Dems’ Doublethink on Drilling

[cwo_ghwebb]

In the novel 1984, George Orwell used the word “doublethink”to describe the process of believing two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The concept invites an appropriate but superficial comparison to congressional Democrats’ current approach to gasoline prices.

Idea Number One: High gasoline prices are good. A high price, imposed through federal carbon taxes or carbon caps, is precisely the mechanism by which Democrats hope to curb carbon emissions. We know that this mechanism works because it is already working: As gas prices rise, American consumption is down right now, year over year (a historical rarity). CO2 emissions from gasoline is down from 2007 by a modest 84,000 tons, or roughly 2 percent.

Idea Number Two: High gasoline prices are bad. With constituents irate over gasoline prices that are pushing $5 a gallon, Democrats complain that high prices are a bad thing. They have dreamed up a number of boogie men responsible for high prices and drafted silver-bullet bills to kill them off.

The Democrats jig on this issue is amusing.

David Freddoso on Drilling & Democrats on National Review Online

What the Democrats really want is Idea Number One, but can't state that publicly. Now that it's become reality, too quickly, they have to cover their azzes.

This is an issue that is going to be very telling for the Democrats. I have speculated that if Obama is elected, and tries to push an extreme Left agenda through the Congress, he'll fail because the Dems elected from Conservative districts won't be able to support him. The new Drill Bill will be a great test of that theory. Will these Democrats turn on their constituents and vote with Pilosi to prevent offshore drilling, or will they side with Republicans and vote no?

[cwo_ghwebb]

Originally Posted by Bruzilla

This is an issue that is going to be very telling for the Democrats. I have speculated that if Obama is elected, and tries to push an extreme Left agenda through the Congress, he'll fail because the Dems elected from Conservative districts won't be able to support him. The new Drill Bill will be a great test of that theory. Will these Democrats turn on their constituents and vote with Pilosi to prevent offshore drilling, or will they side with Republicans and vote no?

Good question. I think they will continue to act like Democrats. I cite as an example, Mark Warner. Running for governor, he sounded like a Conservative. He gets elected and what's the very first thing he does? Raise taxes.

I got a feeling once in D.C. all politicians get corrupted.

That could be, but the Blue Dems went against Pilosi on the war votes, so I'm guessing they'll go against her on drilling.

[chernmax]