Modern Maturity?

This is undoubtedly the dumbest of the condescending Republican pieces in some time. It's basic premise reminds me of a drug dealer lecturing his clients on the nature of addition, in the most condescending tone possible. (After all, they must be stupid. They bought stuff from HIM in the past.)

What is really quite clever is his suggestion that he and other metaphorical drug dealers should be elected to high office, because, --hey --who knows more about drug addiction than a drug dealer?

Of course, if you buy it, you really are QUITE dumb....

Don't fail to mention that McCain's plan does call for diversification
Wind
Solar
Hydroelectric
Nuclear
"home grown" oil to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
What Obama want to do...tax the oil companies, who will make up their bottom line by taxing their customers. Yeah that's a good plan alright. That more of the same of Jimmy Carter....it didn't work then, why is Obama stuck in the past?

Unfortunately, it is Obama who apperently slept through ECON 101. His plan to fund energy development by increasing the price of gasoline in the form of higher taxes on oil companies only makes sense if the plan is to force the alternatives to become viable by driving the price of oil so high that the alternatives can compete. If that's the plan, he must be clicking his heels at the over speculation that has the price of oil through the roof right now.

Of course, I'm sure that this plan would be challenged by the oil companies in court, as it is probably illegal to apply different tax rates based on industry. I really look forward to our situation when these oil companies move overseas because the taxes are less. That'll really help--especially since currently, the oil companies are the ones significantly investing in alternative energy development.

Englisch ist nicht meine Muttersprache, wie viele Sprachen können Sie sprechen?

Didn't think so...

Ahh, looking at the REAL numbers. What a concept.

That is so true. We seem to get so steeped in partisanship, that ALL energy is focused on tearing down the other side. Both sides get beat to death, and nothing get's accomplished. The reality is that on this issue, we all ultimately want the same thing, we just disagree on the right way to get there.

That is why I get so frustrated with all of the Bush bashing that goes on. While I completely agree that Bush has made some real bone headed moves as president, he is still the man WE, the people, elected. As such, we have a duty to support him in his position. We the people have completely crippled our president for the last 3 years, and we are a nation wandering without leadership. We are reaping what we have sown because we have beaten up the president at every opportunity. It's no wonder he seems out of touch. Any one of us would be gun shy in his position, if every time you raised your head, you got slapped by all of America. If we elected the wrong man, shame on us--not him. It's one thing to disagree with him, but it's quite another to totally disrespect him. Yet we seem to dis him at every turn, and then wonder why we never have any really good candidates to choose from. For me, on this point , party does not (or at least should not) matter. I believe Obama will likely be our next President, and I will support him for better or worse, just as I have president Bush. Unfortunately, I believe one of America's great weaknesses is our people's overall lack of respect for each other, and for authority.

OK, I've been reading some more on this, and you are right. My numbers were wrong. The article I read previously led me to conclude that we have 21 billion barrels in our strategic reserve. That is not the case. We have 21 billion barrels in proven reserves, but that is oil still in the ground. Apparently, we only have about 720 million barrels in the strategic reserve. Sorry for the confusion. We could still, however follow my concept on a smaller scale. If we just stop adding to the strategic reserve, and use the revenue from that change, it would still provide a significant revenue stream for energy development.

I am still curious about your reply from earlier where you said drilling for our own oil would only produce 10% of our demand. I have found little data on the projections regarding the rate at which we could harvest, and refine it. Do you know where such data can be found?

Maybe we need to work more closely with Canada. They apparently have 9 times the oil that we have, and currently only produce half as much as we do. It seems that we should be able to work more closely with them without all of the trust issues we have with the middle east. Do you know if we have approached them with the idea of purchasing reserves from them?

There is plenty of oil if we look at it as a temporary resource. It is estimated that there is enough oil in the shale layers of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to last the US 110 years at current consumption. Obviously, there is a finite supply of oil, and it continues to become more expensive to get as the easy oil is mostly gone. We need to get serious about developing alternatives, but there is no reason we can't use oil revenue as a means to fund our energy development program if we would just create the revenue by releasing oil from reserves in the short term, and drilling for oil in the intermediate term.

Failure to do this will make for a rather gloomy outlook for all of us.

Obviously, the waste is a concern. But then all energy production has the same concern, the "not in my back yard" syndrome.

As for McCain's campaign ads, that's the same kind of exaggerations he used against Romney to solidify his position as the GOP nominee. To me, as a Republican, I find it in poor taste--especially from someone who represents himself as a straight talker. It certainly does not represent the party well. Out of all the GOP candidates, I'm still pretty disappointed that McCain is the one we put up. On the other side, I have equal reservations about Obama. So I am waiting for one of these guys to actually show me something I can believe in.

The 300 million prize for developing a battery could be effective if it actually gets people to work on it to get it done. It's hard to dispute the effectiveness of a carrot so long as there are those close enough to be lured by it. If the government just spends the 300 million without having it be a carrot could just be a relative waste of 300 million.

I completely agree that we should have been developing alternatives. Oh wait, we have. We have researched many alternatives, and found them all to be less cost effective than the ones we currently use. You seem to think that the government owes us alternative technology. That's not the purpose of government. Government's job is to keep us from abusing each other while we figure it out. So stop blaming the government for our lack of determination to push for alternative energy.

Just want we need a return to the Carter years, gas lines, double digit inflation. Sounds like fun to me. Why is it that people can't give Senator McCain his proper repect? Like him or not he has EARNED it, both in the senate and defending this country. If you have problems have problems with his ideas and leave the name calling out of it.

I have problems with Obama's ideas but not the man.

I'll second that sentiment. The Dems seem to be like children: Obama's supporters on this list hurled nicknames at Hillary, Hillary's do the same to Obama. Both can't seem to spell Mr. McCain's name correctly. It's not McSame, McWar, McMass Murder, etc.

Funny that an article about the maturity of a man's energy policy brings out the most immature commentary.
Like children on a playground, you can't speak respectfully to those with whom you disagree.
Democrats seem to go for the same story each election cycle (the Republican is a moron, the Democrat is a genius). All the while, the rank and file Dems show the most juvenile behavior.

You can't help it, I suppose, it seems inherent to the left. Two good examples:
1) Government does for the people, like parents for their children. No personal responsibilty - it's a "feed me" kind of thinking. We see it everytime someone posts, "why hasn't the government done something?"
2) The whole superdelegate setup is proof that even the Dem party doesn't trust the maturity of its rank and file; they need more experienced superdelegates to protect the process from wayward voters who might elect the wrong person. The GOP doesn't have this.
3) Ever heard someone refer to himself as a "yellow dog" Republican? Nope. They wouldn't be stupid enough to be proud of voting lock-step with a party, even if it meant voting for a dog over a thinking human from the opposite party. Only a Democrat would be proud of this kind of blind, unthinking loyalty. You mention "50s kinda thinking - I think the Democratic party's version of "Be true to your school" more exemplifies the backward thinking in American politics.

If you want it all handed to you, fine. We'll disagree. But stop acting so arrogantly, as if you're the only one who's given anything a thought, and for Heaven's sake, try to be more civil.

Check out fuelcells.org. Those alternative energy sources that you think needs to be developed, were developed over thirty years ago. But thanks to big oil companies buying out patents on alternative fuels to ward of competition, people like yourself are stuck arguing what equates to the model-T when it comes to energy.