As long as we are working on renewable energy sources, it's fine for now. We need the oil to drive the powerplants and vehicles that the people that are developing these new technologies need right now. It's all well and good to worry about the environment, I personally am kind of a tree-hugger myself, but we've put ourselves in a state where we are dependant on oil and it would be better if it were our oil we were using UNTIL we get a viable alternative up and runnign.

Iran?

I'm actually a Republican, thats what I'm registered and vote in primaries for anyway.  I guess I'm one of the 7% of Republicans who support Obama's healthcare reform.

Politics is not as simple as you make it out to be.  Every person has numerous inputs in the cost/benefit analysis they do when deciding who to vote for.  Drilling for oil is a single point that shifts conservatives in favor for Obama.  Will there be a lot of people throw their vote behind Obama for this?  No, but for those Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats who make up the middle ground of the political spectrum and are still considering who to support, this will push Obama more to the middle and garner more votes for him.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Still, though, even if supply doesn't benefit us for another 10-20 years, the effects will be felt today. Speculators will drive down the price of oil, since they believe the US will have more access to native sources in the future. Plus, it will provide jobs for those building the rigs.

My question is what the caveat is to the proposed legislation - will there be more regulation in other areas? Is Obama exchanging this token for Cap & Trade or other environmental concessions?

I'm a registered Republican too... I am so soley because I wanted to vote against Bush in the primaries, and was too sick to vote in the demoratic primaries.  Though looking back on it i would of rather voted for the other candidate at that time.

I've yet to actually vote for a republican outside of state government.

Unfortunately I don't think he's getting anything tangible like cap and trade from this. I think this may strictly be a sop to the conservatives that support this. Also, as was stated above, he does want a "diverse energy solution" (I quoted this because I heard him say this in a speech today).

Trying to win favor with the oil and gas industry if I had to take a stab at it. That or they are throwing out some big bucks if ya know what I'm saying. Kinda like the insurance companies did with health care.


Personally, I think it's a half-assed idea. We should be drilling for more oil to help rid us of foreign dependence, but we know that's not actually going to happen. We need their oil as our lifestyle wouldn't be sustainable. So for media sake do that, but in reality we need to be searching for other fuels that will make us self-sufficient. Possible bring some JOBS over to American soil. Promote some business over here as well. There are loads of better energy sources that we could be investing our time and money into, and ones that will be sustainable over the next few centuries. We can't make the switch overnight, but we also can switch if we don't start moving in that direction. Things just don't get up at a spring, they always need a little push. How about that little push Mr. President.

Obama wants to drill baby drill?

All jokes aside, the move could be to score a few points with the conservative leaning independents.

Yeah I'm all for sourcing oil locally in the USA, it would help the economy, create jobs, etc...

But where is my nuclear fusion? And why hasn't anyone invented a practical, lightweight yet high capacity battery?

I was promised this years ago...

*Looks at watch impatiently*