We need to stand firm to protect our environment for our future generations, especially those designated areas of protection like our National Parks. Consistent with that responsibility, the proper role of government is to enforce reasonable environmental protections. Governor Johnson did that as Governor, and would do so as President. 
 
 Governor Johnson believes the Environmental Protection Agency, when focused on its true mission, plays an important role in keeping the environment and citizens safe. 
 
 Johnson does not, however, believe the government should be engaging in social and economic engineering for the purpose of creating winners and losers in what should be a robust free market. Preventing a polluter from harming our water or air is one thing. Having politicians in Washington, D.C., acting on behalf of high powered lobbyists, determine the future of clean energy innovation is another. 
 
 In a healthy economy that allows the market to function unimpeded, consumers, innovators, and personal choices will do more to bring about environmental protection and restoration than will government regulations driven by special interests. Too often, when Washington, D.C. gets involved, the winners are those with the political clout to write the rules of the game, and the losers are the people and businesses actually trying to innovate. 
 
 When it comes to global climate change, Johnson and Weld believe that the politicians in Washington, D.C. are having the wrong debate. 
 
 Is the climate changing? Probably so. 
 
 Is man contributing to that change? Probably so. 
 
 But the critical question is whether the politicians’ efforts to regulate, tax and manipulate the private sector are cost-effective – or effective at all. The debate should be about how we can protect our resources and environment for future generations. Governors Johnson and Weld strongly believe that the federal government should prevent future harm by focusing on regulations that protect us from real harm, rather than needlessly costing American jobs and freedom in order to pursue a political agenda. 

 September 14, 2016 - Trump Cuts Clinton Lead In Half, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds, Most Americans Are Voting Against, Not For, A Candidate 
 
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 Additional Trend Information 
 
 Sample and Methodology detail 
 
 
 
 In a largely negative presidential campaign, where most Americans are voting against, rather than for, a candidate, Democrat Hillary Clinton leads Republican Donald Trump 48 - 43 percent among likely voters nationwide, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. 
 
 
 
 
 
 This compares to a 51 - 41 percent Clinton lead in an August 25 survey of likely voters nationwide, by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University. 
 
 
 
 
 
 With third party candidates in the race, results are too close to call, with Clinton at 41 percent, Trump at 39 percent, Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson at 13 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 4 percent. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Clinton and Trump get similar negative favorability ratings, 40 - 57 percent for her and 35 - 59 percent for him. For Johnson, 53 percent of voters haven't heard enough to form an opinion of him and 72 percent haven't heard enough about Stein. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Among Clinton voters, 54 percent say they mainly are voting against Trump, while 32 percent say they mainly are voting for Clinton. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Among Trump voters, 66 percent say they mainly are voting against Clinton, with 23 percent saying they are voting mainly for Trump. 
 
 
 
 
 
 "No doubt the pneumonia will pass, but like a nagging cough that just won't go away, Donald Trump defies every remedy Hillary Clinton throws at him," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. 
 
 
 
 
 
 "It's the definition of 'damned by faint praise,' a presidential contest where a vote for a candidate is less an endorsement of that candidate than a stinging rejection of his or her opponent. 
 
 
 
 
 
 "Priority one for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the election looms: lure the cynical, disaffected, downright disgusted electorate into their camp. That's no mean feat as clouds of distrust loom over both campaigns." 
 
 
 
 
 
 Racial and gender gaps continue to divide American likely voters: 
 
 White voters back Trump 51 - 41 percent and non-white voters back Clinton 66 - 19 percent; 
 
 Men back Trump 50 - 41 percent, while women back Clinton 54 - 36 percent. 
 
 Independent voters tip to Trump 45 - 40 percent. Republicans go to Trump 86 - 10 percent, while Democrats back Clinton 92 - 4 percent. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Voting for Clinton is the lesser of two evils, 38 percent of her supporters say, while 57 percent say she is the candidate they like. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Among Trump supporters, 50 percent say they are picking the lesser of two evils, while 46 percent say he is the candidate they like. 
 
 
 
 
 
 A total of 70 percent of likely voters say it is "very important" or "somewhat important" that the next president be someone to whom they can relate. 
 
 
 
 
 
 But by similar margins, most American voters can't relate to either candidate. Voters say 61 - 36 percent they can't relate to Clinton and 64 - 34 percent they can't relate to Trump. 
 
 
 
 
 
 A total of 94 percent of likely voters say it is "very important" or "somewhat important" that the next president unite the nation. 
 
 
 
 
 
 But voters say 60 - 37 percent that Trump will do more to divide the country as president and say by a narrow 50 - 46 percent that Clinton will do more to divide the country. 
 
 
 
 
 
 By a narrow 51 - 47 percent, voters say Trump wants to be president to do what's best for himself, rather than for the nation. Voters are divided on Clinton's motives as 50 percent say she wants to do what's best for herself and 48 percent say she puts country first. 
 
 
 
 
 
 "Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton may be King and Queen of the prom, but they are showing up solo and their dance cards are blank," Malloy said. "The winner who waltzes at the Inaugural Ball will be the candidate who finally gets the other kids to like him or her." 
 
 
 
 
 
 From September 8 - 13, Quinnipiac University surveyed 960 likely voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points. Live interviewers call landlines and cell phones. 
 
 
 
 
 
 The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, North Carolina and the nation as a public service and for research. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Visit http://www.qu.edu/polling or www.facebook.com/quinnipiacpoll 
 
 
 
 
 
 Call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter @QuinnipiacPoll. 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Donald Trump the Republican, for whom would you vote? (If undecided) As of today, do you lean more toward Clinton or Trump? (Table includes leaners) 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Clinton 48% 10% 92% 40% 41% 54% 50% 33% Trump 43 86 4 45 50 36 44 59 SMONE ELSE(VOL) 3 2 - 7 4 2 4 2 DK/NA 6 2 4 8 5 7 3 7 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Clinton 55% 49% 45% 42% 35% 47% 41% 66% Trump 34 35 50 51 57 46 51 19 SMONE ELSE(VOL) 3 6 2 1 3 2 3 4 DK/NA 8 10 3 6 5 5 5 10 PARTY IDENTIFICATION................... REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT.. INDEPENDENT Mltry Men Wom Men Wom Men Wom HsHld Clinton 10% 10% 93% 92% 34% 48% 36% Trump 84 88 4 4 51 38 54 SMONE ELSE(VOL) 3 1 - - 8 6 5 DK/NA 3 1 3 5 8 8 6 
 
 1A. (If candidate chosen q1) Is your mind made up, or do you think you might change your mind before the election? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS....................... CANDIDATE CHOSEN Q1................. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Tot Clinton Trump Made up 90% 90% 89% Might change 9 9 9 DK/NA 1 1 1 
 
 2. (If Clinton chosen q1) What is the main reason behind your vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in November: mainly because you like Hillary Clinton, mainly because Hillary Clinton is the party's nominee, or mainly because you oppose Donald Trump? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS................................. CLINTON CHOSEN Q1............................. WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Like Clinton 32% 41% 18% 30% 34% 39% 35% Party's nominee 9 12 6 8 10 10 7 Oppose Trump 54 43 68 56 53 46 55 DK/NA 5 4 8 6 4 5 3 
 
 3. (If Trump chosen q1) What is the main reason behind your vote for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in November: mainly because you like Donald Trump, mainly because Donald Trump is the party's nominee, or mainly because you oppose Hillary Clinton? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS................................. TRUMP CHOSEN Q1............................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Ind Men Wom Yes No Like Trump 23% 24% 27% 23% 23% 26% 22% Party's nominee 8 12 2 7 9 9 8 Oppose Clinton 66 62 68 67 66 64 68 DK/NA 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 
 
 4. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat, Donald Trump the Republican, Gary Johnson the Libertarian, and Jill Stein the Green party candidate, for whom would you vote? (If undecided) As of today, do you lean more toward Clinton, Trump, Johnson, or Stein? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Clinton 41% 7% 88% 29% 35% 46% 42% 28% Trump 39 82 3 38 45 34 40 53 Johnson 13 8 7 20 15 11 13 10 Stein 4 1 2 9 4 5 4 5 SMONE ELSE(VOL) - 1 - - - - 1 - DK/NA 3 - - 3 1 4 1 4 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Clinton 31% 44% 42% 42% 29% 40% 35% 58% Trump 26 31 47 49 50 43 46 19 Johnson 29 19 6 4 15 8 11 16 Stein 15 2 3 1 5 4 5 3 SMONE ELSE(VOL) - 1 - - - - - - DK/NA - 3 2 4 1 4 2 3 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Clinton 85% - Trump - 90 Johnson 8 9 Stein 7 1 SMONE ELSE(VOL) - - DK/NA - - 
 
 5. Compared to past presidential elections, how would you describe your level of motivation to vote in this year's presidential election; are you more motivated than usual, less motivated, or about the same as usual? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No More 46% 51% 45% 46% 46% 47% 44% 48% Less 14 12 10 17 15 14 12 14 About the same 39 37 44 37 39 39 43 38 DK/NA 1 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht More 34% 51% 45% 54% 47% 45% 46% 48% Less 23 12 12 11 14 12 13 17 About the same 39 37 43 35 38 42 40 34 DK/NA 3 - - - 1 - - 1 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump More 47% 50% Less 12 13 About the same 41 36 DK/NA 1 1 
 
 6. Is your opinion of Donald Trump favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? COMBINED WITH: (If Favorable/Unfavorable) Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Strongly favorable 22% 45% 2% 22% 26% 19% 20% 32% Smwht favorable 13 28 - 13 13 12 15 16 Smwht unfavorable 6 7 5 7 9 3 5 7 Strongly unfavorable 53 16 89 51 48 58 56 38 Hvn't hrd enough 3 3 2 4 2 4 2 4 REFUSED/DK/NA 3 1 2 3 1 4 1 4 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Strongly favorable 9% 18% 26% 34% 30% 23% 26% 12% Smwht favorable 13 9 17 11 16 16 16 4 Smwht unfavorable 8 6 6 6 9 3 6 7 Strongly unfavorable 60 63 47 44 42 51 47 71 Hvn't hrd enough 8 3 2 1 2 4 3 4 REFUSED/DK/NA 2 2 2 3 1 4 3 2 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Strongly favorable - 51% Smwht favorable - 29 Smwht unfavorable 4 8 Strongly unfavorable 94 5 Hvn't hrd enough 2 4 REFUSED/DK/NA - 3 
 
 7. Is your opinion of Hillary Clinton favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about her? COMBINED WITH: (If Favorable/Unfavorable) Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Strongly favorable 26% 2% 62% 13% 20% 31% 26% 18% Smwht favorable 14 5 22 14 12 16 14 10 Smwht unfavorable 6 3 5 8 6 6 7 5 Strongly unfavorable 51 88 8 60 59 44 51 63 Hvn't hrd enough 2 1 1 3 2 2 - 4 REFUSED/DK/NA 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Strongly favorable 14% 27% 27% 29% 16% 27% 22% 36% Smwht favorable 22 15 13 9 10 13 12 21 Smwht unfavorable 10 5 4 5 6 6 6 5 Strongly unfavorable 48 49 53 55 64 51 57 33 Hvn't hrd enough 5 3 2 - 2 2 2 3 REFUSED/DK/NA - 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Strongly favorable 52% - Smwht favorable 29 - Smwht unfavorable 7 4 Strongly unfavorable 9 94 Hvn't hrd enough 2 2 REFUSED/DK/NA 2 - 
 
 8. Is your opinion of Gary Johnson favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? COMBINED WITH: (If Favorable/Unfavorable) Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Strongly favorable 6% 3% 3% 11% 8% 4% 7% 8% Smwht favorable 13 12 8 16 15 10 12 10 Smwht unfavorable 12 10 14 14 14 11 17 12 Strongly unfavorable 15 20 14 12 17 13 18 15 Hvn't hrd enough 53 52 59 45 45 59 44 54 REFUSED/DK/NA 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Strongly favorable 10% 10% 4% 2% 10% 5% 8% 2% Smwht favorable 26 16 7 7 14 8 11 17 Smwht unfavorable 8 14 14 11 17 12 14 6 Strongly unfavorable 8 7 16 26 16 17 17 11 Hvn't hrd enough 44 52 59 52 41 56 49 61 REFUSED/DK/NA 4 1 1 2 1 2 1 3 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Strongly favorable 4% 6% Smwht favorable 12 9 Smwht unfavorable 14 12 Strongly unfavorable 14 19 Hvn't hrd enough 56 53 REFUSED/DK/NA - 2 
 
 9. Is your opinion of Jill Stein favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about her? COMBINED WITH: (If Favorable/Unfavorable) Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Strongly favorable 3% - 3% 6% 3% 3% 2% 5% Smwht favorable 5 1 7 7 5 5 6 5 Smwht unfavorable 5 4 5 6 7 4 8 3 Strongly unfavorable 13 19 11 9 14 11 14 14 Hvn't hrd enough 72 73 73 71 69 75 68 72 REFUSED/DK/NA 2 3 1 1 1 2 2 1 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Strongly favorable 12% - 1% 2% 3% 4% 3% 2% Smwht favorable 6 7 4 4 5 5 5 5 Smwht unfavorable 8 4 4 3 8 4 6 4 Strongly unfavorable 7 11 14 18 15 14 14 8 Hvn't hrd enough 65 76 76 71 67 72 70 80 REFUSED/DK/NA 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Strongly favorable 5% - Smwht favorable 7 2 Smwht unfavorable 4 6 Strongly unfavorable 10 17 Hvn't hrd enough 71 73 REFUSED/DK/NA 1 2 
 
 10. Would you consider voting for a third party candidate in this election? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes 37% 26% 28% 52% 38% 37% 29% 35% No 60 73 67 47 62 59 70 62 DK/NA 3 1 5 1 - 5 1 3 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes 62% 48% 27% 21% 33% 32% 32% 50% No 32 51 71 77 67 65 66 45 DK/NA 6 1 3 2 - 3 2 5 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Yes 38% 26% No 60 72 DK/NA 2 2 
 
 11. Do you think that Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president, should be included in the presidential debates this year, or not? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes 57% 47% 54% 66% 58% 56% 58% 54% No 37 46 38 30 39 34 36 38 DK/NA 6 7 8 3 3 10 5 8 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes 83% 61% 53% 42% 59% 54% 56% 59% No 14 32 43 49 39 36 37 35 DK/NA 3 7 5 9 3 10 6 6 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Yes 60% 50% No 33 46 DK/NA 8 4 
 
 12. Do you think this year's presidential election will be a close election, or do you think one of the candidates will win in a landslide? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Close election 69% 75% 60% 72% 67% 70% 74% 72% Win in landslide 22 15 30 20 26 17 18 18 IN BETWEEN(VOL) 1 - 2 1 1 1 1 1 DK/NA 8 9 7 7 5 11 7 9 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Close election 66% 71% 68% 71% 69% 76% 73% 59% Win in landslide 23 20 25 19 23 14 18 30 IN BETWEEN(VOL) 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 DK/NA 9 8 7 9 6 9 8 9 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Close election 58% 80% Win in landslide 31 12 IN BETWEEN(VOL) 2 - DK/NA 9 7 
 
 13. Regardless of who you're voting for, who do you believe will win the presidential election this year: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Clinton 58% 26% 88% 60% 56% 60% 61% 46% Trump 31 63 8 26 34 28 29 40 SMONE ELSE(VOL) 1 2 - - 1 1 - - DK/NA 10 9 4 14 9 11 9 14 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Clinton 71% 63% 55% 49% 53% 54% 54% 71% Trump 21 27 35 38 36 34 35 20 SMONE ELSE(VOL) 5 - - - - - - 3 DK/NA 4 10 10 13 11 12 12 6 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Clinton 93% 23% Trump 2 64 SMONE ELSE(VOL) 1 - DK/NA 4 12 
 
 14. How do you feel about choosing between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in this year's presidential election; do you feel as though: you are choosing to vote for the candidate you like, you are choosing to vote for the lesser of two evils, or you can't bring yourself to vote for either candidate? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Candidate you like 48% 47% 70% 30% 46% 49% 51% 44% Lesser of two evils 42 48 24 57 43 42 38 50 Can't vote either 8 4 2 12 10 6 9 4 DK/NA 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 2 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Candidate you like 26% 47% 54% 57% 47% 48% 48% 49% Lesser of two evils 51 41 42 39 43 45 44 38 Can't vote either 19 12 3 2 9 5 7 11 DK/NA 4 - 2 2 1 2 1 3 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Candidate you like 57% 46% Lesser of two evils 38 50 Can't vote either 3 3 DK/NA 2 1 
 
 15. (If candidate chosen q4) If your candidate loses in November, would you think that the outcome was legitimate or would you think that the election was rigged? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... CANDIDATE CHOSEN Q4.................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Legitimate 62% 50% 76% 59% 65% 59% 70% 53% Rigged 27 42 11 31 27 27 22 33 DK/NA 11 8 13 10 8 13 8 14 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Legitimate 64% 71% 59% 56% 65% 59% 62% 63% Rigged 24 23 30 30 26 29 28 25 DK/NA 12 6 11 14 10 12 11 11 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Legitimate 78% 43% Rigged 11 46 DK/NA 11 11 
 
 16. Do you think it makes a difference for the future of the country which candidate is elected president, or would things pretty much be the same regardless of who wins? (If yes) Would you say that it would make a major difference or a minor difference? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes/Major Diff 81% 83% 86% 76% 77% 84% 82% 80% Yes/Minor Diff 7 6 5 11 9 5 7 7 No/Same 9 11 6 11 12 6 9 9 DK/NA 3 1 4 2 1 5 2 3 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes/Major Diff 73% 81% 83% 83% 75% 87% 81% 80% Yes/Minor Diff 12 9 5 5 9 5 7 7 No/Same 12 7 10 7 15 5 9 7 DK/NA 2 2 3 4 2 3 3 5 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Yes/Major Diff 82% 83% Yes/Minor Diff 7 8 No/Same 8 8 DK/NA 3 1 
 
 23. How important is it to you that the next President is someone that you feel you can relate to: very important, somewhat important, not so important, or not important at all? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Very important 37% 42% 38% 31% 33% 41% 28% 40% Somewhat important 33 35 35 29 32 34 35 38 Not so important 17 12 17 22 17 16 21 14 Not important at all 12 10 8 17 17 7 14 7 DK/NA 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 - AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Very important 22% 23% 42% 55% 32% 36% 34% 46% Somewhat important 32 37 36 28 36 38 37 24 Not so important 23 24 14 10 18 18 18 14 Not important at all 20 16 8 6 14 8 11 14 DK/NA 3 - - 1 1 1 1 2 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Very important 34% 41% Somewhat important 33 35 Not so important 20 13 Not important at all 12 10 DK/NA 1 1 
 
 24. Do you feel that Donald Trump is someone that you can relate to, or not? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes 34% 68% 4% 35% 41% 28% 34% 46% No 64 30 94 64 58 69 63 51 DK/NA 2 2 2 1 2 3 3 2 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes 18% 25% 42% 45% 46% 35% 40% 16% No 82 72 55 53 53 61 57 82 DK/NA - 3 3 2 1 4 2 3 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Yes 3% 73% No 96 24 DK/NA 1 2 
 
 25. Do you feel that Hillary Clinton is someone that you can relate to, or not? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes 36% 11% 73% 25% 25% 46% 38% 27% No 61 88 23 75 73 51 60 70 DK/NA 2 1 4 1 2 2 2 3 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes 27% 33% 39% 40% 22% 42% 32% 47% No 73 64 58 58 76 55 65 51 DK/NA - 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Yes 70% 4% No 28 96 DK/NA 2 - 
 
 26. How important is it to you that the next President unites the country: very important, somewhat important, not so important, or not important at all? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Very important 76% 79% 77% 74% 68% 82% 73% 78% Somewhat important 18 15 18 19 23 14 20 19 Not so important 3 3 4 4 5 2 4 3 Not important at all 2 2 2 2 4 1 3 - DK/NA - - - - - - 1 - AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Very important 69% 66% 83% 82% 68% 83% 76% 77% Somewhat important 27 19 14 15 24 15 19 14 Not so important 1 9 3 1 5 2 3 4 Not important at all 3 6 1 1 3 1 2 4 DK/NA - 1 - 1 - 1 - - CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Very important 75% 80% Somewhat important 20 16 Not so important 4 3 Not important at all 1 2 DK/NA - - 
 
 27. Do you feel that Donald Trump would do more to unite the country as President, or do more to divide the country as President? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Unite 37% 75% 5% 37% 42% 33% 37% 50% Divide 60 22 94 61 56 64 62 44 DK/NA 3 3 1 3 2 3 1 6 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Unite 22% 29% 45% 49% 46% 40% 43% 20% Divide 74 70 53 48 51 55 53 80 DK/NA 4 1 3 3 3 4 4 - CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Unite 1% 82% Divide 99 13 DK/NA - 5 
 
 28. Do you feel that Hillary Clinton would do more to unite the country as President, or do more to divide the country as President? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Unite 46% 13% 88% 37% 36% 54% 46% 34% Divide 50 84 9 59 61 40 51 61 DK/NA 4 3 4 4 3 6 3 5 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Unite 50% 46% 44% 43% 32% 46% 39% 63% Divide 46 50 51 53 65 49 56 32 DK/NA 4 4 5 4 3 5 4 5 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Unite 84% 5% Divide 11 93 DK/NA 5 2 
 
 51. Do you believe that Hillary Clinton wants to be President to do what's best for the country, or to do what's best for herself? 
 
 LIKELY VOTERS.......................................... WHITE...... COLLEGE DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Best for country 48% 16% 90% 36% 40% 55% 49% 37% Best for herself 50 83 7 62 59 43 50 61 DK/NA 2 - 2 2 1 2 - 1 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Best for country 42% 52% 49% 47% 36% 50% 43% 62% Best for herself 55 48 50 51 63 49 56 34 DK/NA 4 - 1 3 1 1 1 4 CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Q1 Clinton Trump Best for country 87% 8% Best for herself 11 91 DK/NA 2 1 
 
 52. Do you believe that Donald Trump wants to be President to do what's best for the country, or to do what's best for himself? 

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 Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president, takes what he calls the “long-term view” of climate change. “In billions of years,” he said in 2011, “the sun is going to actually grow and encompass the Earth, right? So global warming is in our future.” 
 
 The former New Mexico governor did acknowledge that humans are making the world warmer in the near term, too—but he doesn’t think the government should do much about it. In the same speech, he denounced “cap-and-trade taxation,” said we “should be building new coal-fired plants,” and argued that the “trillions” of dollars it would cost to combat climate change would be better spent on other priorities. 
 
 All of that makes Johnson’s popularity among younger voters pretty surprising. Surveys have consistently found that millennials care deeply about climate change. A November 2015 ABC News/Washington Post poll, for example, found that 76 percent of 18- to-29-year-olds see global warming as a serious problem, and 64 percent want the federal government to do more to combat it. Nevertheless, a recent Quinnipiac poll found that Johnson is now running second among 18- to-34-year-old voters, just 2 percentage points behind Hillary Clinton. 
 
 “At a point in the very distant future, the sun will actually encompass the Earth. So global warming is something that’s going to be inevitable.” 
 
 Johnson’s 2011 comments weren’t an aberration. Over the past few years, he has spoken out repeatedly against environmental regulation. In a 2011 NPR interview, he instead called for a “free-market approach” to reducing carbon emissions, arguing that consumer demand for cleaner energy, coupled with cheap natural gas, was causing a shift away from coal. He made the same argument during a Libertarian presidential candidate debate in May 2012. “If government gets involved” in fighting climate change, he said, “we are going to be spending trillions of dollars and have no effect whatsoever on the desired outcome.” 
 
 During his 2012 campaign, Johnson called for cutting federal spending by 43 percent. In one interview, he noted that this would also mean a 43 percent reduction in the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. (During that same interview, he repeated his statement about the sun eventually destroying the planet: “Long-term consequence of our existence in the whole scheme of things is the sun is getting closer to the Earth and that at a point in the very distant future, the sun will actually encompass the Earth. So global warming is something that’s going to be inevitable.”) 
 
 For most of his 2016 campaign, Johnson has maintained his opposition to government efforts to deal with global warming. His campaign website acknowledges that the climate is “probably” changing and that humans are “probably” contributing to that change. But, it adds: 
 
 [T]he critical question is whether the politicians’ efforts to regulate, tax and manipulate the private sector are cost-effective—or effective at all. The debate should be about how we can protect our resources and environment for future generations. Governors Johnson and [Libertarian vice presidential nominee William] Weld strongly believe that the federal government should prevent future harm by focusing on regulations that protect us from real harm, rather than needlessly costing American jobs and freedom in order to pursue a political agenda. 
 
 In July, Johnson was asked during on appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher whether he had a “comprehensive plan to combat climate change.” Johnson’s answer: “No.” He went on to argue that the coal industry’s recent struggles were a result of free-market forces (such as cheap natural gas) rather than the Obama administration’s new climate regulations. (Many experts say both factors have played significant roles in coal’s decline. Former Climate Desk reporter Tim McDonnell has argued that of the two, the market forces are indeed more important.) 
 
 But then Johnson’s stance changed dramatically. In an August interview with the Los Angeles Times, he announced he was “open” to the idea of the federal government imposing a revenue-neutral tax on carbon emissions. Economists have long viewed a carbon tax as the most efficient way of putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit warming—many see it as preferable to the complex cap-and-trade proposal backed by President Barack Obama during his first term. In a subsequent interview on CNBC, Johnson called a carbon tax a “very libertarian proposal” under which “the market will take care of” climate change. (During the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders endorsed a carbon tax; Clinton did not.) 
 
 Many Libertarians and conservatives were outraged by Johnson’s sudden embrace of a carbon tax. “It’s Official: Gary Johnson Is a Left-Wing Candidate,” declared the Federalist, a conservative publication. After plenty of public criticism from the right, Johnson changed his mind, telling supporters at a New Hampshire rally that after considering a carbon tax, “I have determined that, you know what, it’s a great theory, but I don’t think it can work, and I’ve worked my way through that.” His flip-flop drew loud applause from the crowd. 
 
 Johnson elaborated in an interview the following day with the libertarian magazine Reason. He declared himself a “skeptic” when it comes to the idea “that government policy can address” climate issues and said a carbon tax “sounds good in theory, but it wouldn’t work in practice.” 
 
 “So, no support for a carbon fee,” Johnson added. “I never raised one penny of tax as governor of New Mexico, not one cent in any area. Taxes to me are like a death plague.” 
 
 And besides, what good will all those taxes do for us when the sun engulfs our planet? 

 CLOSE Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson believes that humans aren't being shortsighted by ignoring climate change but are simply taking the "long-term view. USA TODAY 
 
 Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson speaks with the USA TODAY editorial board on Sept. 21, 2016, in McLean, VA. (Photo: Andrew P. Scott, USAT) 
 
 Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson believes that humans aren't being shortsighted by ignoring climate change, but are simply taking the "long-term view." 
 
 “In billions of years, the sun is going to actually grow and encompass the Earth, right? So global warming is in our future,” the former New Mexico governor said during a 2011 National Press Club luncheon event. 
 
 In a 2011 clip, surfaced by Mother Jones, Johnson discusses his “long-term view” on climate change and his stance on government spending to combat climate change. 
 
 His thoughts: if the world is going to meet a fiery end, why throw money at the problem now? 
 
 Johnson notes in the 2011 speech, he does not believe the United States should be involved in cap and trade taxation, and should instead lend "certainty" to the energy fields. 
 
 "When you look at the amount of money we are looking to spend on global warming — in the trillions — and look at the result, I just argue that the result is completely inconsequential to the money we would end up spending," he said. "We can direct those moneys to other ways that would be much more beneficial to mankind." 
 
 The Libertarian candidate – whose RealClearPolitics polling average is about 9% — has been a popular candidate among millennial voters in the 2016 elections. 
 
 According to an August poll by the Pew Research Center, 70% of his supporters are younger than 50. 
 
 But Johnson’s views on tackling climate change appear to be in opposition to a large percentage of his supporters, Slate notes. 
 
 According to a 2015 public poll by the Institute of Politics at Harvard, three in four Millennials believe that global warming is a fact. And numerous polls show that people want action. 
 
 Over the years, Johnson has reiterated that if the government "gets involved" in fighting climate money is essentially being thrown at a problem that will never be solved. 
 
 Johnson's campaign website acknowledges the climate is "probably" changing, and that man is "probably" contributing to that change. 
 
 "But the critical question is whether the politicians’ efforts to regulate, tax and manipulate the private sector are cost-effective – or effective at all," the website notes. "The debate should be about how we can protect our resources and environment for future generations." 
 
 Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter. 
 
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– Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson draws a lot of his support from millennials, and Mother Jones has dug up a clip from 2011 it thinks might give them pause. In an appearance at the National Press Club lunch that year, Johnson explained his "long-term view" of what's going to happen to Earth, and he argued that spending "trillions" of dollars to try to curb global warming is largely a waste of money—because the planet is going to eventually be decimated anyway. We should "take the long-term view when it comes to global warming," he said. "In billions of years, the sun is going to actually grow and encompass the Earth, right?" he said. "So global warming is in our future." Johnson concedes on his campaign site that the climate is "probably" changing and that humans "probably" have something to do with it, but he's skeptical about environmental regulation. "The debate should be about how we can protect our resources and environment for future generations … rather than needlessly costing American jobs and freedom in order to pursue a political agenda." USA Today cites one survey showing that 75% of millennials believe global warming is a proven fact, suggesting that his reluctance to act on the issue could cost him. (Johnson won't be offering his thoughts on this at Monday's debate.)