Oil, A Missed Opportunity, and More Freakin' Wind

Larry Kudlow has an interesting article at Real Clear Politics titled “Voters Say Drill.” Excerpt:

Public worry number one is now oil, jobs, and the economy, with the inflationary woes of the U.S. dollar right underneath. The candidate who can connect with these issues will win in November. But so far neither Obama nor McCain are dealing with the new political reality.

In fact, it's all about oil right now. The price has doubled over the past year while the economy has slumped.

But here's an eye opener. Recent polling data from Gallup show the percentage of voters blaming oil companies for skyrocketing gasoline prices has dropped from 34 percent to 20 percent over the past year. At the same time, support for more drilling in U.S. coastal and wilderness areas has increased to 57 percent from 41 percent.

And the candidates remain blind to these shifts.

Obama continues to lambaste oil companies while congressional Democrats push for cap-and-trade. They're missing the point, big time. The public wants more energy and more fuel to cut high prices and spur economic growth. But the costly cap-and-trade plan would produce less fuel and less growth. It would only raise gas pump prices while mounting a Gosplan-type taxing, spending, and regulating program that would be the moral equivalent of Hillarycare on nationalized medicine.

Sen. McCain has an opening here. Yet he, like Obama, would have voted for cap-and-trade, which went down to defeat in last week's Senate vote. And while Mr. McCain favors some off-shore production and has been strong on nuclear development, he is against drilling in ANWR Alaska.

On the one hand this is reassuring, assuming the Gallup numbers Kudlow’s quoting are correct. Reassuring in the sense that the American public gets it, “it” being the relationships between supply and demand, the fact that oil prices are not controlled by Big Oil, and there are existing solutions that will mitigate—not solve— the impact of foreign oil. On the other hand, both candidates’ positions are out of touch with reality as we know it today. Obama is unlikely to change his position—there’s too much liberal dogma involved— but I strongly suspect McCain ain’t stupid and will change his policies on drilling in ANWR and cap-and-trade. And that would be a relatively easy thing to do. McCain could simply say “I opposed drilling in ANWR when oil was trading at $50.00 a barrel. That was then, and this is now…” The same goes for expanding off-shore drilling, the decision for which, I believe, McCain advocates leaving to the individual states.

Much has been said over the past week or so about congressional Republicans having a bona-fide opening where drilling for American-owned oil is concerned, an opening that could reverse the party’s downhill slide. This isn’t rocket science… siding with the voters is usually the correct thing to do, as is opposing liberal stupidity.

Related editorial in USA Today… “Our view on energy policy: Alaska drilling is no quick fix, but it needs to happen.”

Further still: The Heritage Foundation’s “What Is Driving the High Oil Prices?” Their conclusion:

High oil prices are here to stay due to heightened political risks, irresponsible behavior by oil-producing governments and growing global demand outside U.S. control. Oil is a finite resource which is produced by a partially cartelized imperfect market. Consumer countries should expand cooperation in order to level the playing field and reduce prices by increasing investment and production, promoting conservation, and diminishing geopolitical risks. Yet, in the long term, high demand, inadequate supply and severe geopolitical risks combine to make oil a problematic transportation fuel.

Translation: Don’t expect a return to $2.50/gallon gasoline prices, ever. Ain’t gonna happen. But I don’t think it’s unreasonable to hope for prices to stabilize at current levels, or perhaps slightly lower.

(Image by Michael Ramirez, via Townhall.com)

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So… Red Wings captain Nick Lidstrom (left) and goalie Chris Osgood (right) were on Leno last night…

An audience member from New York asked Leno, “I know you have Justin Timberlake on the show tonight. In his movie (Love Guru) he plays a hockey player. Who trained him to play hockey?”

Leno said, “I understand that he did have a few guys teach him about hockey. It’s so funny that he asks this question, because we have those guys here tonight. From the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Osgood. Come on out here boys!”

After Lidstrom set the Cup down on the stage, two audience members – one in a No. 17 Gerard Gallant jersey -- stood up and applauded, drawing the attention of Leno, who asked them “are you guys from Detroit?”

The two Detroiters were then asked if they had ever seen the Stanley Cup in person. There response was, “not that close.”

Leno then invited the two up on stage with the Red Wings.

Leno said he knew that the Wings had won the Cup before, but asked if winning it again was just as thrilling.

“It never gets old,” Osgood said. “It was a big thrill not only for Nick and I and our teammates, but for the city of Detroit. It really lifted the spirit of the area.”

Leno that gaffed when he mistakenly said, “I know Justin taught you some things about hockey. Did he teach you anything that he knows?”

Lidstrom than picked the Cup over his head, turned to band leader Kevin Eubanks and said, “hit it.”

While the band played Timberlake’s “Bringing Sexy Back”, the Red Wings’ duet changed the lyrics to “We’re bringing Stanley back!”

Would you believe I missed it? I wrote myself a Post-It and put it on my monitor. I even told SN2 about it around 1800 hrs last night when he called. As late as 2200 hrs. I said to myself “Don’t Forget!!” And then I fell asleep on the couch while reading, and missed it.

I’m such a putz sometimes. (ed: sometimes?)

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In the “Bitch, Bitch, Bitch” Department:

It’s the frickin’ wind that gets me, Gentle Reader. I can deal with the heat.