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Obama Makes Major Error On Drilling (Nutroots discouraged)
Open Left ^ | August 2, 2008 | Chris Bowers

Posted on 08/02/2008 3:19:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

To pile on Matt's earlier post, Obama's flip on drilling strikes me as a major error. Even when analyzing it entirely as a political move, where the specifics of the legislation and the popularity of drilling are irrelevant, it still comes off very poorly. Straight up, it just looks like he caved. That is a terrible image for any politician to radiate.

It isn't about moving to the left, right and center. It is about not moving away from yourself. That looks bad, no matter what the bill is, and no matter how popular is may be.

This won't help him get elected. This will do the opposite. Last week, after the Berlin speech, I thought there was no way Obama could lose the election. Now, I worry it might be a toss-up.

About the only thing that could save Obama in this case is that McCain did the exact same thing on this issue earlier in the year. So, they look equally bad, and it is mentioned in the coverage:

Republican rival John McCain, who earlier dropped his opposition to offshore drilling, has been criticizing Obama on the stump and in broadcast ads for clinging to his opposition as gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon. But, that is in the third paragraph, while title reads "Obama shifts, says he may back offshore drilling."

Oh yeah, it is a really sucky idea, too. While allowing Republicans to go through with all of their sucky ideas has actually been an electoral boon for Democrats of late, since the ideas cause major problems. Then again, there is also the problem that those ideas cause major problems. In this case, Obama will help the creation of a major problem along, but actually receive a negative electoral benefit from it. And that is a big-time political error.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; drillheredrillnow; drilling; election; electionpresident; elections; energy; flipflops; gasprices; mccain; nobama08; obama; offshoredrilling; oil
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To: Popman
Left off this part

Don't ever forget, the rat party needs Obama to get filibuster proof majorities in both the House and Senate so they will never take a position opposite their messiah, hence the stall for drilling until he moved

21 posted on 08/02/2008 3:54:37 PM PDT by Popman (McCain as POTUS is odious, Obama as POTUS is unthinkable.)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

Now that would be a great visual.


22 posted on 08/02/2008 3:59:26 PM PDT by EBH ( ... the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness. --Alculin c.735-804)
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To: Jet Jaguar

LOL, very creative


23 posted on 08/02/2008 4:01:04 PM PDT by Born In America (I question European judgment when it comes to electing leaders, ie., Mussolini, Hitler, etc.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The KosNazis seem to be silent about it. I think the clinical term is “denial”.


24 posted on 08/02/2008 4:01:53 PM PDT by montag813
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To: Popman

And that is why the President needs to call a special session NOW!


25 posted on 08/02/2008 4:02:46 PM PDT by EBH ( ... the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness. --Alculin c.735-804)
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To: max americana

“Just you wait. The Clintons have something up their sleeves”

I can’t wait. I hope the Clintons nail him good. He deserves to come face to face with himself.


26 posted on 08/02/2008 4:04:03 PM PDT by Misschuck
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To: Born In America; monkapotamus

Props go to Monkapotamus.


27 posted on 08/02/2008 4:07:53 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: EBH
Obama just writes the political ads for us. The RNC just needs to film them and air them.

Obama should be beaten soundly with a moderately competent campaign.
The energy issue is a godsend if we will use it.

28 posted on 08/02/2008 4:12:15 PM PDT by HereInTheHeartland ("We have to drain the swamp" George Bush, September 2001)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

It’s like a Jimmy Carter moment.

“Wear a sweater, turn down the thermostat!”


29 posted on 08/02/2008 4:15:48 PM PDT by Milligan
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
This is a real opportunity, to read an unself-conscious sample of the massive confusion and incoherence that passes for democrat thinking. We simply must not allow McCain to lose to these dismal demented yahoos.
30 posted on 08/02/2008 4:16:20 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Its not a flip at all.

Obama is “talking the talk” but he didn’t press his own party people to “walk the walk” and stay in session to get things done.

McCain and the GOP can’t let him off the hook. The no-drill position is a loser, and without actual action by Obama to get it done its only meaningless words. Obama certainly has the influence to get Pelosi and Reid to move on energy but has chosen not to.


31 posted on 08/02/2008 4:16:30 PM PDT by I_Like_Spam
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To: Jet Jaguar

32 posted on 08/02/2008 4:21:38 PM PDT by doug from upland (8 million views of HILLARY! UNCENSORED - put some ice on it, witch)
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To: PAR

“Unfortunately, with the media’s assistance, he will probably weather the storm.”

Unfortunately, you’re right. America could survive an Obama presidency, but not a media that could literally put anyone in the White House.


33 posted on 08/02/2008 4:23:06 PM PDT by Spok (Whatever you say about McCain, it must be admitted that he's no B. Hussein Obama.)
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To: Popman
Don't ever forget, the rat party needs Obama to get filibuster proof majorities in both the House and Senate so they will never take a position opposite their messiah, hence the stall for drilling until he moved

There are no filibusters in the House - simply majority is needed.

In the Senate, the filibuster is a Senate Rule, not a Constitutional requirement. Hence it can be overturned by a simple majority vote.

The Congress really can be broken down to 50%+1 for all victories, if desired. And if the Obamassiah wins, you can bet the Party of Slavery, the Democrats, will rescind the filibuster in the Senate and run roughshod over this great nation.

34 posted on 08/02/2008 4:27:36 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: Popman

You got it popman. It is a setup. Now he can psychobabble about compromise. Meanwhile the bill won’t pass because only the gang of ten will vote for it. A win-win for oblahma, the media and the dems. The repubs in that gang are STOOPID!!!! They should of hammered the dems until they crumbled. Which they would of. Now they lose the issue. It was the only good one they had. How dumb can repubs get...No wonder we are in such a mess.


35 posted on 08/02/2008 4:59:19 PM PDT by screaminsunshine
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To: max americana

I read a thread the other day where Hillary will not allow her name to be placed on nomination. However, that doesn’t mean that her delegates can’t give her votes from the floor when the states roll is called.


36 posted on 08/02/2008 4:59:29 PM PDT by CedarDave (What do Obama and Osama have in common? Both have friends who bombed the Pentagon.)
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To: EBH
And that is why the President needs to call a special session NOW!

I would agree, but in reading the section in Article II section 3:

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Bold is mine. I'm not so sure $4.00 gas would be considered "extraordinary Occasions" and the language speaks of a disagreement between the Congress as a reason to convene them, which has not happened, both majorities are in complete agreement to screw the American public

Also, I would imagine the "rat" leadership would ask the SCOTUS to make a ruling on bush authority to do so, causing a constitutional crisis

I don't think Bush will do it for those reasons

37 posted on 08/02/2008 5:17:08 PM PDT by Popman (McCain as POTUS is odious, Obama as POTUS is unthinkable.)
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To: missanne

I’m afriad there might be a body count inside the DemocRATic Convention....let’s just hope nothing happens to the annointed one! Seriously, no sarcasm intended. I hate to see him have a deadly wound healed!
*****************
Ooooooo ... a scary thought. And if that happens, and I’m still here, I’ll know I was wrong about the Pretribulation Rapture Theory.


38 posted on 08/02/2008 5:17:30 PM PDT by bethtopaz (Obama is for OBAMA. A selfless, civic minded thought would die of loneliness in his head.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
it is a really sucky idea

Have you noticed that one of their favorite pejoratives is 'sucky'? How's Obama polling with th High School vote, anyway?

39 posted on 08/02/2008 5:20:12 PM PDT by tbpiper (NObama '08 - Unfit in any color)
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To: PugetSoundSoldier
...the Democrats, will rescind the filibuster in the Senate and run roughshod over this great nation.

That was my point after all.

As for the house having a filibuster, I know they don't but if the dems gain any more seats on Obama coat tails in November, we will be in worse shape than ever

40 posted on 08/02/2008 5:20:13 PM PDT by Popman (McCain as POTUS is odious, Obama as POTUS is unthinkable.)
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