Is the Democratic Party Taking Conservation Voters for Granted?
By
Jolena Woehr
on March 19, 2010 
By Jelena Woehr
Conservation voters were a big part of the coalition that put the Democrats back in charge of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994, and propelled Barack Obama into the Oval Office.
But as the 2010 mid-term elections approach this November, there’s a definite enthusiasm gap between voters of the two parties. A lot of conservation voters aren’t happy with some decisions of the new administration – like warm support for nuclear power and so-called “clean coal.” That’s translating into luke-warm support in return, with many Democrats telling pollsters they’re not sure they’ll even come out and vote this time – and that’s the recipe that led to the Republican take-over of Congress in 1994.
This issue is playing out at the local level as well. In Colorado, Governor Bill Ritter, named “America’s Greenest Governor” in 2009, is preparing to leave office. As the race to succeed him heats up, neither leading candidate has given conservationist voters a standard to rally around.
Disregarding environmentalists?
Ritter earned that Greenest Governor title by pioneering innovative renewable energy programs and protecting fragile habitats in Colorado throughout his tenure as Governor.
Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper was praised for his environmental record during his years as mayor of Denver. Yet, within a month of announcing his candidacy for Governor, the Democrat appeared to backpedal on climate change at a mining industry conference, saying, “I don’t think that the scientific community has decided with certainty that climate change is as catastrophic as so many people think.”
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper embraces mother nature - or does he? (Image from transitionus under Creative Commons license)
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Scott McInnis slammed Ritter for enacting tough new oil and gas regulations.
Can Hickenlooper win without the support of Ritter’s environmentalist base? Colorado Conservation Voters has criticized Hick for “playing politics” with climate change. But Colorado Conservation Voters executive director Pete Maysmith isn’t ready to give up on Hickenlooper.
“While we believe some of [Hickenlooper’s] recent comments about climate change were off pitch,” says Maysmith, “We hope and expect he will continue his strong support for decisive action to address climate change and the other key environmental issues of the day.”
Past environmental accomplishments
Despite his support for deregulation of Colorado’s oil and gas industry, Scott McInnis boasts a respectable voting record on environmental issues. He received applause from the Nature Conservancy in 2004 for his ongoing work to create the Great Sand Dunes National Park. As a state legislator, McInnis also voted to preserve other fragile habitats, from the Spanish Peak Wilderness Area to the Black Canyon. In an interview with the Colorado Statesman, McInnis expressed a desire to balance protecting the environment with employment needs of Coloradoans in the oil and gas industries. That message might strike a chord during the current recession.
Scott McInnis supports green buildings… but is he green enough?
Mayor Hickenlooper can’t take the support of environmentalists for granted in this race, but it’s not too late for him to earn the enthusiastic support of conservationist Coloradoans. According to Pete Maysmith, “It is too early to tell whether or not [Hickenlooper’s] message will resonate with environmental voters. However, it is reasonable to think that by highlighting his record on the environment as mayor and staying true to the work he has done to this point, many ‘green’ voters will choose to support him.”
A closely contested race
Governor Ritter won election handily in 2006 with 57% of the vote, leading from wire to wire in most polls. Hickenlooper won’t be as lucky in 2010, a year already marked by voters’ rejection of candidates who feel entitled to the support of traditionally Democratic-leaning groups. A Rasmussen survey on March 4, 2010, showed Hickenlooper trailing with a narrow margin of 48% to 42% (although Rasmussen’s polling this cycle has generally been several points more generous to Republicans than other pollsters, so this could by an outlier). Only 6% of voters declared themselves undecided. Yet, 28% of voters held a “very favorable” opinion of Hickenlooper, while McInnis was viewed very favorably by only 17%.
As Election Day approaches, environmentalists across the country will be watching the Colorado governor’s race. If Hickenlooper wants to succeed Ritter as a protector of Colorado’s environment, he’ll need to demonstrate that his flippant remarks on climate change aren’t indicative of a sudden rejection of his conservationist values. And nation-wide, environmental voters will want reassurance that they’re not being taken for granted – by either party.
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