If we needed any more evidence that Sherrod Brown’s recent comments dismissing the effect gas prices are having on Ohio families was out of touch with Buckeye State residents, here it is:
How much do rising gas prices affect Google search interest?
With gas prices up 17 percent since January 1, President Obama and his GOP opponents have been trading barbs over a president’s role in raising or lowering gas prices. As Republican advisor Dan Schnur put it, “Voters see gas prices up on signs every block when they drive home from work.”
We decided to take a look at nationwide search trends for the phrase [gas prices] since January 2011 and compared them to average gas prices over the same time period. We found that a rise in gas prices did cause a spike in searches, but that the volume of searches stabilized shortly afterward, even if there wasn’t a sharp drop in prices.
A picture is worth 1,000 words.
