6 thoughts on “Is the Denver Post’s Mike Riley Psychic?”

1. No, but Q did ask in this poll whether respondents who support drilling have changed their minds about drilling, both offshore and in ANWAR, and got these results:

   [17] To help solve the energy crisis and make America less dependent on foreign oil, do you support or oppose – Drilling for new oil supplies in currently protected areas off shore? [If support] Previously, did you oppose drilling for new oil supplies in currently protected areas off shore?

   Always support        50%
   
   Support now              9    
   
   Oppose                     37    
   
   DK/NA                        4

   [18] To help solve the energy crisis and make America less dependent on foreign oil, do you support or oppose – Drilling for new oil in the Alaskan national wildlife refuge? [If support] Previously, did you oppose drilling for new oil in the Alaskan national wildlife refuge?

   Always support        44%    
   
   Support now              8      
   
   Oppose                     44    
   
   DK/NA                         4      

   Those are the results for Colorado. The other three states’ results were within a point or two.

   The point is, Republicans have been hammering the “drill now, lower prices” message for weeks and it could be sinking in. Voters pick renewables as their favored response, as you point out above, but haven’t decided that precludes other responses, including drilling in protected areas (with support around 50 percent and growing).

   Of course, Republicans are cynically trying to use high gas prices to reward their friends in the oil industry and break long-standing opposition to offshore and ANWAR drilling. But voters who grasp that, and deplore it, are already strongly opposed to drilling in protected areas.

   If Democrats hit back with a coherent — and simple — message that doesn’t leave consumers feeling stranded, that doesn’t reinforce the Republican message that Democrats somehow want higher gas prices, then  voters will embrace it. As the numbers you cited demonstrate, voters are predisposed toward Democratic solutions. But right now, Republicans are the ones with a clear message about lowering gas prices, even if it’s not supported by the facts. That the GOP message might sway one in 10 voters shouldn’t come as a surprise.

   Riley and Ciruli aren’t pulling their analysis out of thin air (or waves of psychic energy). They just read the questions where respondents said they’d changed their mind about drilling. Democrats dismiss that shift at their peril.

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   1. Oil orices have dropped $25.bbl and gas prices are on the decline thanks to the small bits of legislation Democrats have been able to pass in the face of unprecedented Republican obstructionsism.

      Democrats are fighting the Wall Street fat cats and Big Oil executives to bring relief to working families, while the Republicans have voted en masse to block legislation that would bring immediate help–cracking down on oil speculators, price fixing, increasing supply, reducing demand, mandating more fuel efficient cars, cutting tariffs on plentiful ethanol imports from Brazil, expanding drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and off the southern coast of Florida, and–most importantly–development of renewable fuels that are the only solution in the long term and will create thousands of new American jobs to boot.

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      1. Those are all valid points, and Democrats are winning the energy price war on the opinion page, but only something like 5 percent of voters read the opinion page.

         You’ve seen the McCain ad about Obama being responsible for high gas prices? No substance, just a scary fuel pump and crowds chanting “Obama Obama.” Democrats need to do the same ad and get off the defensive. Republicans shouldn’t get a free ride on the simplistic slogans, because, you’re right, voters know why we have high gas prices, they just need to be reminded. 30 seconds at a time, over and over.

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         1. The congressional leadership is absolutely dreadful at managing the media. Just horrible.

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      2. RG is also right that D’s have to get back in there with pushback.

         Right now Pickens is doing the heavy lifting for us.  WEIRD

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2. This has been airing for two weeks in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

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