Will The Oil Spill Change Obama's Mind on Offshore Drilling?

[MannyGoldstein]

Whaddya' think?

[Blue_In_AK]

1. I hope he changes his mind.

The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas have been opened up for offshore drilling, which to my mind is extremely dangerous, given that the area is covered in ice for much of the year and if an accident happened we probably wouldn't even known about it for a while. And how do you go under several feet of ice to cap a blowout? It's a crazy idea.

[MrSlayer]

2. I think it's merely a political ploy.

I don't know that he intends to drill at all. I think he's playing games with the Pukes, including it in a bill that he wants them to vote on or use against them if they don't.

[tekisui]

3. It certainly makes it a harder sale.

I hope it does change his mind, he should take this opportunity as an out.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Like Bush, Obama will never admit he made a mistake

whether it is oil drilling, nuclear power, Afghanistan, targeted killings of Americans, rendition, etc.

Stupid culture we live in that values staying the course, no matter how wrong, than admitting error and taking corrective action.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Obama's Flexible, Has Changed Positions on Many Things

From a public option to civil trials for terror suspects, he's done 180s on a bunch of things.

Always to appease Republicans, however.

[AtomicKitten]

14. I always look forward to your posts.

Your penchant for pontificating on who Barack Obama is, something you clearly know very little about, is always entertaining.

Obama is obviously making some political moves. This thing is vague and off some 10 years pending a study. The ambiguity of it all would be obvious to you if your narrative wasn't already written.

[Enrique]

5. it will change the rhetoric

he will continue to work for drilling, but he will say some things that make it sound like he's reconsidering.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Talk is cheap, and it has gotten a lot cheaper under the current Administration

There are reasons why many opposed Obama's drilling policy. The oil spill is just another example why we should move away from fossil fuels.

[tekisui]

7. We already heard today, they will be parsing the cause of the disaster.

They will hope to find a simple cause that they can point to, and correct on future rigs.

[hayu_lol]

9. Could be that we really don't have a choice...

that it is really too late in the game to not drill for more recoverable oil to keep our society afloat.

Oil is more than just car and truck fuels.

[zulchzulu]

10. Obama never was for it. He knew the states would fight against it anyway

It was a brilliant tactical move to shut the cakeholes of the Drill Baby Drill Teatards and have them come out against offshore drilling because Obama supported it in limited areas.

Now it's going to be an even harder sell for the governors to get past Environmental Impact Study phases of ramping up toward offshore drilling.

[Jennicut]

11. At least someone around here gets it.

The oil spill simply makes it easier for it to never happen to begin with.

[Island Blue]

12. I voted for the second choice

because I live in one of the targeted states and I have to be optimistic and hope that his mind will be changed. Putting oil rigs in the Graveyard of the Atlantic cannot possibly be a good idea. Not to mention that we're a series of barrier islands here in NC and so much would be destroyed just to create what would be necessary to support drilling. The entire coast (or at least the northern barrier island parts) would be ruined - swamps would have to be drained, etc. It would be an environmental disaster even if a drop of oil was never spilled.

[customerserviceguy]

13. It changed my mind

I thought we had improved technology since the oil spills off of California forty years ago, it seems as if I was wrong. Clearly, the President has to be re-thinking his position on this.

[Politicalboi]

15. I hope he reconsiders

And helps these guys get going.

http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=gi77h

[krawhitham]

16. no it will not change his mind, he was never for it

He said they would study the possibilities for Offshore Drilling

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. (other) depends how bad the spill gets and how it polls

[robcon]

18. I hope he doesn't change his mind.

Drilling for oil is an essential activity.

[branders seine]

19. Reality does not seem to be much of a factor

in White House decision making

[LeftyAndProud60]

20. I find it odd Obama just said that Oil Rigs don't cause spills. THey probably don't, but this

doesn't look good.

[depakid]

21. He must not have been paying attention to the news from West Australia this year

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montara_oil_spill