{"id":427986,"date":"2026-02-25T20:59:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427986"},"modified":"2026-02-25T20:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:59:38","slug":"recognizing-failure-some-liberals-are-reshaping-their-climate-messaging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427986","title":{"rendered":"Recognizing Failure, Some Liberals Are Reshaping Their Climate Messaging"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Gary Abernathy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was originally published at The Empowerment Alliance<\/a> and is re-published here with permission. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did the far left ever really believe its own rhetoric when it came to climate change? True, when it comes to the positions staked out by any politician on the issues of the day, the age-old question is constantly in the back of everyone\u2019s minds: How much of what they claim to believe is based on heartfelt, core convictions, and how much is due to outside political pressure or geared toward generating contributions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But nowhere is this question more pertinent than when it comes to politicians and their advocacy for climate change. Why? Because it\u2019s difficult to think of anything that comes close to rivaling the number of government mandates implemented and the amount of taxpayer dollars allocated to reshape society as has happened in the name of climate change. Surely, it wasn\u2019t all based on empty rhetoric and misdirection, was it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far-left environmental and climate change groups have significantly increased their political <\/a>spending over the years. In turn, election after election features liberal politicians hammering away on the alleged damage done by the fossil fuel industry. In 2024 they were at it again, highlighting the latest scary predictions about the worst-case climate change scenarios, and fervently warning of the untold horrors that would happen if Donald Trump and Republicans won in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guess what? Once more, it all fell flat with most voters. Trump won the presidency, Republicans kept control of both the House and Senate, and across the nation GOP dominance continued<\/a> in state government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some Democrats who finally seem to be getting the message that their climate narrative is not resonating. A recent story in Politico<\/a> noted, \u201cDemocrats are increasingly showing they have decided it\u2019s a losing message to tout the ways in which they\u2019d curb fossil fuel production to thwart the most dire effects of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, the realization that Americans are no longer falling for the tired old global warming bogeyman is starting to sink in, at least for some \u2013 and a growing number seem ready to modify their rhetoric on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, the Politico story noted that Sen. Brian Schatz (D) of Hawaii last year removed \u201cclimate hawk\u201d from his X biography. And during a fall event connected to New York Climate Week, Schatz, according to Politico, said that \u201cthose of us in the climate community who are used to making a more broad argument about where we are in the sweep of history have to get comfortable making a more immediate argument that says the reason prices are going up is a deliberate policy choice of the Republican Party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, changing the subject from doomsday climate scenarios to more economically focused arguments seems to be the path many Democrats have decided to follow, the story noted. Makes you wonder if they ever believed their own rhetoric in the first place. But climate change messaging is not their only problem. Reality is making their argument more difficult all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The harsh winter experienced so far has resulted in Americans clearly witnessing the limits of their preferred energy sources. For example, the last week of January saw social media populated with images of solar panels caked with snow.<\/a> The real possibility of frozen wind turbines is an annual concern, as described here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as the Associated Press reported last winter,<\/a> \u201cfrigid temperatures from Chicago to northern Texas have made life painful for electric-vehicle owners, with reduced driving range and hours of waiting at charging stations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on apocalyptic warnings about the necessity of changing our ways, billions have been spent to prop up alternatives like wind and solar. But in New England, for instance \u2013 where an aggressive push has been made to build large-scale offshore wind projects \u2013 the electricity needed to combat the recent frigid air mass was generated mostly<\/a> by natural gas, oil and nuclear power, as usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Left to the tender mercies of wind and solar, New Englanders and most of the U.S. population would have been a cold and stranded lot indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politicians from the political left tamping down or even forsaking their doomsday climate talk could just be a short-term development while polling shows voters don\u2019t consider climate change a top priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, it could be a more long-lasting phenomenon. Albert Einstein said, \u201cIf you can\u2019t explain it simply, you don\u2019t understand it well enough.\u201d It can be argued that most leftwing politicians never understood it will enough; they just parroted the talking points. Now that they\u2019re realizing voters aren\u2019t listening anymore, they\u2019re downplaying the issue \u2013 raising questions about the level of their sincerity in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The left has been enslaved to their climate change dogma for decades. As such, they\u2019re not ready to give it up entirely. But they are trying to craft a new message \u2013 \u201caffordability\u201d \u2013 around a tired old issue. Apparently, you can\u2019t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can simplify the one that he already knows. Will voters think Rover is smarter \u2013 or still dutifully obedient?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gary Abernathy is a longtime newspaper editor, reporter and columnist. He was a contributing <\/em>columnist for the Washington Post from 2017-2023 and a frequent guest analyst across numerous media platforms. He is a contributing opinion columnist for The Empowerment Alliance, which advocates for realistic approaches to energy consumption and environmental conservation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did the far left ever really believe its own rhetoric when it came to climate change? True, when it comes to the positions staked out by any politician on the issues of the day, the age-old question is constantly in the back of everyone\u2019s minds: How much of what they claim to believe is based on heartfelt, core convictions, and how much is due to outside political pressure or geared toward generating contributions?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":427989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691836889,691824510,691841561,691821055,691818087],"class_list":{"0":"post-427986","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-climate-change","9":"tag-climate-messaging","10":"tag-climate-narrative","11":"tag-climate-narratives","12":"tag-climate-politics","13":"tag-global-warming","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQO3dO3vt9IE0MDl_jD7q9PYtJniiyWItO-KVDzlMj-X1nphghTBPCNCI1Ygygax1Ec31aZGxStMceC_KSwbufJVBd31PAAeE9XrI0JdITZ0aZ0lrQVMZ6qDyd84yjdQ-3.jpeg?fit=1799%2C1019&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1Nl0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":410043,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=410043","url_meta":{"origin":427986,"position":0},"title":"Climate Out, Affordability In","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/10\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Debra Kahn, \u201ceditor of POLITICO\u2019s California Climate newsletter and author of Currents, a reported column on the conversations, conflicts and characters animating the energy, environment and climate debates,\u201d corrected the eco-narrative recently. While the climate campaigners are busy trying to sell politically correct renewables (wind and solar) as cheaper, she\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"clean power\"","block_context":{"text":"clean power","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=clean-power"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQM0bvOjTxc5ziIDjYhjd9X5via4InhknEa2BUwwsU3nz9A9SC9zlI4Kx9krFPJPAJNf1PkaCNEejWfD3uA2kKiSB3K0K0ZiYAdfFaQYCDR8Re8VGpnEqHOWp5Uc3NKa8QtFjFABAjswLP7RmkkjOwPaw5hVtA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQM0bvOjTxc5ziIDjYhjd9X5via4InhknEa2BUwwsU3nz9A9SC9zlI4Kx9krFPJPAJNf1PkaCNEejWfD3uA2kKiSB3K0K0ZiYAdfFaQYCDR8Re8VGpnEqHOWp5Uc3NKa8QtFjFABAjswLP7RmkkjOwPaw5hVtA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQM0bvOjTxc5ziIDjYhjd9X5via4InhknEa2BUwwsU3nz9A9SC9zlI4Kx9krFPJPAJNf1PkaCNEejWfD3uA2kKiSB3K0K0ZiYAdfFaQYCDR8Re8VGpnEqHOWp5Uc3NKa8QtFjFABAjswLP7RmkkjOwPaw5hVtA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQM0bvOjTxc5ziIDjYhjd9X5via4InhknEa2BUwwsU3nz9A9SC9zlI4Kx9krFPJPAJNf1PkaCNEejWfD3uA2kKiSB3K0K0ZiYAdfFaQYCDR8Re8VGpnEqHOWp5Uc3NKa8QtFjFABAjswLP7RmkkjOwPaw5hVtA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQM0bvOjTxc5ziIDjYhjd9X5via4InhknEa2BUwwsU3nz9A9SC9zlI4Kx9krFPJPAJNf1PkaCNEejWfD3uA2kKiSB3K0K0ZiYAdfFaQYCDR8Re8VGpnEqHOWp5Uc3NKa8QtFjFABAjswLP7RmkkjOwPaw5hVtA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":277539,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=277539","url_meta":{"origin":427986,"position":1},"title":"Climate scientist whistleblower Patrick Brown reveals how the media\u2019s obsession with global warming manipulates the truth about wildfires \u2013 80% are ignited by humans","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Much reporting of the wildfires in Maui has said climate change contributed to the disaster by contributing to conditions that helped the fires to spark and spread quickly. The fires, which killed at least 115 people, are believed to have been\u00a0started by a downed electricity line, but observers have said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Global warming\"","block_context":{"text":"Global warming","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=global-warming"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0ap-maui-fires.jpg?fit=1024%2C742&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0ap-maui-fires.jpg?fit=1024%2C742&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0ap-maui-fires.jpg?fit=1024%2C742&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0ap-maui-fires.jpg?fit=1024%2C742&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":418877,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=418877","url_meta":{"origin":427986,"position":2},"title":"From Apocalypse to \u201cOops\u201d \u2013 The Emily Litella Climate Moment has Arrived","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Michael Barone\u2019s \u201cWe Have Reached the Emily Litella Moment on Climate Change\u201d published at Rasmussen Reports, reads like confirmation of something many of us have been documenting for years: the climate catastrophe narrative is not collapsing because of denial or politics, but because it has finally run out of evidentiary\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"\u201cNever mind\u201d\"","block_context":{"text":"\u201cNever mind\u201d","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=never-mind"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQP6-mnWOF-39-F_tfbVkIft7R-niDtUMrDX1lwOCpIjoQhukyGmNXZVdwf16ORW2HE4YT9A_JzED9r80GPH3tDl0xJt0UJDO2SUz_R1B54cVHKqlzZg4HG0qmmopBya-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQP6-mnWOF-39-F_tfbVkIft7R-niDtUMrDX1lwOCpIjoQhukyGmNXZVdwf16ORW2HE4YT9A_JzED9r80GPH3tDl0xJt0UJDO2SUz_R1B54cVHKqlzZg4HG0qmmopBya-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQP6-mnWOF-39-F_tfbVkIft7R-niDtUMrDX1lwOCpIjoQhukyGmNXZVdwf16ORW2HE4YT9A_JzED9r80GPH3tDl0xJt0UJDO2SUz_R1B54cVHKqlzZg4HG0qmmopBya-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQP6-mnWOF-39-F_tfbVkIft7R-niDtUMrDX1lwOCpIjoQhukyGmNXZVdwf16ORW2HE4YT9A_JzED9r80GPH3tDl0xJt0UJDO2SUz_R1B54cVHKqlzZg4HG0qmmopBya-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQP6-mnWOF-39-F_tfbVkIft7R-niDtUMrDX1lwOCpIjoQhukyGmNXZVdwf16ORW2HE4YT9A_JzED9r80GPH3tDl0xJt0UJDO2SUz_R1B54cVHKqlzZg4HG0qmmopBya-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQP6-mnWOF-39-F_tfbVkIft7R-niDtUMrDX1lwOCpIjoQhukyGmNXZVdwf16ORW2HE4YT9A_JzED9r80GPH3tDl0xJt0UJDO2SUz_R1B54cVHKqlzZg4HG0qmmopBya-1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":250039,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=250039","url_meta":{"origin":427986,"position":3},"title":"Multiple Outlets Admit \u201cCatastrophe\u201d Narrative is Counterproductive","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"After the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u2019s (IPCC) latest Synthesis Report, multiple media outlets cautioned their peers against leaning too far into the catastrophe narrative, as it might be counterproductive for climate policy and, perhaps, inaccurate too.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1207.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1207.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1207.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1207.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1207.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":298365,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=298365","url_meta":{"origin":427986,"position":4},"title":"The Winter of Our Discontent","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As we navigate through another winter season, it\u2019s hard not to notice the ever-pervasive narrative of climate change influencing public perception.\u00a0A recent Rasmussen Poll\u00a0reveals a fascinating, albeit concerning, trend: while the majority of Americans report this winter being no worse than usual, a significant portion still believe climate change is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0-walking-through-blizzard.jpeg?fit=1200%2C810&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0-walking-through-blizzard.jpeg?fit=1200%2C810&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0-walking-through-blizzard.jpeg?fit=1200%2C810&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0-walking-through-blizzard.jpeg?fit=1200%2C810&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0-walking-through-blizzard.jpeg?fit=1200%2C810&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":269034,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=269034","url_meta":{"origin":427986,"position":5},"title":"In the Heat of Climate Change Drama, Spain May Choose Its Own Path","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Spain\u2019s looming national election serves as a pivotal stage where contentious climate narratives collide. A harsh heatwave currently gripping the country provides a sensational backdrop to the political drama, with many dubbing the election as the \u2018climate referendum\u2019. Warm temperatures and water-use restrictions are being portrayed as dire warnings of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"climate alarmism\"","block_context":{"text":"climate alarmism","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-alarmism"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-680.png?fit=1024%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-680.png?fit=1024%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-680.png?fit=1024%2C763&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-680.png?fit=1024%2C763&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=427986"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427990,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427986\/revisions\/427990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/427989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=427986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=427986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=427986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}