Truckers react: Obama wins ’12 election

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Updated Dec 26, 2012

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Election: Romney loses the race, but wins with trucking

Most commenters on Overdrive‘s Facebook page were not thrilled to hear news that incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama had been re-elected and were quite vocal on where they stood relative to the national political scene. Most cited concerns over the president’s economic policies in an already-shaky economy.

Those who supported the president’s re-election piped in when asked if the right guy had won, though most simply said “Yes” and did not elaborate much.

In an Overdrive Hot Buttons poll conducted in October, 66 percent of Overdrive readers who responded said they preferred Mitt Romney over Barack Obama, who had the backing of 21 percent of respondents. Six percent said they preferred neither, while 7 percent said they preferred a third party or write-in candidate.

Poll: How should lawmakers deal with the ‘fiscal cliff’?

In terms of ideology, Overdrive readers in another Hot Buttons poll — this one in September — favored a more hands-off approach in terms of government and job creation. In answering the question “What role does government play in job creation?” a whopping 83 percent favored Republican or limited government-type policies — 47 percent said the government should cut taxes to stimulate private investment, 23 percent answered the government has no role in job creation and 13 percent said the government has little to no role.

Seven percent favored government raising taxes to fund job-creating programs and 10 percent supported other government initiatives besides tax policies. See those poll results here, along with drivers sounding off on their answers.

We tried to gather driver commentary throughout the day Tuesday either via email or on Facebook. Via email, Shawn H. of Victorville, Calif., said he voted for Romney: “We have given President Obama four years and he hasn’t done the job on the economy.  Since we have never elected a true businessman ( I don’t consider Bush Jr. and Sr. true businessmen) to office, I think it’s time to give one a shot. I believe Mitt Romney can end this economic malaise by instituting economic policies that will jumpstart the economy, as well as return confidence to the market.”

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Douglas Kennedy, however, emailed to say he voted for Obama — his second time to do so — referencing the two most recent presidents as examples of policies and their effectiveness: “When Clinton was President, we had a surplus, and I made money,” he writes. “Bush became president and every year he was president, I made less money and every expense associated with operating my truck increased, with no increase in my rates to compensate. Since Obama has been president, I’m slowly making a little more money.

“I feel in my heart that Romney is, of, for and by the Corporation. That leaves me — the one man, one truck — odd man out.”

Here’s what Overdrive readers had to say on Facebook:

Jim Dos: It’s a sad day for business independence everywhere in America. Rules and regs will be worse and not helpful.

Brandon King: Heck no the right guy didn’t win! Obama has made a mess and now has 4 more years to make a bigger mess! It’s not fair to our kids.

Nick Lichty: Yes. Bush [screwed] us for 8 years and it’s going to take Obama at least 8 years and the next Democrat at least 4 years to fix this. Anything is better then Mitt the twit.

James Shelburn: Nope, wait ‘til fuel hits 7 bucks a gallon! And people have to pay 20 bucks for a loaf of bread! Because the haul bill was so high for hauling it.

Willie Dixson: It doesn’t matter who won (both much the same, just a fall guy for GOP or Dems). The masters are the ones controlling the value of our dollar — banksters. It is not the cost of fuel; it is the value of the dollar.

Jenni Reynolds-Kebler: No! The right guy was narrowly defeated. Now I am forced to live with the decisions of others. Hope you Democrats are ready for the rest of your life, because I think that we are truly in the beginning of the end.

Greg Krueger: Trucking for the owner operator has been bad last 6 years, might as well make it 10.

Stacey W. Betz: We are screwed…..period! You think fuel prices are high now and that there are too many regulations, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

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