Votes Totally Still About ‘Climate Change’ Even Though It’s Taking A Backseat In Elections, Gosh Darnit!

They care so much that they jumped in their fossil fueled vehicles to go vote

Teens say they’re concerned about climate change — but also don’t know much about it

From rising electricity bills to grocery prices, affordability has dominated the conversation heading into Election Day. But an issue receiving less attention on the campaign trail remains a concern for many voters: climate change.

New research from the University of Michigan suggests candidates may be underestimating how much Americans care about climate policy, even as they increasingly frame their campaigns around the cost of living.

The disconnect is playing out in North Carolina’s closely watched U.S. Senate race between Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley.

Cooper, who spoke frequently about climate change while serving as governor, has made lowering costs a centerpiece of his Senate campaign.

“We’ve got to remember that climate change is affecting weather patterns, is affecting the intensity of storms,” Cooper said after Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Two years later, his campaign message has centered on a different promise: to “make stuff cost less.”

Didn’t stuff skyrocket in price while he was governor? But, yeah, Roy hasn’t spoken much about ‘climate change’ while on the campaign trail.

Henderson says part of the challenge is that politicians may assume voters are more divided over climate change than they actually are.

“There is a perception that the public is as polarized as elites are on the issue, and that perception is not true,” Henderson told WRAL.

The distinction matters because concern about climate change does not necessarily follow the same partisan divisions seen among elected officials.

As I always say, Doing Something about climate doom may be popular in theory, but, in practice, it polls very low against real world issues. And most who say they care rarely make any climate friendly changes in their own lives.

The latest Yale Climate Opinion Maps offer a closer look at how North Carolinians view the issue.

Based on national survey data and statistical modeling, Yale researchers estimate that in Wake County:

• 70% of adults are worried about global warming.
• 69% prefer candidates who support action to address global warming.
• 63% say a presidential candidate’s position on global warming is important to their vote.

The findings suggest climate change remains relevant to a substantial share of residents, even when it is not a dominant campaign talking point.

Yeah, well, Wake tends to be led by lots of liberals and lots of damnyankee transplants who escaped from the liberal policies they voted for, but, they’re all using a ton of energy, eating well, driving lots of fossil fueled vehicles.