While acknowledging that offshore drilling wouldn’t produce a “drop of oil for 10 years”, Obama reversed his stance on the controversial issue while speaking in Florida.
“My interest is in making sure we’ve got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices,” Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.
“If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don’t want to be so rigid that we can’t get something done,” Obama said.
Its partly because he’s running against a buffoon who can’t even mount a logical attack on Obama (he hasn’t been to Iraq/his trip to Iraq was all political, he’s an obstacle to lower gas prices/drilling won’t lower prices, etc). And its partly because the messaging of our movement has been calling for higher energy prices for years, but hasn’t spent much time figuring out how to keep energy prices high when we get them, or to deal with their effects on people.
Now I admire Obama’s willingness to oppose the myopic hype around drilling for so long. Honestly, I thought he’d compromise on this much earlier. This issue in itself is at best a distraction and at worst a step towards a few percentage points of increased oil production in a world beginning to wean itself of cheap energy.
Obama talking about alternatives to drilling, and not sounding too strong…
I also don’t hold it against Obama for compromising. Its something he’s always done as a politician and that’s part of his allure to independent voters. What I am concerned about is when this fight, instead of being about offshore drilling, is about NO NEW COAL vs ‘CLEAN’ COAL, or 100% cap and auction vs safetey valves and give aways. This shows that Obama is likely to compromise, or be tempted to compromise. And that means youth need to be ready to be in Washington DC in the tens of thousands, taking direct action in their communities and keeping (hopefully) our next president on track.
Obama’s messaging is good for this kind of thing. “I’m not asking you to believe in my ability to bring about change, I’m asking you to believe in yours…” He’s saying that even when he’s elected, its going to be up to us even more than before to mount political pressure and lead the way.
If we run Power Vote as well as I know we can, we’ll get the candidates we need. But after November 4th, we’re not done, we’re just beginning. That’s when we take the million young people who voted for climate champions and organize them around fighting coal, creating green jobs and continuing the power shift.
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That YouTube video is a good one to point out b/c conservative commentators are already attacking these Democratic “alternatives” . . . Obviously, Senator Obama knows that inflating our tires is not going to end our energy crisis.
I don’t think Obama would talk about something that he knows not to be true. No, inflating tires won’t end our energy crisis BUT NEITHER WILL OFFSHORE DRILLING.
The more important point here is that neither drilling or inflating tires is an inspiring message of how we’re going to end our energy crisis. Investing massively in alternatives, public transportation and energy efficiency technicians and stronger, healthier communities will end our energy crisis and involve everyone in the solution. We don’t need to tell everyone to inflate their tires, we need to involve everyone in the energy effort (like the war effort of our grandparents).
Obama has been so good at inspiring people to get involved in leadership positions in his campaign (hosting house parties, training youth as organizers, creative fund raising efforts, etc). When is he going to help turn that inspiration towards doing something more concrete for the country than helping him get elected? Nov 5th?
The time between the primaries and the elections = Democrats water down and sell out!
I don’t think this is something we can keep from happening, and find it best just to assume this will come, and prepare for it.
Also, I dig Morgan’s previous response:
“When is he going to help turn that inspiration towards doing something more concrete for the country than helping him get elected? Nov 5th?”
Change comes last to the politicians in Washington D.C.
The politicians aren’t movements, they follow where our communities lead. Frankly, U.S. based movements and communities haven’t been as strong as the corporations for many many years. Otherwise we wouldn’t have crises such as economic disparity, the Iraq war and climate change.
The past 30-40 years we’ve let them get away with murder [literally] because we think change comes when we elect new politicians. Hardly. Now we are overwhelmed with dirty energy, privatized wars, home foreclosures and a global economic system based on the teachings of Milton Friedman and the Chicago Boys. [Check out Naomi Klein's "The Shock Docrine" and her regular articles in the Nation to get the skinny on that.]
Obama thinks bombing Iran and offshore drilling are good ideas. Get ready for the New New Democrats and their version of the Shock Doctrine.
“Bush and the right’s solution is to begin offshore drilling. Offshore drilling could cause even more irreparable harm to eco-systems, communities and the climate.” - Gas Struggles Become Class Struggles, itsgettinghotinhere.org, June 28, 2008
Hmmm… I guess Obama can do no wrong. He’s right to oppose it last week, and he’s still right when he changes his mind? Quite a reverse double standard you have going isn’t it?
Michael - you’re right to call us out - we should be holding our leaders accountable, not giving in. I don’t think I said he’s still right when he changes his mind. I said “I also don’t hold it against Obama for compromising.” Its close, and I fully concede your point.
Our job is to create the bottom up change that this country needs so that we can be pushing our leaders to take more, not less ambitious stances. I guess I’m more interested in re-framing the whole debate on energy than denouncing poor decisions I see.
Well said, Morgan.
It seems that you are honestly committed to change and not simply supporting the party line no matter what they decide. Some elephants would be wise learn from that kind of independent, critical analysis.
I too am committed to re-framing the energy debate. Along that line, I would be remiss not point out that there are some here who will ignore the positive contributions that nuclear energy has made - and has yet to make - in helping wean our dependence on fossil fuels. I find myself coming here often to help debunk some of what appears to be closed-minded railing against anything having to do with the use of the atom, regardless of whether it’s for peaceful or malevolent purposes.
Thanks for the breath of fresh air, and I thanks for taking the high road - even when I didn’t.