Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Why McCain Longs for 19th Century Fuels

He's making every debate, even energy, a 'cultural wedge issue'

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 14, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – Why are Republicans chanting "drill, baby, drill," a call for an outdated, 19th-century technology like fossil fuels? Because they are turning every political debate into a cultural "wedge Issue," Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times—"including even energy policy, no matter how stupid it makes the voters and no matter how much it might weaken America."

"I respected McCain’s willingness to support the troop surge in Iraq," Friedman writes, "even if it was going to cost him the Republican nomination. Now the same guy, who would not sell his soul to win his party’s nomination, is ready to sell every piece of his soul to win the presidency. Obama may be a bit professorial, but at least he is trying to unite the country to face the real issues rather than divide us over cultural differences."

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

An oil well pump jack is shown working next to a stretch of road in Coalinga, Calif. More drilling just encourages Americans to consume more, Thomas Friedman argues. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian, file)

Oil drips out as workers lay pipe into an oil well in Talpa, Texas, Friday, May 23, 2008. Calling for more drilling now is like demanding typewriters on the eve of the PC boom, says Thomas Friedman. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Consuming nations have pushed Saudi Arabia to boost production capacity and also want the world's top oil exporter to begin pumping more crude immediately. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Who cares how much steel John McCain has in his gut when the steel that today holds up our bridges, railroads, nuclear reactors and other infrastructure is rusting? - Thomas Friedman, New York Times

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

'Sacrifice' Is Dirty Word in Energy Plans

Obama, McCain ditch candor in glossing over tough road ahead

(NEWSER) - Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are each touting a plan to save America from the looming energy crisis, but they're providing too many sunny outlooks and not enough tough candor, Walter Shapiro writes in Salon. "The Ten Commandments of politics now began, 'Thou shalt not talk honestly to the American people about sacrifice,'" says Shapiro. More»

Here Comes Era of Activist Government

It's necessary, and McCain is better suited for the job: Brooks

(NEWSER) - With daunting issues demanding immediate action—energy, the markets, and crumbling infrastructure to name but a few—the US is about to enter a phase of "government activism," writes David Brooks in the New York Times. Bad news for John McCain, right? Maybe not. As past periods of great change show, it is more often the conservatives leading the way in such eras. More»

When Good Pandering Goes Bad

Bush goes and ruins McCain's opportunism on oil, writes Collins

(NEWSER) - The offshore drilling ban has been in place since 1981, but George W. Bush—who is still the president, Gail Collins reminds us in the New York Times—wants it overturned in two weeks. Watching his speech in the Rose Garden, where he said Democrats would be to blame for high gas prices if drilling in heretofore verboten places was not immediately authorized, the columnist wonders why the president waited until now to call the Dems' bluff, and how unfortunate it is for John McCain. More»

Let's Not Kid Ourselves: Oil's Going Higher

Why prices will keep rising, and what that will mean

(NEWSER) - Yes, $4 a gallon seems steep, but the worst is surely yet to come, Robert J. Samuelson writes in the Washington Post. Gas is on pace to rise to $7 a gallon by 2012, with oil rising to $225 a barrel, according to one economist. Oil-rich nations are acting as though we’ve already hit “peak oil,” and fast-growing nations in Asia and elsewhere are keeping demand steady. More»

Should Bush Tap Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

Rainy day supply draws debate

(NEWSER) - The government is pumping 60,000 barrels of oil a day into a “rainy day” reserve, but with oil prices at a record high, many argue that it’s already raining. That includes the presidential candidates, all of whom want to at least stop adding to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve—and Hillary Clinton wants to release some of it. But President Bush maintains that the reserve is untouchable. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Why McCain Longs for 19th Century Fuels