Loren Steffy

A business blog

Americans hate oil companies more than the government, poll finds










Loren Steffy

30 Responses

  1. marvin says:

    Most people see them as arrogant and indifferent to the environment of people around the world. It also doesn’t help that they have squared associated themselves with one political party in this country.

    • Bee says:

      You state the typical ignorance (and bias) which explains the result of the poll mentioned in the article.

    • Meiczyslaw says:

      I’m not so sure about about that. For reference, in 2008 Exxon gave $108k to Obama in 2008, and $76k to McCain.

      And BP? They gave $88k to Obama, and $30k to McCain.

      I see a slight preference for Democrats in the 2008 cycle, but I wouldn’t call that “squarely associating” with them.

      Data from the Donor Lookup on OpenSecrets.org. (2012 numbers are harder to tease out because of the proliferation of PACs, and the fact that the cycle isn’t over yet.)

    • M4 says:

      To marvin — Are you one of the “most people” you cite, and do you really believe that *any* U.S. organization, including corporations, could be more arrogant and indifferent than the federal government?

  2. DanMan says:

    Run a poll on the media and get back to us with those results.

    • Bobsrule says:

      Good Point! I believe the public is beginning to hate the liberal media more than the government.

  3. TransAmer99 says:

    That’s pretty funny, Loren. But did you point out in your article how those who admire computer firms wouldn’t have much to admire without the contributions of the oil sector. Lets see… the cases for their computers, the mouse, keyboard, circuit boards, component-level parts, the insullation for the wiring… all comes from plastics and we all know that plastic grows on trees, right?

    No, I didn’t think so. Come to think of it, oil companies DO make iPads.

  4. xxx says:

    You forgot, unlike our congresspersons, oil is really ugly when you look at it. Perception is everything. And the oil company made money the old fashioned way …

    • Mathew says:

      If you mean by hard work and perservance than yes oil does make its money the old fashioned way. Unlike banks and wall street types that make their money thru lying and the destruction of others with their cost savings measures(job cuts)or forclosing on ppl struggling with payments

    • xxx says:

      I think the slogan is, “Thet make money the old fashioned way. They earn it.”

  5. MrColdWaterOfRealityMan says:

    Oil companies be hated as long as they don’t come clean about why oil prices are going up (i.e. peak oil and declining energy return). If they want to improve their public perception, they need to emphasize the consequences of oil shortages (e.g. economic collapse, mass starvation, etc), and what they’re doing to prevent this. Oil companies are fighting the good fight, but nobody knows this. All they see are high pump prices.

  6. lil ol me says:

    I’ve worked in both the computer business (25 years) and the oil business (12 years) and a few more years in other areas. The computer world was full of hyper-inflated egos, absolute myopia, world class paranoia and overflowing with type AAA personalities. NIH was the only business model (“not invented here”) with legs. The customers were and still are the guinea pigs. I’m afraid you have bought into the external spin of Apple, Loren. Inside Apple today is pretty much like the rest of the computer business was 25 years ago: cutthroat, ego-centric and so short-term focused that lunch requires an acquisition team.

    Part (but certainly not all) of the dismissive attitude perception of the oil companies is more a result of bad science dutifully parroted by poor journalists looking for the next Pulitzer without bothering to look at real facts. The flaming water demo is a classic example as are most of the similar publicity stunts in areas like Pennsylvania and Ohio. They become dismissive because the real science almost always proves the scaremongers wrong. But they do it again and again.

    After awhile you get tired of attempting to correct recurring misconceptions and get back to the business of answering to stockholders. You know, real work. Then comes another Pulitzer-wannabe talking head with the flaming tap water trick…. and here they go again: more bad headlines, more bad science, more self-righteous indignation. After awhile the screaming idiots start to look like, well screaming idiots. I don’t blame the oil companies one bit. If the public is treated as idiots, there are those of us who believe they’ve earned the title. In November, millions will go out and reinforce the stereotype.

  7. King Kong says:

    And this is supposed to be a surprise? Of course they hate oil companies. When an industry lies, cheats, steals and works with brutal dictators all dictators all over the world, what do you expect?

  8. Bill in Houston says:

    Of course you can have a poll report anything you want with the right questions and the right sample…


  9. robert Nelson says:

    It’s no wonder Americans hate oil companies so much. If you like an easy living – like making $200,000+ a year – from the relative safety of an office cubicle, then O&G is your best bet. all it takes is a Bachelor’s in anything from Texas a&M and your set for life. Honest to goodness, it makes no difference how crappy of a student you are. You jusr go to Texas a&m and you’re set for life in this industry. This from a second generation O&G professional who only has to show up at work every dat to make a killer salary. Try it out, dude.

    • Bevo says:

      I think it’s a shame the way everyone picks on Aggies. After all it was an Aggie engineer that invented the toilet seat.

      Of course a UT engineer stole the design and cut a hole in the middle …

    • chiefdecoy says:

      I work offshore (engineer), and I thank every person who condemns and babbles on about evil oil companies, all while filling up your tank, and supporting my way of life. Gracias!!

  10. carrie says:

    I hear ya Robert, I have a friend who is a driller who only graduated high school and not with the best grades and he is making $1200 a day working up in Minot. I think hate is just another word for jealous lol

  11. Bumpus says:

    Why Big Oil fights everything….it is about money. They would rather buy a favor to overlook a problem or run on TV the results of a fake college study to change opinion than work to prevent the problem. If they ever discover that prevention is easier than what they now do, it will be seen by the public and they will wonder why it took so long for them to get it.

  12. xxx says:

    Transitions happen and we look at seller’s market vs. buyer’s market. You go to the supplier.

    Without foreign countries (sellers) in the oil mix there is no business. Everyone wants American Computers, so all they do is answer the phone, no dirty business needed.

    But if required, during one of the corporate shake-ups in the computer industry and desperate for raw material or sales, one of them might resort to whatever claim you/America decide is illegal (Disposal of used computers for example and leaking hazardous chemicals into the environment in third world countries, for example).

    If a frown is a smile turned upside down, a bribe is a political contribution from a lobbyist to an American congressperson just as a bribe from an oil company to a publican in a foreign country (Self-righteous). The computer industry is relatively new industry, give it time to reach maturity.

  13. randy says:

    I believe the unpopularity of oil companies is valid although misplaced. It all started back when oil was discovered in the Middle East. Big oil got in bed with unscrupolous dictators to ensure oil and profits would flow into their coffers at a HUGE cost to the citizens of the Middle East. We got cheap gas and they got royally screwed. As always chickens come home to roost. We are finally paying market prices for oil and people blame oil companies as big, for profit-only hulks. The oil companies peform a myriad of valuable services thru their research & develoment and products yet are more dispised now than when they should have been long ago. Oils companies no longer have control over market forces and take the blunt of the blame for prices. Ha! Oh the irony.

  14. justbob says:

    article is perfect example of why i no longer pay much attention to your blog. computer companies good, oil companies bad, shows you poll young, stupid, stupid goes with young, this generation as well as mine.
    it’s real simple, shut all oil, gas and coal companies down, no mining, no drilling, no fracking for just 90 days and see what these simpletons have to look forward too.
    we should be on our hands and knees thanking mother nature for what she has provided us. all the green technology invented and in place today, at a cost of billions of tax payers money contributes less than 3 lousy percent of our daily needs. do you just want to take a warm shower with green, no chance, want to drive your car to work, forget it. want nice frozen food that you can thaw and cook at your conveinence, thats a joke.
    all you young people that have been given everything all your life, you better understand where it is coming from, because that can all end, real fast.

  15. Brenda says:

    The American public wants cheaper oil NOW. Has always been the case. And, they don’t want to know what has been done to secure it. Then, every once in a while, some muckraker will wake up and point out something BAD that an energy company has done, which proves AGAIN how bad they are. In the meantime, Americans are buying (relatively) cheap gasoline for their guzzlers, and the industry is providing jobs for millions of Americans. There is a demand for cheaper product, but by gosh, don’t drill for it in my backyard or frack under my land. Not sure how much longer we can have it both ways. And, btw, the banks are cranking up credit card rates, people are living day-today and another wave of foreclosed homes is awaiting release to the markets so the banks make more money. Big health is gouging Americans on the price of drugs (hello? $45 for a bottle of insulin?). Wish folks would think about it a little more…

  16. Mike says:

    The American people are incredibly stupid when it comes to energy policy and manufacturing. I have asked this many times, if people hate “Big Oil” companies so much, why do people continue to use products that only are available because of oil companies. I have yet to see one person give up their cars, bicycles, public transportation, smart phones, food produced from the agriculture sector, and shampoo. Or is one of another example of environmentalists saying one thing, but doing another?

    I would love oil companies to shut down oil production and refining for one year. We would then see how much the average person would like living the mid-nineteenth century.

  17. Kb says:

    Without oil…none of you would be on these blogs. And you would be hot and sweaty and getting to go hunt your food with a sharp stick. Idiots.

  18. Cecil says:

    Depends on who you ask.

  19. David C says:

    What’s amazing to me is that the government makes two or three times more $$ off every gallon or barrel sold than any oil company, yet politicians have convinced so many gullible people that it’s the oil companies who are crooked and greedy. Sad

  20. lanny says:

    Run a poll on Media and politicians, I bet the hate them more then Big Oil…

  21. Lou says:

    It just proves that these people against oil business are really ignorant of their ignorance.