Majority of Americans Still Oppose Auto Bailout, Poll Finds
Election season is upon us and that means one thing, more mudslinging than a figure-eight demolition derby.
The auto industry bailout will certainly near the top of the many contentious issues Republican candidates vying for their party nomination will latch into. That desperate move by the government between 2008 and 2009 is still sparking hot debates and dividing opinion, though overall sentiment is still negative according to a new Gallup poll.
It found that 51 percent of those surveyed still disapprove of the $85 billion rescue effort, with only 44 percent saying they approve of the decision.
As might be expected, that division grows when examined between political parties. Republicans showed 73 percent opposition to the bailout while 63 percent of Democrats supported it.
Sentiments are, however, improving over the general opinion displayed in 2009 when the branding iron was still hot and tax dollars spent on saving big business felt closer and more real.
Three years later, the U.S. treasury could still lose money on the bailout if GM stocks fail to recover, but it seems that some of the public who were quick to cry out have forgotten or become complacent.
Still, the issue around supporting Chrysler and GM is one that the Republicans are likely to leverage against Obama during this year’s race when the number might slide back toward more negative territory.
How do you feel about the bailout? Tell us in the comments section or find us on Twitter.
[Source: The Detroit Bureau]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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