Obama Shifts Position On Offshore Drilling
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in Barack, Energy, OilHow do you distinguish a flip-flop from a principled policy shift? Well, let’s take a look at Barack Obama’s statements on offshore drilling.
In June, Obama said this:
“When I’m president, I intend to keep in place the moratorium here in Florida and around the country that prevents oil companies from drilling off Florida’s coasts. That’s how we can protect our coastline and still make the investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices for good.”
Even earlier this week, he called John McCain’s support for offshore drilling “a strategy designed to get politicians through an election.â€
But, yesterday, Obama made this statement:
“My interest is in making sure we’ve got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices. 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.”
So, Obama is putting offshore drilling on the table. Flip-flop or principled shift? On one hand, polls show that around 70% of voters support opening up offshore drilling. That’s a sizable majority and Obama is smart enough not to cede the issue to McCain. He could very well be modifying his position because of the polls. That’s a flip-flop.
On the other hand, leadership is not about holding rigidly to one set of beliefs no matter what. George Bush is rigid and he’s failed time and again at leadership because of that rigidity (most notably on Social Security reform where he refused to leave enough on the table around which to build compromise legislation). Obama’s shift could be seen as a good leader recognizing that his goals will be better met through compromise than through obstinacy. That’s a principled policy shift.
Personally, I’m glad to see Obama showing flexibility on an issue that really does deserve extended thought and debate. But I wish his first instinct hadn’t been to reject the idea outright. No, offshore drilling is not a panacea and I question the cost-benefit of the plan but, at this point, all energy options need to remain on the table if we’re going to create a long-term, sustainable energy plan.
Obama may have made a principled policy shift, but he’s left himself open to charges of flip-flopping because he refused to start with a more reasonable stance.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
While there is nothing wrong with a “principled shift”–this is pandering.
With anywhere between 60 and 70 unexplored million acres — THAT’S MILLION ACRES — already available for drilling, coupled with the fact that supply and demand issues are a sham and that anywhere from $50 to $70 per barrel is nothing but speculation, there is no real reason for increased off shore drilling.
I am not even really opposed to off shore drilling, but as a pre-packaged election year GOP issue it is pure nonsense.
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Saying that drilling must be considered as part of a broader energy policy is the political equivalent of saying .. “I’d like to talk about something else” as this stance gives him the final option, most notably after the election, to simply say no.
There is no real change .. Obama just doesn’t like being beaten about the head and face by an issue that he knows will take him down. His energy policy (as outlined on his web site) has no such point that would include additional oil drilling and he has repeatedly said that it won’t help.
Campaign McCain shouldn’t take this most recent talk from Campaign Obama as anything but noise.
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm
[...] Donklephant: “… So, Obama is putting offshore drilling on the table. Flip-flop or principled shift? On one hand, polls show that around 70% of voters support opening up offshore drilling. That’s a sizable majority and Obama is smart enough not to cede the issue to McCain. …” [...]
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Obama is taking away a McCain talking point, and making a compromise to get more investment into renewables, granted its not the best position for him to be in, but any fallout from this will be short lived, as the Olympics are starting and after that is the dem convention. Add in the fact that most americans support it and I don’t think he has much to worry about on this issue. My only disappointment is that most americans haven’t figured out that Offshore drilling will not help, forcing Obama to be flexible on this issue, they should have shot down this McCain plan months ago
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Avinash, what evidence do you have that Republicans were blocking investment in renewables? Why should the ignorance of Americans “force” Obama to endorse offshore drilling? Are you admitting that Obama is merely pandering to these ignorant yokels in order to get elected?
The Democrats control congress and the Senate, so why aren’t they coming together and holding the line on this one when they have the numbers to do so?
Obama is not very principled if he is willing to “compromise” when his party has the power to set the agenda. A new type of politics? hardly.
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Jimmy, as usual you are being disingenuous, short, or you’re misinformed.
First, as far as Republican blocking investment in renewables, it’s already happened four times this SUMMER as they’ve used procedural votes to block $18 billion worth of renewable energy tax credits that would help out investors in wind and solar power, clean coal, plug-in electric vehicles and a variety of others.
The simple, small majority the Dems have is not enough to move these bills from committee to floor debate–AND YOU KNOW THAT. It’s amazing to me how a guy who used to decry the Dems using similar tactic (when up against a far larger Republican majority) to block GOP initiatives will now completely ignore the same tactic when it suits your purposes.
You understand the political process better than most and claiming the Dem majority can overcome a solid GOP block is nonsense and, frankly dishonest. I will call you on this every time.
As for the ignorance of American’s forcing Obama to switch–heck yes, I am saying it.
There is a big difference between IGNORANCE and IDIOT. The American people are not idiots, but they can be swayed by a concentrated PR campaign of lies for the short term–and no one is better than a PR campaign of lies than the GOP.
The need for offshore drilling is nill with 60-70 million acres of land that is already leased to oil companies for next to nothing….and it’s worth noting the GOP has BLOCKED efforts by the Democrats to compel big oil to crap or get off the pot on these leases.
This is a campaign issue to make McCain and the GOP relevant and nothing more.
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Furthermore, if the GOP really believed offshore drilling was the solution, why didn’t they go ahead with it in their 6-years of government dominance?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:35 am
It sound like a pretty reasonable shift to me. He has framed it as something he is willing to consider in a proscribed form if including such policy changes are what it takes to pass broader reform.
You partisans can think what you want but to me it says he understands that there’s a good chance he’ll have to make compromises as President if he wants to get anything done. That’s a far more promising sign to me than continuing to promises free rainbows and ponies for whoever needs one, without explaining who (else) will pay for said ponies and rainbows.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
LMAO.
Principled, my ass. Predicted poll-driven pivot. ON CUE.