Like many Americans, I took time last week to watch the spectacle of national political convention round two. In case you missed it, it was the Republicans this time around.
I was able to garner a first, real live look at vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin; I heard statements from “Independent Democrat” Sen. Joe Lieberman, Conn.; and while driving to Kansas City Thursday night, I listened to as much of John McCain’s nearly hour-long acceptance speech as my car’s antennae would allow.
Balloons poured down at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., last week.
I won’t dwell on how the two executive heads of the current administration were noticeably absent in St. Paul.
I won’t go into my impression of Palin, the “pit bull”-esque hockey mom, and what I thought of the hoopla surrounding the pregnancy her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol.
And while I’d like to delve into so many issues surrounding both the Democratic and Republican conventions, I’ll instead stick to one sharp image that, for me, has remained long after the flashbulbs have faded and the confetti has been swept up.
That image came during a speech Wednesday by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Like many of his Republican cohorts and Democratic counterparts, Giuliani shared his views on what could be the key issue in the 2008 bid for the White House: “energy independence.”
After relaying his party’s “all of the above approach including nuclear power and, yes, off-shore oil drilling,” Giuliani laughed, clapped his hands and echoed the chants of the GOP faithful, exclaiming, “Drill Baby Drill!”
Posters on display at the RNC displayed some attendees' clear feelings on how to solve America's energy crisis.
The reaction of the crowd reminded me of what a Beatles concert must have been like during the British invasion.
I guess I just don’t understand what all the excitement was about.
Guiliani, Palin, McCain and other notable Republicans talk about ending our addiction to foreign oil. You see the television ads over and over.
I get it … to a point.
It does seem to put our country in a compromising position when we’re forced to rely on oil from non-democratic regimes in the Middle East and Venezuela or from countries that can be bullied by Russian competition.
But what I want to know is where’s the talk about ending our addiction to oil in general?
Americans consume 389 million gallons of oil each day. We live in sprawling cities where walking or biking to work is admittedly difficult and where public transit is often either inconvenient or non-existent. Semi-trucks and 4×4s cloud our highways and interstates, while the price at the pump — I think most would agree — is outrageously high.
I don’t want to cop out here and not suggest a solution but, at the same time, I don’t think I’m educated enough to offer one.
I do know, however, that times are tight. Many people are looking for work, and this thing called global warming is all around us.
Maybe Palin’s husband, Todd, has an answer. Until recently, he worked as a production operator in a facility run by multinational oil giant BP.
Maybe offshore drilling and tapping into Alaskan oil fields — while clearly a stopgap solution — is viable.
I just couldn’t help but feel last week that there was a lot more Republicans could have done to address American demand for oil. Why not emphasize more efficient automobiles? Why not talk about making bigger strides toward mandating cleaner, more efficient energy alternatives?
Would steps like these create jobs or take them away? Would they benefit the American consumer or cause more harm to our pocketbooks? Is climate change as drastic as it sounds and, if so, what can we do to reverse its effects?
Until I hear these types of questions being asked, I’m afraid “Drill Baby Drill” just isn’t the answer for me.
Tags: addiction, American demand, BP, climate change, Drill Baby Drill, global warming, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, oil, Republican National Convention, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, stopgap solution, Todd
