A few days before last week’s election, Bernie Sanders issued a dire warning to voters: “If Donald Trump is elected, the struggle against climate change is over.”
He had that right.
Climate change fanaticism was effectively on the ballot last week. The green energy agenda was decisively defeated.
It turns out that the tens of millions of middle-class Americans who voted for Trump weren’t much interested in the temperature of the planet 50 years from now. They’re too busy trying to pay the bills.
That result shouldn’t be too surprising. Every poll in recent years has shown climate change ranks near the bottom of voter concerns. Jobs, inflation and illegal immigration register much higher on the scale of concerns.
But if you asked the elite of America in the top 1% of income, climate change is seen as an immediate and existential threat to the planet. Our poll at Unleash Prosperity earlier this year found that the cultural elites were so hyper-obsessed with climate issues, they were in favor of banning air conditioning, nonessential air travel and many modern home appliances to stop global warming. Our study showed that not many of the other 99% agree.
Wake up, Bernie and Al Gore.
Climate change has become the ultimate luxury good: the richer you are, the more you fret about it.
Among the elite, obsessing about climate change has become a favorite form of virtue signaling at the country club and in the faculty lounges. There is almost no cross the green elites — the people who donate six figures or more to groups like the Sierra Club — aren’t willing to make lower-income Americans bear to stop global warming.
Herein lies the political curse of the climate issue. A millionaire doesn’t care much if the price of gas rises by $1 a gallon or if they have to pay another $100 a month in utility bills. But the middle class hates paying more.
It wasn’t just economic concerns that turned voters against climate crusaders like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Workers weren’t too thrilled with the heavy fist of government commanding them to buy an electric vehicle — whether they wanted one or not.
It hasn’t helped the greens’ cause that the same progressives out to save the planet with grandiose transformations and global government seem to have no problem with the garbage polluting the streets of our major cities, or the graffiti or the feces and urine smell on the street corners of San Francisco and New York City. That’s real pollution. And it’s affecting us here and now.
The good news is, this year’s voter revolt against the radical green agenda isn’t a vote for dirtier air or water. The air we breathe and the water we drink is cleaner than ever — a point that Trump correctly made. We will continue to make progress against pollution.
But the nonsense of “net zero” use of fossil fuels is a bridge way too far. The destruction of jobs historically held by blue-collar union workers ripped right into the heart of the Democratic Party’s traditional voting base.
In their zeal to save the planet, Democrats forgot to visit the steel mills, construction sites and auto plants to ask those workers what they thought.
Well, now we know. Americans recognize their shrinking paychecks and the higher price of gas they pay at the pump is the real clear and present danger to their way of life. If Democrats don’t start to get that, they too will go to bed worrying about their jobs.
Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic advisor to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”
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Climate change was/has been a BIG political Ponzi scheme. It’s been a transfer of our nation’s wealth to UN to purportedly help fledgling nations; but I’d say a good bit wound up in the pockets of those ‘running the show’, including Al Gore.
I, for one, am HAPPY to read this news and hope it lasts, especially since the USA has been bearing the larger financial burden of the whole project since it began.
Global Warming lie is nothing but a scam.
Great article Stephen Moore @ Heritage Foundation…
I’m writing from VT, the socialist Bernie Sanders & now a confirmed member of the 1% Club can go straight to hell…
Yes, I agree 100%, global warming, climate change, whatever the hell you want to call it, is a complete scam, that is unless you are a member of the above mentioned club…
Congratulations America, we WON the TRIFECTA, i.e. the WH, the House & the Senate.
MAGA, America First,
Bill…
The “democrat” climate change arguments have never been grounded in sound logic. They really aren’t capable of discussing it… just like the teachers and “CRT”, or the effort to “convert” our children to the opposite sex… child abuse of the highest order…
It is very good that you included that mention of making continued progress against pollution Mr.Moore . That is the intelligent approach to any discussion about the climate. I do believe that the term Climate Change can actually be regarded as a form of word pollution. Meaning that there is so much attached to the distortion of facts ,for the purpose of political and economic control that the relatively simple matter of Climate can be obscured in a fog of sorts. Understanding the fundamentals of Climate ( without any reference to any political opinion).is something important, truly interesting, very useful. The word stimulating can be added as anything that is significant pertaining to Climate should stimulate intelligent thought. The word balance is vital in understanding Climate – there needs to be a balance between the warmth generated due to the Sun and the warmth that leaves the earth . If something interferes with that balance then it should be determined in a sensible, non-political manner. Well done with this article Stephan ,the idea of reducing pollution will bring about a truthful change in thinking about Climate . I am 74, a toolmaker, and a Reagan Conservative. Forests, trees, plants , rivers, lakes, oceans ,the animals on this earth should be appreciated and respected as part of God’s plan for the people on this earth to live properly according to that plan.
“If you can’t question the Science it’s not Science, it’s Propaganda!”
-Elon Musk-
When did Gore or Kerry or any of them do something truly for real people. Selflessly, quietly , not beating their own drum? The only worry they have are about their own selves. Not the country or the planet or the people, just them.They just like to play Santa Claus with the people’s money.
These bozos who force climate-change restrictions and EV mandates on “We The People” are the same hypocrites who fly private jets to climate conferences. I want to see DJT get us out of the Paris Climate Accord and other world Marxist organizations, axe the EPA, and DRILL BABY DRILL!!! MAGA!!!!
They have been pushing this crap for decades. In the 60’s it was global cooling which would bring on the next ice age in the next +/- 50 years or so – FAIL. We then moved on to the ozone hole. This tragedy would deplete Earths ozone and the sun’s radiation would kill all life on the surface or our world – FAIL. Next up to bat was global warning, which morphed into climate change with a good portion of voodoo magic to support their claims. These elite’s should take a good look in the mirror and evaluate all the “damage” they are doing before looking at anyone else.
Fear for what might happen doesn’t have a very good track record for those elites that push agendas that have been proven wrong. Reasonable environmental controls are needed to keep a balanced perspective. The problem is who’s the gatekeeper that decides how that environmental pendulum swings? In California, environmental responsibility was literally created out of thin air. Politicians were never held accountable for cleaning up pollution because of special interests, so bureaucracies were created to mandate without politician interference and to distance themselves from unpopular laws, in essence a legal system within a system. This first started in Los Angeles, then San Francisco Bay area and later Sacramento, these air quality management districts answer to no legislative body and operates independently of each other. Couple these agencies with the state’s dmv system and the board of equalization, you can literally control all facets of transportation in the interest of pollution and climate control. Of course the federal government can only mandate what they have jurisdiction of, but some people are finally waking up to the fact that junk science only fuels fear.
Global warming, or “climate change” should not be an issue, ever in our lifetimes. The Ice Age ended 11,500 years ago. Man does not think in earth time which is measured in thousands of years, eons or epochs. Man has functioned in his current state for about 260 years, max, and in the industrial age for about 180 years. The earth is 4.54 billion years old. Man’s impact, as a percentage of earth’s life/age is so tiny, that the fraction is displayed in scientific notation: 5.803571428571429e-8. Only man can think that he has existentially influenced climate change, a function of God’s will, not man’s influence. In man’s haste to “correct” “global warming” he is destroying nature: as an example, sea mounted wind turbines have a direct impact on all marine life, affecting particularly cetaceans [whales] and pinnipeds [dolphins and porpoises], especially during the building process at sea. Oil and gas are strategic commodities; it is not possible to have modern life without either of these naturally occurring resources. They are God’s gift to us. All the solutions proposed by the Climate change artists and ideologues suggest to me that they wish to diminish man’s presence on this earth, because they can live without us, but we, the people, cannot live without that which the earth and God gives us.
The climate change policy is the Democrats Matra!
Nothing More!
Climate change is the biggest scientific hoax since Piltdown Man back at the beginning of the last century. The difference is that the climate freaks have gotten away with a bucketload of our money, and made us more polarized.
Those forcing change dont drive EVs set an Example
Typically articles and information on AMAC, even if it’s from outside sources, is pretty good. Even this article is largely really good, except where Stephen Moore, the author, says middle class Americans are not concerned about the temperature 50 years from now. I say, the vast majority of middle class Americans care about where they live, how they live, and the environment around them. The real issue is that the majority of climate change being caused by humans is a hoax. My hope is that the new administration severely reduces the grants to so-called climate scientists.
I was feeling so happy and hopeful for the country after the election, but then I remembered, I LIVE IN WASHINGTON STATE! Bummer.
Climate change as used by our elite politicians is a far fetched hoax. It is used to garner more of your hard earned wages to feed Washington DC. Crude oil is no more a fossil fuel than a McDonalds hamburger. We’ve been brainwashed for years to believe this and it’s an outright lie.
Everybody wants a clean planet but Democrats, as usual, take it to extremes.
People will be killed by a nuclear weapon long before they are killed by climate change.
AMEN BROTHER. You are preaching to the CHOIR! “Global Warming/Climate Change” is a LIE PERIOD end of story. Can ANYONE tell me — Do people who have more money than brains have a mental problem or have they just figured out a way to defraud the Government out of our tax dollars $$$$$. IF we the people are causing the problem, I would like for some of the GWCC people to explain to me why it was 65 degrees on Christmas day in Wichita KS in the 1950’S and 10 below 0 a few years later?
The earth’s climate has been and always will be changing. It’s the nature of the planet. Need proof? Cleveland used to be under a glacier, which has since receded (revealing Canada 🙂 ).
The climate change hoax is simply a fake crisis invented so that the far left has a “reason” to enact their insane policies.
Thank god people are beginning to wake up and see this.
And our CA Gov Mr. Newsom better getta clue, if (heaven forbid) he tries to run for Pres in 2 years, that all his climate agenda is a wash and fake news. Of course he has graduated from the World Economic Forum (WEF) trainings and the Klause Schwab gang. All about control the masses.
Biggest scam to ever come down the pike.
Global warming (now climate change because it wasn’t getting warmer!) is part of the world government movement by the richie rich’s. When the “original” hockey stick model for proof of global warming came out, I found out the guy left out the entire decade of the 70’s because it was colder! (Remember?) Would have skewed his theory. And Al Gore KNEW THAT and he still lied to the world. Think about it..how can the super rich want to be totally in power come up with a way to unify the entire planet? Climate is just about the only thing that affects absolutely everyone, the only way they can redistribute wealth from rich to poor, and make themselves richer in the meantime. Biggest scam in world history!!
I have asked this question on other forums. I want a Climate Freak to explain to us how handing The Froggies several Billion Bucks will enable them to control the weather. Anyone?
the reason it is so big,there are people making millions off this, and they will keep harping climate change. Good Luck
Yeah the elite in the world shout from the rooftops about climate change while they get in their private jets and limos and travel about to lecture the rest of us on our evil ways!! They need to get over themselves. The world has been seeing climate changes since it was formed. It’s not going to change. And until the third world countries, India, China and Russia buy into it, the world is not going to get any better. Why should we pay for the rest of the world not going green???? It’s just a way for the elitists to make money for their cronies.
I will gladly compliment a writer, for a good article … Stephen Moore gets no such praise.
You have effectively said, that the middle class is against Climate change … the 1% elites are terror driven by Climate change. Yet what you failed to say is more telling. Climate Change is a lie, a farce, an attempt to control the masses. Sure the elites don’t care about fuel costing $1 more … nor do they worry that their executive private jets cause more damage in one flight than the average gasoline powered car does in one year. They aren’t afraid … because ‘CLIMATE’ changes … it has since the beginning of time, and will change until the end of this planet.
It is a hoax, perpetrated by those who want to control every aspect of human and animal life on this big blue ball, we call home. Fear = Control … will another ice age happen in the life cycle of this planet? Most Likely. Is there a possibility that mankind will cease to exist on this planet? Almost surely. Is mankind responsible for speeding up the next great extinction event? Absolutely, just like dinosaur farts sped up their extinction. Life is cyclic … it has been and will continue to be.
But Stephen Moore blamed the dollar, the poor and the middle class. Perhaps even gave accolades to them as well … but it was veiled, so as to not making this writer certain. None the less, reasonable people are learning and understanding the lie labeled ‘Climate Change’ and hence, in some manner … the good guys took a step forward with Trump’s win.
It doesn’t help that every single prophecy of the global warming cult failed to materialize. No wonder they changed the name of their religion to global climate change.
One thing that would help the libtards preaching climate change is to live by example. Let these idiots be the first to give up their personal jets, air-conditioning & gas powered cars. They’re not about to give up any of their toys but the average working stiff will be expected to give up every convenience the climate change idiots will never consider giving up.
Climate change is real but the man made component of it is relatively tiny. Most of the actions taken by our government are nothing but scams to bilk us citizens out of more of the money we work so hard to earn so we can be at least semi-comfortable.
The climate has ALWAYS been changing. There was a huge amount of global warming just 10,000 years ago when the glaciers all began melting away. There was nothing man made about it, it was just another NORMAL change in the climate. Looking back through the history of the Earth several such instances are there to study and learn from.
I’m sure the people of Britain were certain another ice age was upon them back around the time of the Maunder minimum when they had several “years without a summer”. Look up that and also “Little Ice Age” which is about 1300 to 1850.
Climate change is always happening. There are solar cycles beyond the 22 year sunspot cycle some running to thousands of years in length. There is also the variation of the Earth’s orbit from nearly circular to more elongated oval shaped caused by the tidal influences of the major planets. And there’s the precession of the poles and also the change in the alignment of the polar axis, look up “polar motion”.
All of these are what really control our climate change with a tiny push from mankind added on but not a great deal.
In addition to that, since many major countries are still building coal fired power plants (China for one) our efforts in controlling such things as CO2 in the atmosphere are doomed to failure and should be. With more CO2, plants will grow better, crop harvests will be increased and fewer people will starve.