Post

Joel Wertheimer
@wertwhile.bsky.social

What frustrates me the most about this paper is the extent to which climate people want Democrats to talk about climate rather than win elections and marshal dubious empirical evidence to claim talking about climate helps Democrats win elections when it does not.

Joel Wertheimer@wertwhile.bsky.social

The study in this paper is not nearly strong enough to support the claim and it's driving me nuts. Measured at the congressional district level the paper says it shifted the vote to Harris by 1.5 percent but it doesn't hold at the county level! Not particularly robust.

Joel Wertheimer
@wertwhile.bsky.social

Democrats who care about climate need to start acting like Republicans who care about tax cuts for the wealthy and be honest with themselves about the electorate in the same way rich Republicans are honest with themselves and lie to the electorate.

7 reposts73 likes

Dan Mauler 🎃
@meelar.bsky.social

The problem is that Republican electeds genuinely want to cut taxes, while a lot of Dem electeds don't actually care about climate. That ability to trust your own team is invaluable, it gives the electeds freedom to campaign as they need to without upsetting theirown base.

Joel Wertheimer
@wertwhile.bsky.social

I see no reason to believe this is true. Democrats consistently pass climate bills in state governments where they have a trifecta to their own detriment. 44 Democratic senators voted against overruling California's gas powered vehicle phaseout. There are RPS etc etc.

Joel Wertheimer
@wertwhile.bsky.social

And Democrats passed the IRA at a time when climate was not close to the most pressing issue among voters. I cannot think of a single issue where Democratic lawmakers care more relative to voters than on climate.

Dan Mauler 🎃
@meelar.bsky.social

A blue state just de facto banned ebikes, ffs, and the land use and transportation situation in most blue states is beyond dire. If Dems are trying to do the right thing on climate, they're not trying very hard.

Matunos
@matunos.bsky.social

to be roughly equivalent, climate groups need to be willing to expend resources to help pro-climate politicians win, even if those resources are not spent directly advertising their pro-climate policies