DFP's newsletter of our latest polls, memos, and memes.

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Why are we calling this duck lame, anyway?

After a presidential election, you may have turkey at Thanksgiving, a partridge in a pear tree at Christmas… and a “lame duck” in the White House. Don’t ask us why we are referring to the leader of our country as a bird.

That said, this duck can actually make a lot of good in the time he has left — beyond helping out his federally convicted duckling. Our new polling ([link removed]) finds strong support for actions President Biden can take before the end of his term, including pardons for victims of abuse and the drug war, as well as actions to strengthen diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Yesterday, Biden announced that he would commute the sentences of 1,500 people, primarily those convicted of nonviolent crimes, including some with drug offenses. Our new poll finds that these actions are likely to be popular with likely voters. We find that voters support issuing pardons for:
* Women incarcerated for defending themselves against their abusers, by a +60-point margin
* People convicted of possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use, by a +39-point margin
* All individuals with federal marijuana-related convictions, by a +34-point margin
* Elderly and chronically ill prisoners, by a +14-point margin

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Biden could also take action to strengthen diplomatic relations with Cuba before he leaves office. These actions include lifting commercial travel restrictions and assisting in providing the island with effective internet connectivity, which both have strong support ([link removed]) from likely voters.

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Furthermore, Biden has the power to direct the archivist of the U.S. to certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, explicitly prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex — an action with strong majority support ([link removed]) from voters (though still not high enough if you ask me).

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Being a lame-duck president is basically the worst case of senioritis you can imagine, except instead of skipping class and turning in all your assignments late, you have to actually keep the country running. But while Republicans are all distracted getting mad at some company for saying “Happy Holidays,” Biden has a chance to tangibly improve people’s lives before Trump is sworn in.

Read the full polls here ([link removed]) , here ([link removed]) , and here ([link removed]) .

Here are some other highlights from DFP this week:

Michiganders Against Discriminatory Driving

The only other thing we want for Christmas is a fully functioning, coast-to-coast, high-speed rail system ([link removed]) across the United States. But until Santa can deliver us billions of dollars in infrastructure funding, we’re stuck behind the wheel yelling at each other in traffic like a country of grinches.

Unfortunately, not everyone is allowed to experience the great American pastime of spending hours in traffic. In Michigan, lawmakers are proposing the Drive SAFE law, which would allow all Michigan residents, regardless of immigration status, to obtain driver's licenses. It would permit undocumented residents to pass a driver’s exam and obtain car insurance, enhancing traffic safety across the state.

In collaboration with We the People Michigan, we polled ([link removed]) Michigan voters and found that they support the Drive SAFE proposal by a +13-point margin.

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Michigan lawmakers — it’s time to pass this bill. It’s only right that every resident of your state can have the experience of failing their driver’s test for the first time because they accidentally bumped a cone while parallel parking. Definitely not speaking from experience.

Read the full poll here ([link removed]) .

Stream Solar Power by Lorde

Whoever invented changing the clocks twice a year has it coming to them, because now it’s dark out at 4pm and our winter vibe is unfortunately giving less Sabrina Carpenter Christmas ([link removed]) and more Ben Affleck Smoking Through the Pain of Existence ([link removed]) .

All that darkness has really got us thinking about how to take advantage of our precious sunlight — and how to harness that energy to keep us warm when it's below freezing out. Enter: rooftop solar installation!

2024 has been a challenging year for all of us — but especially rooftop solar. During the first half of the year, residential solar installations declined in 41 states, signaling that 2024 would likely be a slower year for solar growth.

To better understand public attitudes on residential solar, we surveyed ([link removed]) likely voters about their perceptions of rooftop solar and potential barriers to its adoption. Among those who say they are not likely to consider installing solar, we find that the upfront cost is the biggest obstacle, with 39% of respondents citing it as their main reason for not pursuing rooftop solar. Renters and others who are not the head of their household also face unique challenges, with 26% of voters stating that they lack the decision-making authority to make permanent changes to their homes.

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Voters also say that they would need assurances that rooftop solar would reduce electric bills (19%) and subsidies to lower upfront costs (17%) in order to consider installing solar panels. Which is totally fair. But as Hot Chelle Rae ([link removed]) once said, “there’s a party on the rooftop on top of the world.” And if you don’t have rooftop solar, you’re probably not invited.

Read the full poll here ([link removed]) .

DFP In The News

Salon: Want to fight Trump? Then act now to strengthen democracy ([link removed])

In These Times: Two Parties, One Genocide ([link removed])

Talking Points Memo: Trump Does Not Have Mandate ([link removed])

Vox: Trump says he supports DREAMers. His past actions say differently. ([link removed])

Washington Post: Democrats can make education a winning issue ([link removed])
Jacobin: Bernie Sanders: A Mass Movement Can Beat Health CEO Greed ([link removed])

On Social
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Meme of the Week
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Donate
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