Paul Ryan & Rand Paul 2016?

FredHayek wrote: Think the GOP could win with this ticket?

It would be a good way to get the Libertarian voters back on the Republican ticket.

No, and neither will any other Tea party candidates until they start getting off the denial bandwagon and stop supporting further development of fossil fuels. Despite the economy being the most important factor for most people when voting this year, they still voted in a Democratic president and did not take away the Democratic majority in the Senate - that tells me a lot.

Fro Forbes: After Sandy, Poll Shows GOP Faces Growing Environmental Divide with Voters
John Zogby
11/14/12

73 percent of independents and 82 percent of Democrats saying they’re worried about the growing cost and risks of extreme weather disasters fueled by climate change. It’s a major change from our December 2009 poll, which showed two-thirds of Republicans and nearly half of political independents saying they were ‘not at all concerned’ about global climate change and global warming. The political climate has shifted and members of Congress need to catch up with their constituents.

Among the poll’s findings:

Two-thirds of voters (65 percent) say elected officials should take steps now to reduce the impact of climate change on future generations, while just 27 percent say we should wait for more evidence.

Seven in ten voters (69 percent) are greatly or somewhat worried about the growing cost and risks of extreme weather disasters fueled by climate change. Six in ten (58 percent) of Tea Party sympathizers are greatly or somewhat worried, showing a connection between climate action and fiscal responsibility.

Three times as many voters say the government is doing too little to protect America’s air, water, wildlife and other natural resources (44 percent) as say it’s doing too much (14 percent).

Rasmussen Poll - New High: 68% See Global Warming As Serious Problem

FredHayek wrote: But the public has a short attention span and while after Sandy they were more concerned with the enviroment, climate change wasn't covered in the Republican/Democrat debates, only in the Green/Libertarian debates.

No, climate change wasn't covered in the Rep/Dem debates and yes, the public does have a short attention span, but they won't be able to forget as things get worse and it will become a more mainstream issue. The problem is that it will be too late to tackle as anything less than a no-holds-barred, full-on assault and I don't think we're capable of it. It'll be too late to mitigate anything but the worst-case scenario. But do expect to see some legislation start to happen in this term, even though the White House has already publicly stated that they will NOT be proposing a carbon tax in the foreseeable future (which is stupid, because even Exxon acknowledges that it would have substantial benefits to reducing emissions).

I know you guys don't accept the Grist since it's biased, but here's some food for thought:
If you’re 27 or younger, you’ve never experienced a colder-than-average month
By Philip Bump
16 Nov 2012

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... ing-stupid