Poll: Cutting energy prices more powerful campaign message than climate

By Scott Waldman | 02/16/2024 06:18 AM EST

A centrist think tank’s poll indicates President Joe Biden would benefit from highlighting the pocketbook impacts of his climate and energy policies.

President Joe Biden speaks Feb. 3 at his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.

President Joe Biden speaks Feb. 3 at his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. Alex Brandon/AP

A new poll suggests that President Joe Biden’s best path to electoral victory may be to emphasize how his policies cut pollution, gas prices and utility bills rather than how they mitigate climate change.

Biden’s biggest climate victory — the Inflation Reduction Act — directly addresses all of those issues, chiefly through a massive expansion of clean energy. But voters may not be hearing that message, the polling suggests.

Many voters are animated by concerns over the economy and inflation, according to a new pollfrom Third Way, the centrist think tank. Those voters may be more motivated to show up at the polls not because Biden has the strongest climate plan in presidential history, but because he is boosting energy security and making the U.S. less reliant on other countries, the poll shows.
a new poll

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When asked what politicians should prioritize, 35 percent of respondents answered that inflation/cost of living was their top concern, according to the poll. Securing the border was picked by 22 percent of respondents and protecting democracy and the right to vote by 11 percent. Just 6 percent ranked climate as a top priority, the poll showed.

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