The Deluge

by Stephen Markley

“Never once has climate been a first-tier campaign issue. Yet in the past election it sometimes felt as if it was the only thing anyone was talking about. Impassioning hard-core resistance will be a given, but it’s that persuadable middle this campaign must rally. We’ve spent two months analyzing strategies in four test markets: Chattanooga, Champaign-Urbana, Flagstaff, and Columbus. I’ll tell you what we found: People like Kate Morris. They like her message, her optimism, her spirit, her bluntness. Most of all, they like that this attractive young wildwoman worked to help elect a moderate Republican administration that seems to want to do something about this issue. Where does that leave us? I’m sure some of our competitors have told you that you need to reposition this choice as being about freedom. Keep the heavy hand of government away from my SUV, et cetera. Well, my father had this expression: ‘Kid, that dog won’t hunt.’ ”