderline crazy 'cause respondents may say anything, regarless of the margin of error.

What happened to your post at #3?

With all those Cadillacs to fill, poor soccer mom stay-at-home wife Ann Romney must be horrified at the strain on the family budget, what with driving all those sons all over the place. After all, she knows first hand the hardships that high gas prices place on the 'normal' household.

Yessiree, driving Ms. Ann to the horse stables, country club, etc........real hardship, she probably doesn't drive long distances because of her MS!

She probably takes the Lear Jet for longer trips! lol

...she probably doesn't drive long distances because of her MS!

Uh...wow...bad form...sorry, you shouldn't have gone there.

My bad!?......But I can only imagine that it's true!

I have to draw the line at going after anyone's condition...MS, Cancer, Down's Syndrome...that's not funny, that's mean-spirited.

Going after Ann Romney the "normal mom" is funny...going after MS is not.

"she probably doesn't drive long distances because of her MS!"

That post is not "Going after" Ms. Ann........Willard brought her health into the conversation sometime ago.

As I stated, I can only imagine that it's true!

Da Noid, what is your definition of "obscene profits?" Because, see, the oil industry makes about 6% to 7% profit. Compare that to over 20% for the computer industry.

$13 billion is only 6-7%? You might need to check your figures.

noid -- had not heard the tar baby thing. i do not see that there is anything to walk back. if you look here, she actually is making a very good point:

The Tar-Baby is a character in the second of the Uncle Remus stories; it is a doll made of tar and turpentine used to entrap Br'er Rabbit. The more that Br'er Rabbit fights the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he becomes.

In modern usage according to Random House, "tar baby" refers to any "sticky situation" that is only aggravated by additional contact.

the more President Obama demonizes "big oil" the more he makes a fool of himself -- the more entangled he becomes.

Da Noid, what is your definition of "obscene profits?"

In 2011, the Big 5 reported the following profits:

BP - $26 Billion

Chevron - $27 Billion

ConocoPhillips - $12 Billion

ExxonMobil - $41 Billion

Shell - $31 Billion

Combined, that is $137 Billion they raked in for 2011. That is up 75% from 2010...all while their production was down 4% from 2010.

That is obscene.

Tar-Baby has a negative and derisive connotation toward Blacks/African Americans.

Bachmann is an idiot.

da -- could not match all of your results but i think you are only showing part of the story:

In 2011 the three biggest oil giants paid more income tax than any other American corporation. ExxonMobil paid $27.3 billion in income tax, Chevron paid $17 billion, and ConocoPhillips paid $10.6 billion.

These huge sums gave the companies equally huge effective tax rates. ExxonMobil’s tax rate was 42.9%, Chevron’s was 48.3%, and ConocoPhillips’ was 41.5%. These figures are higher than the US federal statutory rate of 35%, which is the highest tax rate in the developed world.

The Tar-Baby is a character in the second of the Uncle Remus stories; it is a doll made of tar and turpentine used to entrap Br'er Rabbit. The more that Br'er Rabbit fights the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he becomes.

Thank you...yes, I am familiar with the Uncle Remus stories (my parents took me to see Song of the South when I was young).

However, there is another meaning as an epithet towards African-Americans. Mitt Romney had to apologize for using the term all the way back in February 2009...

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/31/politics/main1851199.shtml

"Tar baby is a totally inappropriate phrase in the 21st century," said Larry Jones, a black Republican and civil rights activist.

Congresswoman Bachmann could have used a myriad of other terms to convey her sentiment...

...Red Herring, Distraction, Diversion, Smoke Screen, Fool's Errand, Wild-Goose Chase...

...so, tell me, why did she choose "Tar Baby"?

I don't think it's because she's racist...I think it's because she's stupid.

chilled -- clearly we disagree. you went the racist route and I went the classic novel route.

But for your choice: An article in The New Republic argued that people are "unaware that some consider it to have a second meaning as a slur" and it "is an obscure slur, not even known to be so by a substantial proportion of the population." It continued that, "those who feel that tar baby's status as a slur is patently obvious are judging from the fact that it sounds like a racial slur" (italics in original text).

noid -- we disagree.

have a nice weekend.

An article in The New Republic argued that people are "unaware that some consider it to have a second meaning as a slur" and it "is an obscure slur, not even known to be so by a substantial proportion of the population." It continued that, "those who feel that tar baby's status as a slur is patently obvious are judging from the fact that it sounds like a racial slur" (italics in original text).

Thanks for checking Wikipedia.

you are welcome.