October 2012


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


Thousands Make Last Plea to Include Climate Change in Presidential Debates


BY JASON PLAUTZ Aside from Mitt


Romney’s recent jab at Barack Obama’s concern over global warming—and the president’s tit-for-tat response—climate change has been largely under the radar in the campaign.


But several groups,


backed by hundreds of thousands of petitions, are trying to change that, at least for one night.


Mitt Romney and President Obama embrace each other warmly at this month’s first Presidential debate.


Nine environmental organizations


delivered more than 160,000 petitions to Jim Lehrer urging him to ask a question about climate change during the first presidential debate. The goal is to bring attention on a national stage to an issue that’s been pushed aside in the election, said Mike Palamuso, a spokesman for the League of Conservation Voters, one of the groups involved in the petitions.


“They talk about key moments in


the election. One is the VP pick. Another is the respective party conventions, and the third is the debates,” said Palamuso. “Two of those have passed, so in some regards this is the last big event in the presidential election.


“It represents an opportunity


where millions of voters are tuning in ... to have this front and center.” The advocates’ push follows a poll showing that global warming is one of the most important issues to 61 percent of undecided voters.


The 90-minute televised debate at


the University of Denver—the first of three this month— focused on domestic issues. A list of topics released by Lehrer showed a focus on the economy, governing style and health care.


he petitions are just one of several


attempts to get climate change added to that list. 350.org, a climate advocacy organization founded by author and activist Bill McKibben will put up a billboard in Denver this week asking for more climate talk. Friends of the Earth Action and Forecast the Facts teamed up for a social media campaign called “Climate Silence” to urge more talk on the trail, and beyond.


The goal, said 350.org media


campaigner Daniel Kessler, is to create so much discussion around the topic that “Lehrer just can’t ignore it.”


“It’s less up to him, but it’s on us to


create enough noise about this,” Kessler said. “Climate change touches on so many issues, including agriculture and jobs and the economy, so there’s always a chance to work it in. But we’re still not at that point.”


Although Obama talks about


clean energy as a way to improve the economy, he has made scant mention of climate change. That’s a sharp departure from the last presidential election, when both he and Republican candidate John McCain bolstered the consensus that global warming is real, man-made and pressing.


But skepticism about climate


science has become part of the GOP’s core message, and political urgency in Washington to curb emissions has faded. Romney—who once supported carbon regulations—had his biggest


climate moment of the campaign in the form of mockery.


“President Obama promised to


begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet,” Romney said in his convention speech. He paused as laughter erupted, adding, “My promise is to help you and your family.”


That merited a response from


Obama during the Democratic convention the following week. “My plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet, because climate change is not a hoax.”


But that was the extent of the


discussion. And so the debates—particularly


the first debate, which is traditionally the most watched—offer a chance to discuss the issue in front of tens of millions of voters from both sides of the aisle.


Generally, environmental issues


haven’t been voting priorities for most Americans, said Marjorie Hershey, a professor of political science at Indiana University, who specializes in campaigns and elections. “To increase citizens’ understanding and concern, these issues need to make it onto the political agenda. One way to do that is to include it in the presidential debates, where the audience for politics is much higher.”


In fact, University of Missouri


communications professor Mitchell McKinney said that merely mentioning an issue during a debate can help elevate it in voters’ minds. McKinney has tracked presidential debates for more than two decades, including viewers’ responses. He has found that voters’ “issue agendas” tend to change before and after debates.


“An issue, especially one like


climate change, may not register on people’s issue agendas, but if it gets mentioned during a debate we find it creeps up there,” McKinney said. For example, he said that transportation infrastructure didn’t rank highly in voters’ minds until it was brought up during a 1992 debate.


In contrast to scripted campaign


events, debates force candidates to speak directly and more candidly to a massive, captive audience, 350.org’s Kessler said.


“Obviously [the president] talks


about clean jobs when he travels to Iowa or Colorado and he’s making a point to draw a difference between himself and Romney,” Kessler said. “But the debates are so much more important.”


Robert Watson, an American studies professor at Lynn University,


PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES PAGE 4


The Hampton Roads Messenger


Report Reveals Minority Consumer Opportunities For Businesses


Nielsen and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) collaborate for second installment of report on Black buying power, consumer behavior and lifestyle trends


WASHINGTON – A


consumer group which continues to experience population growth, has unique


generational


behavioral trends and char- acteristics, and a projected buying power of $1.1 trillion by 2015, African-Americans are still a viable market segment full of business opportunities, according to the African-American Consumers: Still Vital, Still Growing 2012 Report released by Nielsen and the NNPA.


Released during the Congressional


Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 42nd Annual Legislative Conference, the report is the second of three annual installments of a collaboration between Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a 72-year-old federation of 200 Black community newspapers.


“Our collaboration with the


NNPA has been successful,” said Susan Whiting, vice chair, Nielsen. “NNPA’s insertion of the report into its 200 publications allows Nielsen access to millions of African-American consumers, and allows us to share vital information that will help increase the awareness of Blacks’ consumer power.”


The 2012 report highlights


important subsectors of the population, unique lifestyles, purchasing and viewing habits, and also sheds light on the disparities in advertising dollars spent with African-American media.


“Marketers underestimate the


opportunities missed by overlooking Black consumers’ frustration of not having products that meet their needs in their neighborhoods. And companies that don’t advertise using Black media risk having African-Americans perceive them as being dismissive of issues that matter to Black consumers,” said Cloves Campbell, chairman, NNPA. “This report demonstrates what a sustainable and influential economic force we are.”


The number of Blacks in America


has reached almost 43 million. With a healthy representation of today’s population, coupled with an attractive collective buying power, businesses have opportunities to increase market share with Black consumers.


Nielsen and the


National Newspaper P u b l i s h e r s Association (NNPA) collaborate


for


second installment of report on Black buying


power,


consumer behavior and lifestyle trends Keeping the Black community informed


3


and educated is one of the goals of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.


“By providing a resource that


demonstrates how we can use our collective buying power, we are providing a service that is beneficial to the individual consumer and our collective communities at the same time,” said Elsie L. Scott, president and CEO of CBCF.


Collaborations with community


organizations helps Nielsen establish a corporate reputation that is valued and trusted among consumers.


“Nielsen’s collaborative efforts


with organizations such as the NNPA and the CBCF demonstrates unity and reinforces the company’s credibility with Black consumers,” said Rev. Jacques DeGraff, co-chair, Nielsen’s external African-American Advisory Council (AAAC). “By engaging consumers in the conversation about economic power, the outcome can lead to improved products, more penetrating marketing messages and enhanced corporate/consumer partnerships in our communities,” said Victor Bulluck, co-chair, AAAC.


Key insights from the report include:


• Advertising spending in Black media totaled $2.10 billion in 2011, compared to $120 billion spent with general market media during the same time period.


• 91% of Blacks believe that Black media is more relevant to them.


• Brand name products represent 82% of Black households’ total purchases compared to 31% for private labels.


• 81% of Blacks believe products Need help with


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