Issues don’t always flow from the top down — from the campaign hierarchy to the voters. Sometimes they flow the other way, from an angered public upward. This is the case with the oil drilling and energy issue. Every time Americans gas up, they are reminded that the Democrats’ refusal to allow oil drilling virtually anyplace has caused the long-term escalation in oil prices in the United States. Democrats don’t say they oppose all drilling, but they do. You can drill, but not in Alaska, not off shore, not in the shale, etc.. McCain is benefiting and Obama suffering because of the drilling issue. It is most likely this issue which is driving the closing of the race. Rasmussen has the race tied for two days in a row in his tracking and Newsweek has the Obama lead collapsing from fifteen points to three. And it may be oil that is driving the difference.
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It is hypocritical to daily burn many gallons of fossil fuel while standing firmly against its production. Reasonable people understand our society will be burning oil for some time as we race to find alternatives. Obama’s idealism (or what is left of it) is going to keep this race close. Democrats in the House and Senate had better wake up or they will find out just how much more American’s love their cars than their pious liberal stances.
But if you look at the swing states (Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania), Obama has a significant lead. Also, he is closing the gap in Florida and Virginia. So to me, national polls mean very little.
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Senator McCain would do well to focus on drilling + a couple other big-picture issues where he has a clear advantage. But that is probably just not in his personality.
Once again the Dems ideology pulls them away from the center and what I at least think the American people want. This has been demonstated consistently by the Dem Congress for the past two years and now by Obama.
My view: we want solutions not ideology. In this case it should be obvious to most that our dependence on oil from countries that do not share our values is a major cause of our economic problems whether it be our debt, the war in Iraq, the loss of industrial jobs, a falling dollar or the rising cost of fuel. I think the next President is going to be the one that clearly demonstrates to us they understand the critical and urgent nature of this issue. For me this is THE issue of the election. Solving the energy crisis is also, in my opinion, the greatest single economic opportunity of the last 50 years. With out ingenuity and drive we can transform the energy paradigm and create countless jobs and incredible wealth for our own citizens. It would fundamentally change our foreign policy. It will mean a multi-faceted approach which includes exploring for and tapping into the wealth of fossil fuels in the our own territory. This includes offshore, ANWR, and continental oiland gas fields. It will also include aggressive use of alterantives: wind, solar-photovoltaic, solar generated steam, biofuels(not from food), geo-thermal, coal, shale, hydro (tides and rivers) and nuclear. I am encouraged by T. Boone Pickens private intitiative. It shows once again the solution will come from the private sector and the best thing the politicians can do is find ways either to be supportive of the private sector or at least get out of the way. T. Boone does not have the whole solution but has put forward a viable approach to solving part of the problem.
Obama is showing he is not the agent of change he purports to be when it comes to putting solutions ahead of ideology. His reluctance to support additional drilling and nuclear will cause many of us to question his willingness to put the people ahead of his party politics. For me I fail to see the difference between being obligated to the ideologues of your party and being swayed by lobbyists. The result is the same and that is a failure to develop the solutions “we the people” need and want.
Come November I for one will be looking to see where each candidate stands on this one issue. It is our biggest problem and our greatest opportunity.
America had an indicator in the seventies with an oil energy crisis. And what did we do……built more inefficient energy vehicles, inefficent energy homes, manufactured more products containing petroleum, etc. Now our energy addiction is out of control and America is dependent upon foreign oil by 70%. So now the solution is to drill for more….which is really not the solution because we are going to consume more as time goes, but the source of energy will be different.
McCain is benefiting in the polls for now, and I don’t think oil is the sole factor…..maybe one of the factor…but not the dominating one. I would say that it is to early in the campaign to put much faith in polls……let’s see what happens 30 days before the election. America had almost 40 years to prevent another energy crisis, and we did nothing to resolve, but rather did more to consume and add to corporate profits. Now we are going to drill….and by the time that causal effect trikles down to John Q. Public, neither one us will be around to see.
T. Boone Pickens has a plan, or a least an option to help eleviate America’s dependency on foreign oil, but Pickens is a shrewd oilman and he will expect a return on his investments of harvesting the wind and solar energy to produce electricity. You see, the solution to any problem also comes with a price tag……and as you so well wrote in your book……it is all about “greed” and profits.
America is so formal when it comes to where candidates stand or their position on any issue, whether idelogocial or pragmatic…..but that is a moot point. What America needs are “solutions” in which [all] benefit and not just corporations. But then again, if 2% of the population controls 60% of the wealth of this nation, who do you think is governing this country, and of course with the help of our Congress?
Can Americans change this?……..my guess is no……when was the last time a poor man offered you a job Dick? Solution: stirve to become the 2% of the population that controls 60% of the wealth…..and then you want have anyything to complain about, except not making enough money. Donald Trump said, “one can never become to greedy.”
Listening to Obama today I am beginning to think he and Bush have matching IQ’s which combined are less than 100.
Yes, Obama will pull out of Iraq BUT he is going to redeploy the troops to Afghanistan. Ok, so other than the GPS co-ordinates what the hell does he see as the difference between an unwinable war in Iraq and an unwinable war in Afghanistan? Second question: Barack where do you suppose the bad guys will go once you leave Iraq and occupy Afghanistan?
a- They will stay in Afghanistan and be killed.
b- They will give up and apologize for their past evil ways.
c- They will go to Iraq.
Duh. So now who do we vote for: the idiot who wants to stay in Iraq or the idiot who wants to redeploy to Afghanistan?
It appears that middle-class white America is not ready for a black President nutured by the liberal left espousing rhetoric designed to attract blue collar Centrists. When the voters get behind the curtains to make their selection in November, it will be like Pennsylvannia all over again. There will be a time for a black President as there will be for a female President, but the time is not now.
Lucky for us the Clintonians screwed-up and moved to the center during the primary race. HRC would be cleaning McCain’s clock and putting the election away right about now. Such an election would truly have tested the power of the American female vote which is still a wildcard.
Hillary’s absence in a supporting role for the Obama candidacy is quite apparent. She either wants to be VP or she wants BHO to lose badly. Either way HRC still commands the feminist vote at least for now.