Offshore drilling and Obama.

[jillan]

Since Obama said he would consider it in order to move forward with a new energy policy -

how do YOU feel about what he said today?

:shrug:

[BlooInBloo]

1. #2 and #3.

[Alexander]

13. Seconded.

[PM7nj]

27. That's how I feel as well.

I absolutely hate the idea but it seems that most people have really bought into it. Sad. :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

2. I'm watching C-Span and the Rethugs in the House of Rep

trying to do a "gotto drill drama" press conference.

Guess we won't be hearing too much of that during the campaign.

[Kokonoe]

3. Give the companies an oil map.

Give everyone solar power and electric cars.

[blondeatlast]

4. "Consider" doesn't mean "do," regardless of how it's spun. Smart political move--

it neutralizes any planned attack by the McSame camp.

[SwampG8r]

5. i like the idea of

the POTUS considering something before acting

just might work

[DuaneBidoux]

6. "Look, I'll agree to drill if you agree to share your profits to find alternative sources..."

I think the biggest thing most Dems are afraid of with drilling is not the environment but that we will forget about exploring alternatives. By tieing (sp?) alternatives together with continued fossil fuel exploration he is truly changing the equation--and the "drill drill drill" folks are left up a fossil fuel creek.

[Solon]

7. Smart Political move, but if he becomes committed to it after entering office, it becomes a dumb...

policy move. Offshore drilling is a feel good non-solution anyways, cannot be developed for years, lots a dry holes are going to end up being drilled, and oil MAY, and this is a long shot, drop by a few cents on the dollar per BARREL, a decade from now. If he's just saying this as BS to get through this election, fine, if he actually thinks it should be part of some energy "solution", then that is truly stupid.

[Baclava]

24. So you're saying it's OK for politicians to lie to get what they want?

I don't buy it that whole "political expediency" crap.

If you believe in something - stand up and say it.

Wrong move Obama, wrong move.

[KharmaTrain]

8. The $1,000 Refund Is The Deal Breaker

I think it was a smart move as Obama upped the ante. If the big oil companies want to drill, drill, drill, they're gonna have to pay, pay, pay. $1,000 per household? Nah...$1,000 per person...that comes out to a big bite into those coveted profits. So let's see which devil they dance with...will they pay us a G to drill or is paying that much money gonna hurt them too much. Methinks they can't dare to part with that kind of coin.

The one thing this move can do is take another issue off of Gramp's plate...one of the few. And if Gramps dares to yell flip-flop, all Senator Obama need do is go to YouTube and be assured there'll be a Gramps quote saying the same thing.

[beachmom]

9. Smart political move, but I'm not happy about it. Trouble was the polls were against us.

The Republicans had an advantage with polls showing over 60% of Americans supported the idea of offshore drilling. Obama just took that advantage away.

In a way, this is kind of like gay marriage in '04. The polls were against us so we couldn't have the right position.

One thing to keep in mind is that with offshore drilling, don't forget that it will be YEARS before anything happens. And by then, maybe our alternative energy initiatives will have paid off.

I still don't like it. Sometimes presidential politics stink.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Another in a growing list cave-ins & DUer 's saying "well, he really won't do THAT"

[vaberella]

17. I noticed that seems to be the taken talking point. FISA wasn't that bad..

and that's on a national level. If this goes bad, as they so often do, it can fuck up on a world wide level.

[Jeroen]

11. Smart political move

If he maintains his position on offshore drilling, the oil companies will drive up gas prices rapidly and the McMSM will use that to destroy his campaign.

[polichick]

12. It's a pathetic move - he should be educating people, not caving.

[my3boyz]

15. Yeah, he would be educating them from the Senate next year. nt

[polichick]

26. I have no doubt that he can help people get it - the way he did with the gas tax holiday.

[my3boyz]

14. Smart political move because the majority of people were too stupid to understand

what he was saying. Even though the media did point out numerous times that it would not affect the gas prices and that it would take 10 years to have any affect, they still did not listen. Even though they pointed out that the oil companies have areas where they can drill now but have not attempted it. So he had to jump on that bandwagon.

I doubt McCain would put an ad out calling him a flip-flopper over it. The Obama camp could (not sure they would because they want to play nice all the time) destroy him on the flip flopping charge.

[vaberella]

16. I really wish he didn't even say the words.

This is an issue I care a lot about and I'm not pleased. I was very supportive of him and even more so because he stood his ground against off shore drilling even when the Repubs were pushing it. Now this is a joke and I'm not happy. There are no political gains on this issue and I'm surprised so many have relegated this to a smart political move.

I'll support him since he still is promoting alternative energy. I hope when he gets into office he rips the idea of off shore drilling to shreds and says as he did on the issue of NAFTA that he was just playing a game. Because this will not only affect US coastlines but also small caribbean nations that don't have power to stop this nonsense. I'm really disheartened and worried.

[TheKentuckian]

18. The drilling is very stupid and probably actually dangerous

but it's damn hard running on a change of direction but insist on ignoring the vast majority of Americans, just as Bush has done.

In fact I would have suggested he take the tact of "all options are on the table to navigate the country through this crisis that the Republicans have willfully ignored for a generation" a long time ago.

Having to constantly play to the base is putting Obama in a disadvantage. Idealist have a tough time making compromises and unless you usurp the nation like the GOP has, then you will have to compromise to lead. You have to be willing to take the best deal but that isn't enough for those that are "my way or the highway" folks that have a litmus test or an oath of loyalty that must be taken to get their vote.

Instead of saying no to drilling, he needed to take control of the issue by tying serious conditions on it, conditions that allow a little lemonaid to be taken from the lemons, while eliminating the charge that he is against anything that helps with energy costs and independence.

What's DUMB is we're on the verge of losing this debate with the drill head Republicans, and they will have their way untethered and the environment AND Green initiatives will take the hit, along with in due course the American people, who will continue to be enslaved byy big carbon for the foreseeable future.

THANKS PURISTS!!!! YOUR INABILITY TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE AND NAIVETY IS SETTING BACK ALL YOU FIGHT FOR, EVEN FURTHER.

I'm sure purists are good people but they are always willing to lose the war over a battle and it infuriates me. Dogmatic and inflexible people on both ends of the political spectrum are killing the country.

[nc4bo]

19. Offshore drilling.

Someone help me here.

Someone help me get a handle on this.

Where has Obama said he was against all offshore drilling?

Isn't he against new leases for offshore drilling? He supports development on existing leases (http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy /)

He is not against offshore drilling. He wants the oil companies to drill on the 68 million leased acres they already possess, some of these are are located offshore (unless of course he doesn't know about this already).

Why grant Big Oil any new offshore leases when they haven't developed the ones they have? Why allow Big Oil to gobble up all potential oil fields without the government first doing all it can to reduce our consumption of oil by making our country more efficient (is our government actually doing anything about this at all) and raising gas efficiency for automobiles (which our government has neglected to do) and without developing those previous leases first?

Like I said, I think I'm missing something and the M$M and Rethugs are making it harder for me to understand the finer nuances of the truth vs. the lie.

Edited for clarity.

[jillan]

20. kickin' for the Saturday gang.

[mvd]

21. It fits with his open-minded philosophy

It certainly won't hurt, and isn't really a flip-flop.

[vixengrl]

22. I think the neat part is it annihilates the message in at least two

of McCampaign's ridiculous tv ads. From a politics angle--since McCain was making a big issue of it, I think it's smart.

[nam78_two]

23. I support Obama but this move gets a big thumbsdown from me

I didn't care for the language he used, smart political move or not. This is a very stupid idea that is being propagated here -the idea that offshore drilling is going to provide even temporary relief. I don't see any point in pretending that this is a good idea and will achieve anything. I wish he hadn't gone along with this-though I doubt he would follow through.

[debbierlus]

25. Selling out isn't a smart political move - it is selling out...

Was voting yes on FISA 'a smart political move'?

This issue isn't a hard one to define.

DRILLING IS A LIE BY BIG OIL TO GET PUBLIC LAND WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD

It will NOT lower Oil Prices - it won't stop the destruction of the earth (how much time do we have left - about 10 friggin minutes?!) & it diverts the discussion from REAL solutions.

Here is a slogan:

Republicans are LYING to you.

Yeah, caving into Republican bully tactics has worked real well for the dems these past eight years. Just look where we are....

Smart political move? :crazy:

[jillan]

30. "Yeah, caving into Republican bully tactics has worked real well for the dems these past eight years

Couldn't agree more!

What happens to Dems when we hit the GE? Why do we always sell out? And at a time when 77% of the country thinks we are on the wrong track.

The environment and clean energy is a huge issue to me.:banghead:

[gateley]

28. I voted "how dare he" after seeing TYT's (Cenk) piece on this.

I was waffling - thinking it might be worth it if it helps get Obama in the WH.

BUT, Cenk summed it up. When we do this, we are essentially saying "We were wrong, You were right". I think that could hurt us more than help us in this race.

[GarbagemanLB]

29. You'd have a point...if McCain hadn't opposed it also.

[Abacus]

31. Only if he allows it to be perceived as a position shift

instead of a compromise. If he uses it to show evidence of his ability to "reach across the aisle", I think it could be a net gain.

[RedShoes]

32. unconscionable.

[Milo_Bloom]

33. It's always about give and take.

[seasat]

34. Disagree strongly with it but see a way to make it good.

I'm in Florida and strongly oppose the idea. If they put rigs 50 miles offshore in the Gulf, it can affect the environment of the entire southern half of the state. The Loop current comes through that region and would carry any spill, the 100's of thousands of gallons of drilling mud, and any leaked oil down around the Keys and up around the east coast. A bad spill can smear much of the state, affect the everglades, and destroy the reefs in the Keys. There are a half million jobs associated with the tourism industry that could be affected if there is a bad spill.

The way I see he could make this position an advantage is is if he ties his support for drilling to a wind fall profits tax with rebates to consumers. He needs to make the case that it is the only way to give consumers real relief while at the same time he should hammer McCain about his support from big oil. He should tie McCain to Bush on the oil issue by pointing out that he's continuing the same policies. If the wind fall profits tax gets in the bill, then Bush will veto it or the Repubs will filibuster it. Then we can brand them as obstructing real relief to consumers from the high gas prices.

I don't know if that is his plan but that would be the smart move, IMHO. He'd be able to nullify the debate on offshore drilling while keeping it from passing until folks can be educated about what a stupid idea it is. It'll put the Repubs and McCain on the defensive. So my answer to the poll is #3 if he plays it that way and #1 if he doesn't.