Is Barack Obama governing for the 23% who oppose the Keystone pipeline? It seems a new poll from the Pew Research Center says yes.
There is far more support for the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry upwards of 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada to Texas, even though only 24% of Americans have even heard about the issue and 37% of Americans haven’t heard anything at all about it. Of those who have heard of it, 66% of Americans say the government should approve the pipeline, including 49% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 84% of Republicans. It seems the pipeline is a winning issue for Republicans, but only if they succeed in educating more people about its importance.
It’s easy to see why one would want to support Keystone. It would create 200,000 jobs during its beginning phases and could create upwards of half a million jobs by 2035. Both labor unions and businesses support it. Why doesn’t the president?
Republicans would do well to keep emphasizing this issue, especially if so few Americans have heard of it and especially as the price of gas continues to reach historic highs.
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