Partisanship Test
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This morning Obama announced that he was giving the go-ahead for offshore drilling in the south Atlantic, the Gulf, and off Alaska's coast. At first I thought, Cool. We need to ensure oil independency, and conservatives will like this. It's bipartisan.
Then I thought, How would I have reacted if George Bush had made the same announcement? I realized with chagrin I probably would have reacted with anger and indignation. Yes, I absolutely would have.
Is this pure partisanship on my part? To some extent, no. I know that Obama is smart and has the same values that I do. So I also believe that if he has okayed the plan, he has looked at the pros and cons relatively objectively and determined that the environmental impact is acceptable---a certainty I would not have had with Bush and one that I think I would have been correct to have not had with Bush.
But still: Do I really believe we should drill in the south Atlantic? I know absolutely nothing of the science and environmental impact, but my gut reaction is no. It seems like the wrong direction to be moving in. The idea of drilling more in the Gulf and around Alaska doesn't upset me as much, perhaps because I don't live there.
I guess one also has to look at the other energy decisions Obama is making, from clean coal initiatives to stricter mileage standards. All these elements come into play, but it's certainly interesting to spot-check one's own objectivity and partisanship.
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This morning Obama announced that he was giving the go-ahead for offshore drilling in the south Atlantic, the Gulf, and off Alaska's coast. At first I thought, Cool. We need to ensure oil independency, and conservatives will like this. It's bipartisan.
Then I thought, How would I have reacted if George Bush had made the same announcement? I realized with chagrin I probably would have reacted with anger and indignation. Yes, I absolutely would have.
Is this pure partisanship on my part? To some extent, no. I know that Obama is smart and has the same values that I do. So I also believe that if he has okayed the plan, he has looked at the pros and cons relatively objectively and determined that the environmental impact is acceptable---a certainty I would not have had with Bush and one that I think I would have been correct to have not had with Bush.
But still: Do I really believe we should drill in the south Atlantic? I know absolutely nothing of the science and environmental impact, but my gut reaction is no. It seems like the wrong direction to be moving in. The idea of drilling more in the Gulf and around Alaska doesn't upset me as much, perhaps because I don't live there.
I guess one also has to look at the other energy decisions Obama is making, from clean coal initiatives to stricter mileage standards. All these elements come into play, but it's certainly interesting to spot-check one's own objectivity and partisanship.
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posted by Anonymous at
5:48 PM
4 Comments:
From a diehard conservative . . . no, we shouldn't be drilling in the Atlantic. I don't think there's enough oil out there to make a difference, e.g., to give us any kind of long-term independence from Saudi oil. And it's not usually cost effective to get oil via offshore drilling. Put that money into deriving a valid and sustainable oil substitute. Or into making hybrid vehicles as convenient and cheap as regular vehicles.
my gut similarly says no. it also says "more pie, please."
If Pres. Obama has read this: http://www.peakoil.org/, then he knows that we have to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the problem, and unfortunately that includes more drilling. The good news is that if there's anything that can be done by the federal government to speed up the R&D for a cheap alternative to oil, then either Obama's already doing it or he will be doing it soon.
(nearly 3 weeks later)... My apologies to all the species living along Louisiana's coastline, as well as the humans who depend on those species for their livelihood. What a mess!
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