Poll: Voters want candidate with energy answers

WASHINGTON


Energy and gas prices top the list this year when voters are asked what’s extremely important to them in choosing a candidate.

The most popular idea in the poll was tax incentives for conservation. Nearly seven in 10 people said they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported that. Both McCain and Obama would offer incentives.

Two Obama ideas showed nearly the same level of appeal: raising fuel-mileage standards on cars and investing $150 billion in clean energy and biofuels.

McCain has a potential winner in his plan to lift restrictions on offshore drilling: 57% in the poll said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate with that position. Also popular: a windfall profits tax to reduce oil companies’ profits from soaring oil prices, backed by Obama. The issue got even more visibility Thursday when ExxonMobil announced the highest-ever quarterly profits for a U.S. corporation.

USA Today