Polls Shift in Favor of Coal Jobs, Enviros Respond with Suggestions of Violence

This weekend, environmentalists in Portland and Vancouver (WA) staged several protests against fossil fuel use in an attempt to raise awareness of the evil of petroleum products. As I’ve reported, one of their big issues is to try to turn the transportation of coal via rail into the Spotted Owl of this century. They’re pulling out all their old tricks to try to appeal to the Portlandia spirit and gain the sympathies of voters in the region. Only one problem – the public appears to be turning against them.

To the video tape!

Here we see the brave protesters speaking truth to power on a luxury yacht … wait, what? (h/t Daylight Disinfectant)

Here we see the nonviolent practitioners of civil disobedience, in the mold of Gandhi, advocating for … ermm … violence (h/t Laughing at Liberals):

And here we see direct action training where violence is suggested, prompting one young female to remark that she can’t get arrested because that would jeopardize her subsidized housing:

There’s more footage available on YouTube, but I think you get the point. Having tested their messaging via polling, focus groups and direct contact with voters, they know what will appeal to the public.

Except we don’t live in the Gumdrop Forest, and I’m not a unicorn. A new poll has been released showing that voters in the Pacific Northwest favor the various project to build or expand terminals for coal exports – and the many thousands of jobs these projects would bring – by a TWO TO ONE MARGIN.

Among the most important details of this newly released poll:

A new poll shows that Washington state voters support proposed export terminals in the Northwest by a two-to-one margin.  Elway Research reports that 60 percent of Washington voters surveyed support the shipping terminals, with just 31 percent opposed. The poll has a margin of error of five percent.

This poll is consistent with other surveys conducted over the past year showing support for these projects including:
·    A poll by Gallatin Public Affairs found that 56.6 percent of Washington voters and 54.5 percent of Oregon voters supported coal exports (November 2012);
·    A poll released by the Gateway Pacific Terminal last fall showed that 56 percent of people in Whatcom and Skagit counties favored the proposed bulk export terminal (Fall 2012);
·    A poll by Moore Information found that 74 percent support additional rail and barge traffic for the projects, viewing it as crucial to Washington’s export economy and a sign of economic growth, vs. 15 percent who say train and barge traffic should not increase (January 2013).

We’ll see if appealing to the extremist spirit of protesters advocating illegal activities will sway these numbers – it may be too soon to tell.