President Biden has done more to address climate change than any of his predecessors. So far, voters don’t seem to care.
The Biden campaign and a collection of progressive groups are trying to change that. They believe the president’s record on climate change can boost his popularity with young voters.
The strategy is risky because climate has never been a priority with voters. And it is unclear whether climate policies could reverse the deep skepticism many young people feel toward Biden.
Recent Wall Street Journal polls have found that Biden’s support among young people is shrinking compared with 2020 amid concerns about the president’s age and his support for Israel’s war against Hamas.
Their first big challenge is to tell voters what Biden has accomplished. Paris Thompson, 19, of Philadelphia, said Biden hasn’t done enough on climate change: “Since he’s been president, I don’t think anything has changed.” A Democrat, Thompson said she is considering voting for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A Journal poll, which surveyed voters in seven swing states in March, found that just 3% of 18-to-34-year-old voters named climate change as their top issue, with most citing the economy, inflation or immigration. That is roughly in line with voters of all ages, 2% of whom cited climate change as their top issue. Other polls show that young people are more likely than older voters to say addressing climate change is important, even if many don’t name it as their top priority.
Read more here from the Wall Street Journal.
