OBAMA VOTE LINKED ECONOMY, NEW ENERGY AND THE FUTURE

Polling pretty much made its bones in the 2008 national election.

The compromised 2004 Ohio election and the disastrous 2000 election in Florida made it easy for voters to disbelieve October 2008 polls predicting a big Democratic win. Many believed polls would prove completely wrong due to a “Bradley effect” or because pollsters could not find cell phone users.

Meanwhile, ever more rigorously scientific surveys were reporting accurately that the country was turning toward the Democrats and Barack Obama.

Now, a new, post-election poll - from Zogby International (Zogby) and sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) - confirms what a plethora of other polls’ findings have been reporting for a year or so: The people of the U.S. want New Energy and they don’t want to subsidize Old Energy. They believe New Energy will be good for the nation’s bottom line and they believe it is urgent to take up the fight against global climate change.

There is, however, a special importance to this post-election poll. It validates the mandate the President-elect brings with him to the White House.

Larry Schweiger, President/CEO, NWF: “This election was powered by a voting public that wants dramatic and meaningful change, especially when it comes to action to advance a clean energy economy…President-elect Obama and the new Congress have the public support they need to move an ambitious clean energy agenda that measures up to the science of global warming and the full economic potential of our economy.”

The details of the poll show that Obama’s mandate is far more than something 2 gay guys go on. This is a wake-up call from the 2008 electorate and from the electorate of the future.

Larry Schweiger, President/CEO, NWF: “The call for clean energy solutions to re-power our economy and cut the pollution that is fueling global warming is coming from swing voters and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and young voters. Looking at age groups, the call for action on global warming is loudest from our newest generation of voters – the generation that will inherit a planet in peril if we don’t act now.”

Footnote: Pollsters are busy trying to determine if the public is demanding of action in the President-elect’s 1st 100 days or whether there is patience in the air. One thing is already certain.

The concept of the 100 days is a useless anachronism from a bygone era.

The dramatic 1st 100 days of the 1st Roosevelt term in 1933 came with the nation teetering on the brink of panic and riot due to the inaction of FDR’s predecessor. Banks were closed, people were terrified and there was only a truncated period for legislation squeezed between the inaugural in March and the soon-to-arrive habitual escape from the non-air conditioned sweltering D.C. summer.

No such parameters delimit what will kick off January 20, 2009. The nation is ready for action but will surely allow it to unfold over more than 100 days if that is necessary to make the action prudent, studied and effective.

Enough with the 100 days. Think about 1000 days.

The Zogby poll validates these findings. (click to enlarge)

Voters see clean energy and economy linked
November 7, 2008 (UPI)
and
Post-Election Poll: 78% of Voters See Clean Energy as Pathway to Revitalize America’s Economy; Majority Cite Globl Warming As Important As They Cast Their Vote
Miles Grant, November 7, 2008 (National Wildlife Federation)

WHO
Zogby International (Zogby) (John Zogby, President/CEO); National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (Larry Schweiger, President/CEO)

WHAT
A new poll from Zogby and sponsored by NWF finds that U.S. voters want New Energy and believe it will boost the economy.

The Zogby poll validates these findings. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- The Zogby poll was done after the election on November 5 and 6.
- After the 2006 election: 50% of voters said the candidates’ positions on global warming was important in their choice.
- After the 2008 election: 57% of voters said the candidates’ positions on global warming was important in their choice.

WHERE
The poll surveyed 3,357 voters across the U.S. (with a 1.7% +/- margin of error).

WHY
- 96% of Democrats, 77% of independents, 58% of Republicans: Believe clean energy is important to boosting the U.S. economy.
- 87% of 18-24 year-old voters agree.
- 94% of African-American voters agree.
- 84% of Hispanics agree.
- 60% of all voters agree that elected officials should make global warming a “high priority.”
- The Swing Voters: 70% felt it important to vote for candidates who support reducing global warming pollution in 2008, 6% more than 2006. 57% said global warming important in 2008, 8% more than 2006.
- The Young Voters: 87% of 18-24 year-olds supported New Energy as a fix for the economy, the biggest percentage of any voting group. This confirmed the high participation by college age voters suggested by the 340,000 students who took the PowerVote pledge to demand action on New Energy and climate change.
- The Minority groups: 85% of African-Americans felt it important to vote for climate change candidates, 26% more than 2006. 70% of Hispanic voters called the candidates' climate change positions important, 8% more than 2006.

The Zogby poll validates these findings. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- John Zogby, President/CEO, Zogby International: "Support for action on global warming, already strong in the 2006 election, was even stronger in 2008, particularly among young voters that are the future electorate…"
- Larry Schweiger, President/CEO, NWF: “These results show the call for clean energy and climate action ran deep in this election and reached far beyond political or cultural boundaries. It is not surprising that so many environmental opponents in Washington lost their jobs when the votes were tallied…”
More on the Opinion Research Corp poll