A Des Moines Register survey of people planning to attend the Iowa precinct caucuses on Feb 1 found strong support for the ethanol mandate – not a surprising result considering that Iowa is No 1 in corn and ethanol production. When asked if they supported the Renewable Fuels Standard, which requires use of ethanol and other biofuels, 77 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Republicans said yes.
Republicans were just as supportive of the oil industry. Some 59 percent of Republicans said they supported tax deductions for oil and gas exploration and development. Only 26 percent of Democrats said they supported the tax breaks for the oil industry. The error of margin in the poll of registered voters – 400 Republicans and 404 Democrats – was 4.9 percent.
There was strong support in both parties for the federally subsidized crop insurance program. Half of the Democrats said they supports subsidies for peanuts, sugar and dairy; slightly more than half of Republicans oppose those subsidies.
Corn ethanol is popular in farm country as a home-grown fuel that also creates local jobs and boosts farm income. The oil industry opposes a larger share of the gasoline market for ethanol than the traditional 10 percent blend.