Sometimes it's fun to watch the political opposition, Democrats and their "democratic socialist" contenders, bollix themselves. There is an ongoing civil war of sorts in the Democratic Party, with the (let's call them as we see them) communist wing of the party gaining influence, at least in some of the deep-blue urban districts. But here's the interesting bit: While many Democrats and other leftists are whining about socialist economic ideas, which would be disastrous enough, the climate scolds are now raising their voices, shouting, "Hey, wait, remember us?"
Both sides, mind you, are all about control: Controlling what we do, and when and where we do it. But the climate scolds seem to be left more and more out of the discussion, and they aren't happy about it.
Some of the more vocal scolds are trying to regain the spotlight to bring the climate back into the political spotlight.
“The long history of the climate movement proves that we move fastest when there’s real pressure from the grassroots,” said Bill McKibben, the environmental author and activist who co-founded climate non-profit 350.org, “All the evidence shows those grassroots are as worried about [the] climate crisis as they ever were.”
Not the grassroots, Mr. McKibben. Just the climate scolds. That Venn diagram has a lot less overlap than you think it does. Fact is, this is an issue that's fading from American concern, even in the midst of a long, hot summer. We've had long, hot summers before, after all, and will again. Elections, though, are generally decided on pocketbook issues. As someone once famously said, "It's the economy," stupid.
Now, the climate scolds are trying to gain that spotlight back, and if this was a really serious issue, they would have to expend no such effort.
The activists’ campaign comes as new polling challenges the need for “climate hushing”, a trend that took off as some policy wonks argued that talking about global warming could alienate voters and distract from the message of affordability. July research from the University of California, Santa Barbara found that emphasizing climate change was neutral to beneficial for Democratic candidates, suggesting that talking more about the issue does not alienate voters and can even increase support in competitive races.
Here's the problem: Donald Trump's 2024 electoral victory, along with the admittedly narrow Republican majorities in House and Senate, would appear to indicate that climate change isn't the huge election winner these folks think. Not when "drill, baby, drill" was a centerpiece of President Trump's campaign and the Republican message, and that agenda is starting to bear fruit, from Prudhoe Bay to the Permian Basin. Watts Up With That's Eric Worrall had this to say:
The problem with McKibben’s claims that climate change is a vote winner is these claims are not supported by the evidence. Republican gains such as the victory of President Trump in 2024 prove climate change is not the vote winner it once was, regardless of clearly flawed surveys which suggest climate change is still a high priority issue.
Senior Democrats have realised climate messaging only works on people who already intended to vote for them, and have tried to shift the conversation to issues their target audience cares about, like fear of AI.
McKibben’s climate awareness campaign has caught Democrat strategists between a rock and a hard place. If Democrats don’t give climate issues airtime, they risk splitting their own voter base, as the dwindling but still substantial cadre of climate fanatics in their own ranks lash out at being ignored. But if Democrats abandon issues independents and moderate Republicans care about, like fear of AI, or spook moderate voters by talking up expensive green energy policies, they’ll lose anyway.
Oh, that voter base is already splitting. It's splitting along economic issues, for the most part, but this new and sudden concern for the climate scolds won't help.
Read More: How and Why the Left Has Weaponized Climate Science
Watch: Joe Manchin Blasts Democratic Socialist Demands As 'Crazy Stuff'
We are seeing old school Democrats threatening to leave, to split the party along ideological lines: The old school, made up of people like Joe Manchin and even the old croaker James Carville, and the new young communists, like Zohran Mamdani. And here's the thing: When have you heard any of the communist wing of the Democrats express more than a token concern over climate issues? They're too focused on seizing the means of production to worry about the climate. What's more, the national Democratic Party apparatchiks all know that the climate scolds, no matter how they protest that they aren't receiving the attention they think they are due, will still vote Democrat. Where else, one might ask, do they have to go?
But voter enthusiasm is a thing, too. The big concern Republicans should have going into the 2026 midterms is that Democrat enthusiasm is peaking, driven by Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it's a valid concern. But now, the climate-panic people may well be less motivated, as they watch the commies take over; and the commies appeal outside a few deep-blue urban districts is, to put it mildly, limited.
And thus the wedge gets driven deeper.
This isn't a new thing. Socialist and communist countries have an absolutely abysmal track record on environmental and climate issues. The Soviet Union's cities were filthy places, and right now, Communist China is building coal-fired power plants at a fantastic pace.
This can't help but to help the GOP hold the House and Senate in the upcoming midterms, but it's no time for anyone to rest on their laurels. If the Republicans' strategy from now to November should be to run like they are 20 points behind, right up to election day, and yes, "drill, baby, drill" should stay on the agenda.
