August 4, 2008
MAN OF NO MYSTERY:
Obama Sells Out on Offshore Drilling (Melinda Henneberger, 8/02/08, Slate)
There is no mystery about why Obama has now changed his mind, too, although his position seems to be that offshore drilling is still a bad idea, but we should do it anyway: A national poll taken last week showed that 57 percent of voters favor offshore drilling because 56 percent think gas prices would fall as a result. Only they wouldn't, and both candidates know it.In the same interview with the Florida paper - on the day Chevron became just the latest oil company to report a record profit for the quarter -- Obama said: "I think it's important for the American people to understand we're not going to drill our way out of this problem," he said. "It's also important to recognize if you start drilling now you won't see a drop of oil for ten years, which means its not going to have a significant impact on short-term prices. Every expert agrees on that." (They also agree that if we haven't gotten serious about cutting CO2 emissions long before then, then the heartbreak of realizing that Obama has served us a baloney sandwich will be the least of our worries.)
Only, by even sorta orta backing new drilling, he is sending exactly the opposite message to the public, maintaining the fiction that there is no urgency to changing our ways, and that we can go right on consuming energy same as always. How again is this "change you can believe in"? I get that the McCain commercials blaming Obama for high gas prices are hurting him, but especially given how ludicrous this notion is, how about responding with facts? I know it's easier to assure people you'll bring gas prices down than to explain why nobody will, or should, but he's not even going to try?
His excuse might be the worst part: "The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the interview. Which might give voters the impression that anyone who beats the drums loud enough and long enough will get this same "Alright already!'' response out of him. And it might give those young voters he is counting on the idea that he's not only not as different as they thought...but maybe, just not different enough.
The Unicorn stumbles.... Posted by Orrin Judd at August 4, 2008 8:49 AM
"Call off your on-bringers"!
"their presumptive and presumptuous leader just couldn't resist his urge to surrender." Ah, that is why the Europeans love him.
"A national poll taken last week showed that 57 percent of voters favor offshore drilling ..." Crude price dropped the day after Bush approved off shore with an executive order. If the rise of crude was due to speculation, then the speculators know there would be a lot more oil coming in the next decade, and have to stop speculating.
"56 percent think gas prices would fall as a result. Only they wouldn't,..." They told us the surge wouldn't stop Iraqis' sectarian war either.
Posted by: ic at August 4, 2008 3:34 PM
The Party of Defeat and Surrender has an urgent need to surrender to the first dictator they meet. Having convinced themselves of the fact that (a) Bush is the most evil dictator around and (b) McCain is the second coming of Bush, their presumptive and presumptuous leader just couldn't resist his urge to surrender. Now if the pro-life people get their act together, the Messiah will even renounce his baby-killing ways...
Posted by: Peter at August 4, 2008 9:29 AM