Evidence of divergence abounds. Obama and McCain both support alternative energy technologies, but they have totally different ideas about how best to do so. They disagree about taxing the profits of oil companies, and, perhaps most importantly right now, they disagree about what energy-related qualifications a vice president should have. As Reuters’s Deborah Zabarenko reported, in an article that speculated about the “Best bet to turn the White House green”:
Early in the campaign, both [candidates] were seen as being an improvement over the current administration on the environment, but the difference between these two “green” candidates became more apparent after the Arizona senator advocated more drilling for oil off the U.S. coastlines and chose controversial Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
The superiority of either candidate’s energy policy is beside the point. What should be obvious and clearly important is that their platforms on this critical issue are, despite superficial similarities, very different. Thankfully, most journalists have made that vital point, but the Post’s editorial badly obscured it.
Another key difference not discussed in the article is the fact that McCain/Palin emphasis is open reserves and develop energy now versus the indefinite when Obama/Biden only if it conforms to/ we will need to do study first develop approach.
Posted by John on Sat 13 Sep 2008 at 09:10 PM