The Political Climate: an ongoing commentary on the NH Primary and Climate Change

I’m pinch-hitting for the usual TPCer who is currently up on Cannon Mountain at the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming’s field hearing. We did talk earlier and here is a report from the scene of the Democratic debate last night.

First, there was no global warming question last night. This is becoming something of a pattern despite the clear concern expressed by voters. It was a positive sign that several candidates used a stupid question from Wolf Blitzer about gas prices (more on this later) to talk about global warming (to Wolf’s apparent distress). Does this mean that candidates are finally feeling comfortable with “climate change” and “global warming” and will not longer reflexively run to the semantic cover of “energy independence” every time greenhouse gasses waft into a discussion?

While the candidates seem to “get it,” Wolf Blitzer clearly doesn’t. In a debate filled with broad questions that called for the candidates to give big-picture answers, the one energy question was, essentially, “what would you do to lower gas prices?” Without minimizing the impact that higher gas prices have on the economy, this is a narrow short-term policy question. The real question is (and Wolf could have led into it by citing the prices at the pump) how will your energy policy move us away from the vagaries of gas pricing and reliance on greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels and towards a system that is environmentally responsible, economically feasible, and affords the US energy independence? Answers to that kind of question are helpful in choosing a president. As long as the journalists asking the questions equate per gallon gas prices with energy policy, the public will be denied the full picture.

Continuing the theme of the media not quite getting it, Andrew Cline is apparently not kidding when he writes that the solution is to drill more (keep scrolling, you’ll find it). Maybe I just don’t get his sense of humor.

So will there be a global warming question at the Republican debate tomorrow night? Will the Republicans be asked evolution-style to raise their hands if they believe in the scientific consensus on human-induced global warming? It seems like this would be useful information for voters. Last night was an opportunity missed.