Obama: "I'm surprised it [climate change] didn't come up in one of the debates."

[wtmusic]

"Today, after the history-making silence on global warming during the national debates, MTV’s Sway Williams challenged President Barack Obama to address his climate silence. The president acknowledged to the young voters watching the Friday afternoon interview that the climate crisis is a 'critical issue,' but said he was 'surprised it didn’t come up in one of the debates':

The answer is number one, we’re not moving as fast as we need to. And this is an issue that future generations, MTV viewers, are going to have to be dealing with even more than the older generation. So this is a critical issue. And there is a huge contrast in this campaign between myself and Governor Romney. I am surprised it didn’t come up in one of the debates.

Watch it:

The President of the United States shouldn’t pretend to befuddled why he promoted deadly coal, gas, and oil production during the debates instead of addressing the urgent threat of carbon pollution."

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/27/1100561/challenged-by-mtv-obama-says-he-is-surprised-by-his-own-climate-silence/

[Webster Green]

1. It is infuriating when he babbles about "clean coal".

Good grief! Forget about coal, fracking, tar-sands etc., and invest in renewable energy options.

[wtmusic]

2. Agree, it hearkens back to his days in Illinois politics.

Although people don't usually associate Illinois and coal, there is a big industry downstate from which Obama received sizeable campaign contributions. He's known as an ally of the industry.

But burning coal, cleanly or not, creates CO2. And there's nothing he can do or say to square that with a pledge to fight climate change.

[limpyhobbler]

4. +1

[Odin2005]

5. Coal miners vote.

If he bashes coal the usual suspects will start screaming about "evil environmentalists tree-huggers are coming to put you out of work".

[Webster Green]

6. Yep.

I support Obama and have contributed more in 2012 than I did in 2008, but it is still infuriating to hear about the fantasy world of "clean coal".

[pscot]

7. I don't think he gets it.

[Nihil]

8. I think he *probably* gets it (he's not stupid) ...

... but he simply doesn't care as it's not going to affect *him* (whereas losing
those coal, oil & natural gas dollars would definitely affect him) ...

[CRH]

9. Sorry Obama, that dog don't hunt, ...

There were numerous opportunities for Obama to mention it in the debates, especially in the national security/foreign policy forum, yet he remained mum. No Obama is afraid of the distinction anthropogenic climate change issue puts between his campaign and the republican platform. The climate change issues change the talking point dynamics, like economy, carbon taxes, 'clean coal' and methane from nat gas extraction. Why he would have to piss all over many of his donors and lobbyists.