Despite a new barrage of attack ads from the National Association of Manufacturers and a spate of anti-climate action rallies sponsored by the oil industry, Americans still support comprehensive federal legislation on clean energy and climate change. A new poll reported on in Politico on Thursday found that 63 percent of respondents said they supported the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). The poll, which was commissioned by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, was conducted in Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia, many of which are considered swing states in the climate and clean energy debate.
The poll, which sampled likely 2010 voters, also found that 60 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to vote for their senator if he or she supports a comprehensive federal clean energy and climate bill. Only 26 percent said they'd be less inclined to re-elect their senator for supporting ACES.
As Apollo supporters may recall, a Zogby poll released in early August showed similar support for ACES. And a third poll released last Friday by ABC News/Washington Post found that 57 percent of those sampled said they support proposed federal changes to U.S. energy policy, while just 29 percent oppose the changes. Additionally, more than twice as many respondents said that energy policy changes would create jobs than those who said the policy changes would take away jobs.
This is all great news and proves that despite the opposition's attacks, our clean energy, good jobs message is still getting through!