| POLLSTER TO DEMS: ADOPT GOP’S “ALL OF THE ABOVE” MESSAGE TO SELL NATIONAL ENERGY TAX SCHEME DEMS
SCRAMBLE TO SELL NATIONAL ENERGY TAX, BUT AMERICANS SUPPORT HOUSE GOP
SOLUTIONS TO LOWER ENERGY PRICES, CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT, CREATE MORE
JOBS |
| June 18, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink
A prominent Democratic pollster has given Democrats the answer to winning the ongoing energy debate in Washington: use the language of Republicans’ “all of the above” strategy to sell their national energy tax scheme. Today’s Greenwire has the details:
| “Democratic
efforts to sell their agenda on energy and climate change aren’t
reaching voters, a prominent Democratic Party polling firm is warning.” “The
strategy memo from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and the think tank Third
Way also warns that while few voters expect a national energy overhaul
to be inexpensive, Democrats are susceptible to Republican arguments
that energy proposals will be overly burdensome.” “The 12-page
memo was based on a dozen focus groups conducted with swing voters in
six states. Based on those sessions, the memo says clean-energy
advocates face ‘significant’ challenges in selling their agenda.” | In the memo,
the Democratic pollster makes some specific recommendations for
lawmakers attempting to sell Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax to a
highly skeptical American public. Among the suggestions: - “Own and define ‘all of the above.’”
- “Drop ‘cap and trade’; replace it with ‘clean energy incentives.’”
The
recommendation to “own and define ‘all of the above,’” is quite ironic,
since Republicans have been supporting an “all of the above” energy
plan for years. In fact, the House GOP has introduced the American Energy Act
to increase environmentally-safe energy production to reduce prices and
create jobs, promote the use of alternative fuels that will reduce
carbon emissions, and encourage increased efficiencies and cutting edge
technologies to maximize America’s energy potential. And as far as “dropping ‘cap and trade,’” less than two months ago, the New York Times
reported on an environmental outfit dubbed “ecoAmerica” recommending
that Democrats drop the language and replace it with “cap and cash
back” or “pollution reduction refund.” Here’s the point that Democrats
and their special-interest allies are missing: no matter what words
they use, they cannot escape the fact that their plans amount to
nothing less than a national energy tax
to be paid by anyone who drives a car, buys an American-made product,
or flips on a light switch. That tax will drive up energy costs by up
to $3,100 per family each year and drive millions of American jobs
overseas to China and India. Even President Obama has admitted that energy prices will “necessarily skyrocket.” Rather
than parsing language, isn’t it time for Democrats to work with
Republicans on a plan to lower energy prices, create more jobs, and
clean up the environment? Instead of talking about “all of the above,” isn’t it time for Democrats to finally join Republicans in supporting it? |
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