Kerry environmental message seeks 'non-traditional' environmentalists

[Feanorcurufinwe]

In the same way, Mr. Kerry is talking about guns in cattle country to serve a larger point about environmental conservation. "You know, I'm a hunter and a fisherman," he said on a ranch in Smithville, Mo., on Friday. "I've been a hunter since I was about 12 years old. I'm a gun owner. I believe in the Second Amendment. I know it matters out here in parts of the world. But we've got to have a habitat if we're going to hunt."

So, too, does Mr. Kerry's promise to wean the country from depending on Middle East oil appeal not only to environmentalists and S.U.V. owners pinched at the pump by soaring gas prices, but also to latter-day isolationists and others concerned about the nation's economic security.

No wonder, then, that one of his best applause lines is on the improbable subject of developing alternative fuels and renewable energy sources. "If we want our security to be in our hands, if we want our destiny to be controlled by America completely," Mr. Kerry said in Kansas City, "we've got to have America have its ingenuity and creativity produce its energy - not the Saudi royal family."
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/08/politics/campaign/08memo.html?pagewanted=2

[JI7]

1. he speaks in a way the issue will connect with the specific people

for those who are mostly like us Kerry speaking about environment in itself is enough. but for others who don't see the environment as a big issue it's important to speak to them in ways they can see it IS important to them. such as hunters and the areas they hunt in.

or for those who see jobs as more important and fall for republican lies about environmental regulation hurting jobs, Kerry says supporting the environment IS jobs, GOOD JOBS. investment for new tech for alternative sources of energy creates very good paying jobs.

for those concerned about health care, a better environment means better health and less need for expensive medical care.

for national security, alternative sources of energy means less dependence on foreign sources of energy where we have to deal with dictators and other opresssive regimes.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. If he can convince people that jobs :vs: environment is a false choice

he'll go along way towards winning supposedly some solid Republican states like mine.

[JI7]

3. i agree

he needs to point out that environmental regulation has gone DOWN under bush, yet jobs have still been lost.

and he needs to point out how under clinton there was stronger regulation and better and more jobs.

it's actually a pretty simple thing because it's something people can see for themselves. not many would dispute that employment is far worse now than it was under clinton. and i don't think there is anyone out there who would say environmental regulation has been better under bush than clinton. all kerry has to do is just point out the simple facts by repeating the two above statements comparing clinton and bush on jobs and environment. and that itself would show the republican lie about regulation leading to job loss.

[hatrack]

8. Lots of people who hunt and fish are pissed at Bush re. land policies

I've posted a bunch of stuff over on Environment/Energy, but won't link to it now (since I'm going to bed in one minute).

However, he's managed to piss off a lot of ranchers in Wyoming with the coal-bed methane leases proliferating like dandelions (which render the water toxic) and enrage landowners and vacation home owners all over the west with oil & gas exploration now goes on throughout the West Slope and within sight of national parks & monuments.

In Alaska, there are a LOT of people pissed off at yet another giveaway in the Tongass so that all of us can pony up the costs of old-growth timber going to the majors for pennies on the dollar of actual costs.

The wetlands "policy" Chimpy came up with this year, though sloppily enforced, purportedly allows no net loss, largely because Ducks Unlimited and many other hunting groups were genuinely angry about what it would mean. He backed down, showing the power of these constituents, and Kerry needs to grab hold of the hook & bullet voters with both hands. Kerry should hit this, and hit it hard, particularly in the western states.

[janx]

4. I like this article, but did you alter the headline?

I don't see anything in the article that states that (though it's late and I might have missed it).

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. Yes that's my headline.

I was trying to highlight this aspect, rather than the broad theme of the original headline.

[janx]

9. The reason I asked is that the people Kerry is appealing to

are some of the original, traditional environmentalists. They were previously called conservationists. Some of them were participants in the original Earth Day, etc.

So they are by no means untraditional. If anything, they created the tradition.

When I grew up in Missouri (and I am 46 now), my parents subscribed to a magazine called the Missouri Conservationist. It covered hunting and fishing, but it centered around animal and plant populations and the preservation of those. My parents didn't hunt (my father told me they weren't that hungry yet), but we all fished and hiked and spent a lot of time outside in various parts of the country and in Canada. On the original Earth Day, I spent my time with my father cleaning up a local river in a canoe. My parents also contributed to NPR and to their local church. They voted Republican (my father died during his presidency) until Reagan's second term, when my mother could no longer vote for Republicans. My mother was so "radical" during the seventies that she put a bumper sticker on her Jeep Wagoneer that said "Have You Thanked a Green Plant Today?"

It's important to know the history of this. Even my grandparents cared about the environment and stewardship when it came to nature.

There are many people who depend so much on the literal earth today, and Kerry is right to address them. There are still farmers and ranchers who are desperately trying to hold onto their family farms; some of these farms are very productive and expensive. Development encroaches on them though. The farmers and ranchers may own some very valuable real estate, but they don't make much money by media or magazine standards, so a lot of them have literally sold the farm.

But just remember that these people are not non-traditional. They are the originals, or at least they come from the originals, if they're lucky.

[gulliver]

5. My respect for Kerry grows daily.

And it was already way up there.

[ronabop]

7. Headline should read:

"...seeks traditional environmentalists." The environmental movement was started by concerned hunters, fishers, campers, etc., not animal rights activists and people paranoid about the vague, and meaningless, word "chemicals".

See:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/hisnps/

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. OK

[depakid]

11. The Saudi royal family thing is a nice wedge

Bush can't very well go around defending the Saudi's, considering the anti-Muslim xenophobia that he himself has whipped up. He can't very well talk about alienating important alliances- that plays right into Kerry's hands. He also can't talk about how good relations with the Saudi's will help to keep oil prices down.

Bushler has painted himself into a corner and Kerry, to his credit, is taking it to him, and playing on a little prejudice, just like a Republican would.

[marlakay]

12. People do care about the environment

Both repub and dems, I spent weekend in reno nv with sierra club handing out flyers on what Bush has done for the environment and what kerry has done in the senate. Mainly its says pretty plainly that Kerry is good for the environment. All of the people I talked to in person, we went door to door, cared. Some of the repubs won't vote for kerry, but they don't like bush and some won't vote this year!