Last Updated on July 26, 2020
It’s Day 100 of the Gulf oil disaster, and President Obama hasn’t gotten glowing marks on his handling of the situation, based on one of the latest Patrick’s Place Polls.
Forty percent of those responding gave him a C grade. One vote prevented a tie for the top grade. Had it not been for that single vote, just as many people would have given him a failing grade. The actual results showed that 36% felt he deserved a big red F.
Sixteen percent rated his performance at the barely-passing mark, a D, and just eight percent gave him a B.
The one grade he didn’t receive from those polled was the A grade.
One wonders if a president could possibly earn an A grade for anything. But in this case, it’s clear the administration should have moved faster. They placed far too much faith in BP scientists, who kept saying that between 5,000 and 20,000 barrels of oil were flowing into the Gulf. When government scientists began insisting, two months after the accident, that it was closer to 50,000 barrels a day, the administration demanded faster action.
Meanwhile, BP has announced it will claim a $10 billion tax credit for its spending in making the oil spill right. If they’re really interested in doing the right thing, all of that money should be set aside to handle long-term costs associated with the spill and the damage it has caused.
At least there’s good news here: soon-to-be ex-BP boss Tony Hayward is just a few months away from getting his life back.
