Political Polarization, Framing, and Misrepresenting Sustainable Energy

Since election to office, President Obama has faced many economic challenges ranging from a high unemployment rate to rising cost of fuel. In an effort to pass clean energy legislation and promote renewable energy initiatives, President Obama embarked on a campaign to convince the American people that his clean energy policy would work. This study examines the President’s rhetoric surrounding energy initiatives in order to explore the possibility that President Obama began to frame sustainable energy as a job creator in order to meet the economic challenges faced by Americans and pass clean energy legislation.