Palin an Energy Expert?

I'm watching Sarah Palin. I am so ready for this election to be over, for Obama to become President elect (knocking on wood) and for Sarah Palin to go away for at least 3 years.

I am a big fan of women in politics. I worked for a female City Councillor. She was not formally educated but displayed a clear ability to grasp complex issues and to understand the underlying philosophies of government. For instance, she would never call someone a 'socialist' lightly.

I love Hilary Clinton. I admire strong women conservatives like Peggy Noonan, Deborah Grey and there are others I'm sure - Belinda Stronach who is a blue Liberal or red tory, I'm not sure anyone ever really knew. I didn't agree with Kim Campbell but thought it was great that we had a woman Prime Minister and believe she got a rough ride. She at least understood the tenants of conservatism.

Sarah Palin's big credentials are that she is an Energy expert since she comes from Alaska. And yet, she continues to lie and mis-state facts about energy and Alaska's supply. Drill Baby Drill is the lamest chant - it's like saying, Magic baby Magic. T. Boone Pickens, the famous Texan Oilman has endorsed Obama's plan so it's not like Obama is just proposing conservation (which would be a great place to start.) Pickens says we cannot use Oil to get off of Oil and that we cannot wait, drilling is not an answer in and of itself.

I also think that if you are an expert in something, you should be able to at least pronounce the words that are used, such as Nuclear. I'm not a big opponent of Nuclear. I just don't think it makes a lot of economic sense, or at least it hasn't proven itself affordable anywhere in the world. Palin suggested that we teach our children about the importance of "Newk-u-lar power." Please don't give us another 4 years of that stupidity!

The McCain ticket has also made a big deal about Obama's answer to the "Manhattan Project" question - should government lead the effort to discover and implement new alternative energy supplies. McCain rightly believes (as does Obama) that the private sector is the better sector to pursue innovation. However, the R&D costs and eventual implementation costs of alternatives to Carbon-based fuels are so high that the Private Sector ought not to be solely responsible for their development. In other words, government research and resources are needed to support efforts to innovate and incubate new technologies. I believe that is Obama's intent - to financially support the development and implementation of alternatives.

Also remember that it was energy expert McCain who proposed a Gas Tax holiday. I will give credit where it is due and think it has been a mistake of the McCain/Palin team not to play on her great work at getting a pipeline approved. That is fantastic work and displays more than her rambling speeches ever could. Besides, rambling speeches expose what you don't know more than what you do also. ;-)

Americans have to accept a few truths. First, they have to accept that they are the biggest wasters of energy. Acknowledging the problem and recognizing you are powerless are the first steps to addiction recovery after-all. Secondly, they have to understand that the best way to curb mis-use is through economic incentives and dis-incentives. Prices send signals. Reducing energy costs will not discourage waste. The era of cheap energy is largely over. Actually, it was a myth anyway since we've deferred all of the environmental costs and hidden many health costs and created unsustainable systems.

Why, if the McCain ticket is so knowledgeable about government spending and energy have they made no reference to the impending crisis in Highway funding. The Highway Trust fund is nearly bankrupt, requires reauthorization and the Gas Tax has shown itself to be counter-productive and unsustainable as a revenue source. McCain knows Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters quite well since they are both from Arizona and Peters is former Arizona Secretary of Transportation. McCain has been oddly silent though so too has Obama. This is just one of the many areas where real issues aren't being discussed.

Now, Palin and McCain have been name-calling of late, using the term socialist to describe Obama's modest tax plan. Beyond being totally inaccurate, an insult to actual socialists and actually telling us more about McCain/Palin's own ignorance, it's quite hypocritical. The Obama campaign could easily call McCain a facist, since he's very militaristic, supported nationalizing banks and believes in the corporatism of 'Country First' while having a running mate who believes that Americans are Gods chosen people. But they of course are better than that and know that name calling is ultimately a sad comment on oneself more than it is on the target.

How is further subsidizing oil companies, Nuclear development companies and other energy providers not socialist or even facist? McCain, who's own party's President was charged with running the US economy, supported the bailout. Meanwhile, the Democrats, showing bi-partisan cooperation supported the President's plan since ultimately it is the President who is looked upon and appoints such luminaries as the Secretary of the Treasury, Chairman of the Federal Reserve and others. So McCain has supported nationalizing banks, the most socialist measure ever and has excused that as an action needed to address a crisis.

I think that most people dislike intellectual dishonesty, hypocrisy and inconsistency. Unfortunately, those have all been the calling cards of the McCain/Palin ticket. Now we should care that some bald, angry, overweight, biggoted, self-centered moron from Ohio is endorsing Obama? Joe the liar supports McCain? Surprise surprise. He probably bought McCain's promise to reduce gas prices and reduce food costs at the same time. Wonder if he also has 'land' in Florida?

Lastly, if McCain is an energy expert and an economic expert and a supporter of anti-Climate Change actions, why has he not proposed something like cap-and-trade and/or carbon taxes? Guess that would be 'straight talk'?