POLL FINDS AMERICANS WANTS ACTION ON ENERGY

Poll results can prove almost anything. Often, contradictory headlines announce the triumph of competing strategies over each other based on different aspects of the same poll. Some commentators, reading recent polls showing Americans to now favor oil drilling in protected offshore regions and in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), conclude the electorate is moving toward Republican energy policies.

It's not that easy.

While the poll results on drilling do suggest a move in the Republican direction, a wiser reading of the overall poll results was summarized by the Washington Post: “…majorities support all of the five potential federal initiatives tested…”

Way more than any other measure, Americans want better fuel efficiency standards for their vehicles. Depending on how that's evaluated, it either favors Democrats (for their meagre efforts to improve vehicle fuel standards) or discredits both parties (for not providing substantial standards).

Allowing offshore drilling and restricting oil trader speculation seem almost equally good actions to those polled. The Democrats advocate the latter as much as the Republicans demand the former so it's something of a partisan standoff there.

Americans apparently do buy the argument that more drilling will give them relief at the pump. They seem to reject Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid’s description of offshore drilling as "a real big, wet kiss" to oil companies.

On the other side of the political coin, Americans, by a big majority, buy the idea of global climate change (despite Republican climate change doubters) and more than 6 of 10 Americans believe climate change is caused by what humans do. Perhaps that's why 6 of 10 want government to do more about it and almost 6 of 10 want a cap-and-trade system to cut emissions by putting a price on them (as long as it doesn't raise utility bills more than $10/month). These are all Democratic arguments.

Most significantly, more than half of Americans remain opposed to nuclear power, a significant part of the Republican “all of the above” strategy.

What does it all mean? Who knows? That's why there are elections, the real polls. November 4.

All the details are at: ABC News/Planet Green/Stanford Poll: Environment/Energy

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Strong Energy Measures Wanted; Poll Shows Most Favor New Drilling, Taxes on Oil Profits
Jon Cohen and Paul Kane, August 10, 2008 (Washington Post)

WHO
A random national sample of 1,000 adult Americans;

WHAT
Americans want action on energy issues.

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WHEN
- The implication of the poll findings is that Americans want action sooner rather than later.
- The poll was conducted July 23 to 28.

WHERE
A Tennessee Congressional Republican primary was lost August 7 by incumbent Representative David Davis (who took campaign contributions from oil companies) to Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe (who ran ads claiming Big Oil was trying to buy the Tennessee House seat).

WHY
- Error margin: 3 points.
- 78% want increased fuel efficiency standards.
- 63% want to allow offshore drilling.
- 61% want to restrict oil speculation by traders.
- 55% want to raise taxes on oil profits.
- 55% want to allow drilling in wilderness areas.
- 53% are against building more nuclea plants while 44% favor it – but the “opposed” number is trending down while the “favor’ number is trending up.
- 61% want government to do more about global climate change – but last year 70% wanted that.
- 71% of Americans are working at conservation to cut their “carbon footprint.”
- 63% think global climate change is caused by human actions and 73% believe it threatens their children.

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QUOTES
- Letter from House Republicans to House Democrats: "House Republicans have remained on the floor speaking directly to the chorus of Americans filling the House Visitors Gallery requesting that Speaker Pelosi reconvene the House and allow a vote on comprehensive, common-sense approach to reducing the price of energy…"
- Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), Speaker, House of Representatives: “"There is nothing that the Republicans are proposing that will have an impact on the price at the pump. Yeah, 10 years from now, 2 cents. But what we are saying is free our oil in 10 days, not 10 years. And that's what we will keep pushing…"