June 16, 2009
TO:
Interested Parties
FROM: Third Way and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research
RE:
Get America Running on Clean Energy: Findings from National Focus Groups
Summary
A set of 12 focus groups with swing voters in six states, conducted by Third Way
and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner,1 finds that the public is hungry for dramatic
change in American energy policy. While knowledge about energy is low, the
public is convinced there are better ways to make and use energy than those we
use currently. And they believe that moving to clean energy will help our
economy—and that while change could be difficult, we should act now regardless
of the recession.
Yet our research also finds plenty of evidence that this issue is fraught with
challenges. Americans are not yet engaged in the issue and are susceptible to the
argument that the progressive proposal amounts to a big energy tax. And the
language that clean energy advocates use is often confusing or meaningless to the
public.
To win this debate, we must understand the public opinion landscape and tell a
positive and resonant story about how energy reform will benefit the economy,
the country and individual Americans. We believe the overall framework should be:
Get America running on clean energy. This framework uses the economy as the
principle driver for reform, which is the main focus for the people in our groups. It
is also future-looking and action-oriented, which are attributes that voters like
about Democrats on this set of issues. And the goal of getting American running
on clean energy seems achievable and clear.
To most effectively implement this frame, we recommend the following seven
strategic actions:
1. Broaden the economic case beyond jobs to overall US economic growth and
global leadership. Jobs are certainly important, but they fit into a broader
narrative about how clean energy can help jumpstart our economy and
make America a leader again.
2. Use global warming only as a supporting story, not as the primary fr