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McCain Pays Price of Soaring Gas

Voters giving issue ever-more importance; holding Mac responsible for Bush

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 10, 2008 2:13 PM CDT

(Newser) – The party in power always suffers during an election year in which the economy is poor, and high gas prices are often the biggest barb. John McCain is suffering the most from high prices at the pump, a Politico analysis of Gallup polls show, with voters putting him behind the GOP at large on the question of who will give “greater priority” to energy.

McCain trails Democrats by 15 percentage points on the issue. And on the question of who would better “deal” with the energy problem, McCain lags rival Barack Obama by 18 points. That could indeed damage Mac, as polls also show that 77% of Americans now consider energy issues “very important” in determining their vote.

A trucker leaves a truck stop in front of a sign advertising the price for diesel at $5.019 per gallon off the New York State Thruway in Pembroke, N.Y., Monday June 9, 2008.
A trucker leaves a truck stop in front of a sign advertising the price for diesel at $5.019 per gallon off the New York State Thruway in Pembroke, N.Y., Monday June 9, 2008.   (AP Photo/David Duprey)
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., responds to a question after touring the Florida Everglades near Miami, Fla., Friday, June 6, 2008.
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., responds to a question after touring the Florida Everglades near Miami, Fla., Friday, June 6, 2008.   (AP Photo)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., holds his hand near his ear as he tries to hear a question while speaking to the media in St. Louis, Tuesday, June 10, 2008.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., holds his hand near his ear as he tries to hear a question while speaking to the media in St. Louis, Tuesday, June 10, 2008.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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