Debunking Environmental Myths
MYTH #4: In a choice between a Pro-Environment Candidate and a Pro-Business Candidate, the Pro-Business Candidate always Wins |
| TRUTH: A pro-environment candidate has a significant advantage with voters over a candidate who supports less government regulation on business. Across the board, a strong majority of voters, knowing nothing else about a candidate, favor the pro-environment candidate. |
"American voters clearly favor candidates that support tough laws to protect air, land and water. One the other hand, voters are far less likely to back candidates who will roll back environmental regulations in order to help business." – John Fairbank, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Assoc.
Poll Question:
Now let me read you two short statements about two candidates and please tell me which one you favor…
- Candidate A believes we must protect the environment and supports strong laws and enforcement of those laws;
- Candidate B believes there are too many government regulations and supports efforts to relieve the burden of regulation on business.
If you had to choose, which candidate would you favor? If you aren’t sure, you can tell me that too.
On the national poll, a large majority of voters characterized environmental issues as important to their vote decision, and without any further information about a candidate, they would support a strong environmentalist candidate over one who favors less regulation on business by an impressive 78 to 15 percent margin.
A majority of voters in every state polled except Alaska are more likely to support pro-environment candidates over those who would reduce government regulation on business. In Alaska, a plurality of those polled agreed. Polls on which over three-quarters of voters support the pro-environment candidate include: Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland (82 percent), New York and New England (81 percent), Tennessee (79 percent), the national poll (78 percent), Wisconsin (77 percent) and Ohio (76 percent).
"Lifestyle issues dominate when we have a strong economy. The environment is the ultimate lifestyle issue." –Brian Tringali, The Tarrance Group
