These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
69% Agree With Obama That BP Should Pay For More Than Cleanup
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
President Obama in his Oval Office address to the nation Tuesday night said BP is responsible not just for the environmental clean-up from the massive Gulf oil leak but also must "compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of [the] company's recklessness." He is expected to repeat that message in a meeting with top BP officials today.
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Americans agree that the oil companies involved with the Gulf leak should be required to pay back everyone who lost income because of the oil spill, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 17% disagree, and 14% more are not sure.
Americans are slightly less enthusiastic, however, about opening BP up to more lawsuit payouts. Fifty percent (50%) say Congress should change the law so BP can be sued for more money in cases related to the Gulf incident, but 36% oppose such a change in the law. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided.
Forty-six percent (46%), in fact, say it's at least somewhat likely that the costs of the oil spill and cleanup will force BP out of business. Forty-five percent (45%) think that's unlikely. This includes 18% who say it's Very Likely and nine percent (9%) who say it's Not At All Likely.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. Adults was conducted on June 12-13, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
Most voters continue to support offshore oil drilling, but they are increasingly critical of how BP - and the president - are responding to the environmental crisis in the Gulf .
Fifty-one percent (51%) say they are likely to boycott BP because of the Gulf oil leak.
While the majority of adults across all demographic categories feel BP should pay for more than just the cleanup, investors are slightly less supportive of that idea than non-investors.
Democrats and adults not affiliated with either party feel more strongly than Republicans that BP should pay back everyone who lost income because of the oil spill.
Sixty-two percent (62%) of Democrats and 51% of unaffiliated adults think Congress should change the law to allow BP to be sued for more money. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Republicans oppose that change.
Most non-investors (54%) think the law should be changed to permit bigger judgments against BP. Investors, on the other hand, are almost evenly divided on the question.
Americans are closely divided across all demographic groups about BP's chances of survivability.
Besides the obvious environmental concerns about the oil leak, most Americans also now worry about how it will impact the economy.
Voters strongly believe that the oil leak in the Gulf will have a significant long-term impact on the environment, and they want the companies involved to pay for it.