I had the pleasure recently of participating on a conference call with Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia. Congressman Cantor is the only Jewish republican in the House of Representatives. He is John McCain’s Jewish liaison, as well as the Deputy Whip of the House.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cantor
The Conference call was for members of the Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership, of which Congressman Cantor is a proud member. Much of the discussion focused on the 2008 Presidential election.
The details of the conference are confidential, so there is much I cannot publicly discuss.
However, I can speak in generalities about some overarching themes that I feel represent what republicans need to do to get their act in gear.
One person on the conference call Was Joyce Cordi. She is a proud Jewish republican, and she is running for Congress in Northern California. Tonight at 8:30pm PST I will be interviewing her on my radio program on BlogTalkRadio.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/tygrrrr+express
http://www.cordiforcongress.org/
I look forward to seeing Joyce Cordi join Eric Cantor in Congress.
With that, I will offer some thoughts that I took away from my conference call with Congressman Cantor.
Senator McCain presents the best opportunity in a long time for republicans to increase the Jewish vote.
The post Hillary bounce for Barack Obama is over.
Some battleground states look very positive. Michigan is looking good. However, in New Mexico and Colorado, there is work to do.
The macro environment is poisonous for republicans. People are now more concerned about gas prices than they are about Iraq. The only silver lining is that people have an equally low opinion of the democrats.
Obama’s unifier message is currently well rceived, but people do not know what he stands for. Swing voters have not been convinced yet, and they see that Obama might be a risk. This is his main vulnerability.
McCain’s weakness is the GOP brand itself.
Obama has had more flip flops in the last 2 weeks than John Kerry had during his entire campaign. This includes reversals on Iraq, NAFTA, and other issues.
The idea that McCain will be badly outspent is a myth. Obama has raised more than McCain, but the RNC has and will raise much more than the DNC. Obama will have more money, but McCain will be able to compete. McCain is spending now in battleground states. He is already competing. Obama is spending in places like North Dakta and Nebraska, which he will not win. This is unwise. We will spend wisely.
Obama and McCain both have positives in the high 50s and negatives in the low 30s.
One common theme throughout the entire call was that selling the positives of John McCain is fairly easy. People like him and respect him already. The main key is bringing Barack Obama back down to Earth.
Obama is very thinskinned regarding future debates, and discussion of Tony Rezko clearly bothers him.
Obama is a house of cards, and the GOP needs to make it come crashing down.
When discussing why the GOP has such low ratings when the democrats control Congress, the consensus was that we have to go back on offense, and that the energy issue is the one issue that is really helping us.
With regards to going after Obama with regards to his positions on Iran, his ziggzagging is so fast that people can’t keep up. We need to go full throttle, and we need to set up a missile defense shield in Europe. We also need to point out that Obama voted against the Kyl Lieberman Amendment, which labeled the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.
It was noted that the Jayson Blair Times has already run two “buyers remorse” pieces on Obama. As for when McCain will “rev it up,” it was again emphasized that McCain is already acceptable. Obama needs to be brought back down to Earth. We need to compare and contrast the candidates on issues such as energy, where Obama has no plan.
One questioner was concerned that there was a perception that the GOP was dead, and why were we not going after Nancy Pelosi or offering a plan to lead. The concern was that we were in defensive mode.
It needs to be pointed out that right now, it is Summer. People are not paying close attention. On issues, 70% of the people favor drilling off of the coasts, and we need to hammer this daily. Half of Americans make less than $50,000 annually, so $70 to fill up a gas tank is a world of hurt. Also, fiscal issues unite us. Not tax issues, because McCain already has his tax plan, but fiscal issues. The issue is spending, earmarks are out of control, and McCain fights against earmarks. The people know him for this.
It was brought up that Newt Gingrich offered his “Platform with the American people.” Where is McCain’s message, and why should people vote for McCain?
Right now there is no condensed platform. Planks are being unveiled on a weekly basis. Whether it is called a platform, a contract, or a manifesto, or what have you, is not the issue. People are already open to John McCain. That is not the concern. Again, again, again, we need to expose Obama.
The final concern was why we were not spending more time letting the world know about McCain’s national security backgorund, and making the election about national security.
The reason for this is that we have to focus on what the voters are focused on. The main issues are the economy, energy, and health care. McCain is fine on national security, but the voters decide what the politicians need to be concerned with.
My main concern was that as somebody that has a blog and a radio show, I needed talking points. I obviously can think for myself, but I wanted to know exactly what the party wants me to hammer home right now. I was told that the different positions between McCain and Obama on Iran, especially in light of Iran’s recent belligerence, should be a key focus.
I am glad that Eric Cantor took the time to speak with us. He is a shining light in Congress, and as a Jewish republican, I beam with pride at his service. I look forward to the day when he leads an entire delegation of republican Jews into power beside him.
eric
You can hammer on Iran all you want, but when people are as insecure as they are about the economy, and many of them believe that the warhawks’ hawkishness is a part of that economic problems, hammering on Iran will only further alienate the GOP from the voters. If I were you, I’d avoid the Iran subject. It makes you look out-of-touch and a repeater of past mistakes. The Iran-paranoia crowd is already in McCain’s pocket. You need to expand your base, not continuously shore up a small minority that is already solidly in your camp.
JMJ
“Obama is a house of cards, and the GOP needs to make it come crashing down.’
I cant help but think of Milli Vanilli everytime he speaks.
“hammering on Iran will only further alienate the GOP from the voters.”
Not really when its Iran that has directly threatened oil shipments.
With all of Obamas flips on Iran the people want someone who can say with definition and stability how he will deal with Iran.
Paranoid is an innacurate term.
“Paranoia is a disturbed thought process characterized by excessive anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion.”
There is no irrationality or delusions on the right when it comes to Iran.
The threat is obvious to the simplest of minds
Maybe we should just give them a pass like Clinton did for Al Queda and Saddam.
Micky, you missed my point. As a matetr of partisan electoral politics, hammering on Iran is a waste of time – those who are beating the drums of war with Iran are ALREADY firmly in support of McCain. The issues the GOP can win with are: the silly oil drilling issue, popular with people who aren’t all that smart; gays, as usual, as states once again are putting up gay marraige-ban amendments on I&R ballots; race, as Obama happens to be black; and perhaps the usual small gov/lower taxes schpeel; and maybe school vouchers. Hammering on Iran is a waste of time, and may just frighten moderates away from McCain. I’d watch out with that issue if I were you guys.
JMJ
No hardly, I missed no point.
” As a matetr of partisan electoral politics, hammering on Iran is a waste of time ”
A statement saying that focusing on Iran is a waste of time already sounds like its derived of partisanship.
Its the one issue that McCain should focus on simply because Obama is clueless on the whole matter.
“those who are beating the drums of war with Iran are ALREADY firmly in support of McCain.”
Yes, but there are still the independants who along with the economy and energy will more than likely also see Iran as a top priority also. Mostly because the fence sitters usually operate on an even keel as opposed to the anti war lunatics on the left that cannot see the threat with any compromise.
“The issues the GOP can win with are: the silly oil drilling issue, popular with people who aren’t all that smart”
Silly, yea right.
First of all. If we drilled 10 years ago, no thanks to the left we would not be in this position now.
It still make sense to drill today for a couple of reasons. The first one would be that if it takes 2 years or 7 years in that time we will be that much less dependant on foreign oil than we are today.
Second of all I noticed that the day after Bush lifted the ban on drilling the price per barrel of oil dropped a few bucks. So with that I’m willing to bet that if congress went along with Bush the price would come down even that much more. But I wont get my hopes too high.
Then theres all the alternatives that the dems are pushing. Fine, I have no problem with the alternatives.
But quite frankly its going to take just as long to get all the alternatives implemented and retro fitted to our society and infrastructure as it will to recover what oil we start drilling for today.
We all know that the Dems are under pressure from environmentalists so its no wonder the only answers they are coming up with are solutions that will only impose more of the grennies will upon us.
Right away what was the first thing they were telling us to do ?
Change our lifestyles. sweat yer a$$ off and freeze, conserve. All this was suggested to us under the guise of personal responsability. Since when do the dems preach personal responsability ?
I’ll tell you when.
Its when they wont accept the blame and say its our fault for using too much.
When really if they would of just done what they were supposed to do ten years ago this would of never happened.
We could have nukes up and running by now and be supplying ourselves with enoigh oil to replace the percentage we depend on coming out of the middle east.
So no, its not silly to drill. On top of all our other options it makes sense for McCain to push it because if drilling doesnt get a pass we then still need to keep Iran in line so that that portion of oil doesnt stop coming in from the middle east.
And please, dont tell me that we only get very little from the middle east. It doesnt matter
Any disruption of supply from anywhere in the world will cause prices per barrel to rise.
I’m sorry, but to take strategic campaign advice from you is like doin a bible study with the devil.
Once again, I hit it on the nail, I didnt miss a thing.
The main pillar of your statement is that McCain should not hamer on Iran.
As weak and pathetic as Obama is on the subject I’ll bet folks in the middle will be relieved to see that someone knows how to deal with them.
Because hey !
You can have your rights for gays and same sex marriages or whatever fluff isues that the left is worried about , it wont matter if Iran screws with the oil or starts nuking neighbors.
The economys death or life can be highly dependant on what happens with Iran.
No doubt about it.
Anyone who doesnt see that is , well :-)
Okay, whatever, keep hammering on Iran. Don’t say I didn’t tell ya’ otherwise. Americans are sick of war right now. I just don’t think it’s a winning issue.
The oil drilling “issue” is retarded, but it does play well with people who don’t have a clue how the world works. Like I said, the GOP would be wise to keep hammering on that stupid nonsense. And yes, they can blame environmentalists and whoever, and morons will lap it up.
God, gays and guns are always winning issues for the GOP in the purple states, so I suppose we’ll see plenty more of that idiocy this year. Again, I think the GOP would be well-advised to continue playing to the low-browridgers.
JMJ
“The economys death or life can be highly dependant on what happens with Iran.
No doubt about it.”
Please explain, because I have no clue wjhat that’s supposed to mean.
JMJ
Nope, its pretty basic.
I wont even dignify that ridiculous request with an answer.
Micky, why the h#!! would our economy’s “death or life” “be highly dependent on what happens with Iran”??? That makes no sense. They’re not a major trading partner. They’re not a major world player. They’re rather isolated, by their own doing. They can disprupt the straights out of the Persian Gulf, but even that could easily be handled and wouldn’t have much effect on our economy anyway.
So really, what the h#!! are you talking about???
JMJ
I told you man.
I wont even go there.
I’ll go find an adult/realistic conversation somewhere else.
People are waking up to fact that the media has overblown the “recession” myth, and that the energy policies of the past have not served us well … the oevrwhelming majority of Americans want more drilling and more nuclear power. The tree-huggers are going out of vogue. How can the oil-drilling argument be retarded? These are the same people that decry not releasing the strategic reserve which would have less of an impact on supply than ANWAT, let alone offshore drilling, would have today if we had started 10 years ago. The argument that it “won’t help now” is losing it’s steam also. And yes, Virginia, there is a reason the harp on Iraq and Iran, and more people are paying attention to that too. Look at the poll numbers for Regan at about this time – we have them right where we want ’em.
Micky, it sounds to me you have no real argument to bak up your ridiculous claim that somehow Iran is an important concern to the United States economy. I call shenanigans!
Timbudd, you might be right about the “recession,” but you can’t deny the effects of real inflation. The Fed and such may not measure it, but food and gas do have an impact on real life for the majority of people. We can play numbers games all you like, but the real people pay the real costs and these days days those costs are high and the macro-economy is just beginning to feel it.
And drilling takes forever and Nukes takes years to turn profits. If your dumb enough to believe that’s the fault of environmentalists, then I’d suggest you study up on free market capitalism. You cons have it all wrong on energy.
Guys like Pickett are right. He could be the Ross Perot of this election, even if he doesn’t run. You guys better get with the program. Sell your oil and get with us Patriotic Americans.
JMJ
Jersey.
I have indulged you on some of the most ridiculous claims before that quite frankly didnt deserve the time of day.
I already indulged you on one ridiculous position you held today , that being that hammering on Iran is a waste of time. Iwill not spring for another. I will say what I have to say and that will be that. There will be no back and forth with me having play 101 questions with yoiu again.
Seeing as how left wing delusionals minimize the threat of Iran its no surprise that you think the attention should be placed somewhere else.
So it should not surprise me that you cant see how Iran could influence our economy by any number of actions it could take ?
Why would you ?
You dont take Iran seriously.You have always down played the threat by making statements that insult informed peoples intelligence.
I’m not gonna turn this thread into the Jersey and micky show by engaging you in a conversation/debate about things that are common knowledge that really shouldnt even happen.
And I dont feel like educating you on anything that you dont want to learn anyway
Iran can influence any number of situations in the middle east right now.
Nuff said on that issue.
Heres an example of why an intelligent adult conversation is sometimes difficult with you
JMJ;
“And drilling takes forever and Nukes takes years to turn profits. If your dumb enough to believe that’s the fault of environmentalists then I’d suggest you study up on free market capitalism., ”
You come out and call people dumb.
Dumb?
We had this debate a few days back and I showed credible and factual displays of how this was true. And yet you refuse to accept anything I showed you as credible knowledge.
The EPA is the largest environmentalist organization in the world. It is also a branch of the US government. So with that in mind its only painfully obvious that its role as a free market player is zilch.
It is the EPA that lays down a majority of the hampering implementations that actually restrict the free market from flourishing. It is solely responsable for standing in the way of nuke energy, not the market.
And then of course you have all the private environmentalist organizations that petition evey damn thing they can to stop progress.
Its just plain stupid to waste any time engaging someone in a conversation about facts when they wont even acknowledge those that are general knowledge.
Once again, try to get this to sink in.
If we drill now we wont have the problems that we have now in 10 years.
Not all reserves take 10 years to get to either.
If things do go south in the middle east and the 10 to 25% that we do get from them is somehow disrupted or compromised at least we will have our own supply to fall back on, because no matter what, we still are going to need oil for decades to come.
It takes just as long if not longer to get all the alternative energy sources up and running. Until then we are going to need oil. People are buying combustion engines right now as we speak.
When Bush announced he would lift the drilling ban oil dropped the next day.
If congress follows his lead theres no reason to think it wouldnt drop some more.
And now you are calling those who have a diiferent vision “unpatriotic”
Pickett has the right idea, yea, cool.
BUT !
We still need oil to come down for now and we will need oil until all these other solutions including Picketts come into play.
So stop calling people dumb and unpatriotic.
Its really not too flattering on your part. And you come off as pretty arrogant and snotty
“You cons have it all wrong on energy.”
The last dem that thought he had it right on energy was Carter.
I dont think anyone with any sanity will trust that the dems can get it right on energy.
You can think what you want. But anyone who reads this blog I’m sure will inform you that I can always back up my claims.
I mean no insult personally.
But if I have to explain something in detail to someone who doesnt get it in the beggining, he more than likely wont get it in the end
Micky, I agree that we have pretty serious issues with Iran, but to say, “The economys death or life can be highly dependant on what happens with Iran,” is ludcrous. It makes almost no sense whatsoever. I really just have no idea what you’re talking about. What? Do you think Iran plans to bomb us off the map? You think they could any time in the forseeable future? Get real.
“If we drill now we wont have the problems that we have now in 10 years.”
Why? What are yopu talking about here? We only have 3% of the world’s reserves bu we need 25% of the supply – how on God’s Earth could we possibly EVER drill our way around that fact? What planet do you live on???
You conservatives are just plain silly sometomes.
We don’t “need” all that oil, we simply want it. There’s plenty of ways to get off our heroine-like oil addiction. We simply have to do something about it. You can’t wish it away, and you most certainly can’t make it go away with further dependence! We have to finally and for once and for all end this stupid love of the 19th century technology of the internal combustion engine. We have to get wind and wave power on a national grid. And the national grid is a serious national security need as well. Any two-bit terrorist could black out a major metropolitan area with relative ease as things stand now. And the dependence on oil is a national security issue as well. Oil is globally traded and there’s no political impetus to end that sorry state of market-failure affairs. As long as our ridiculous dependence continues, dangerous regimes accross the globe have a cash cow to fund their malicious rule.
But no, the silly cons will want to squeeze every last dollar out of oil because they really don’t care about national security, pollution, progress, or the future they’ll leave their kids – they only care about the almighty dollar and how much of it they have in their accounts. Meanwhile, sycophants like you will be pandered by the GOP with silly, inane excuses to continue the status quo. Good luck with that, Micky. One day maybe you’ll wake up and realize that the GOP does not represent you or your interests. They’re just using you.
JMJ
I’ve been through this before. And I’m tired of you ignoring facts and just continuing with the same argument day after day as if the facts were never presented to you
We have more than 3 %. Otherwise why would it be such an important issue that we pull it out of the ground ?
I am for alternatives. But they will take time to get them in place.
By that rime we will still need oil no matter what. We will need less due to the other means we are using, so the 3% will come in handy instead of buying it from someone else.
In addition we have unproven reserves and proven reserves that have not been tapped yet that will deliver more than 3%
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If war erupts in the middle east the supply we do get from there will be interrupted. Its happened before even with no war in place.
As the market is right now , consumers just cant take another hike in prices, it will cripple our country.
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“We don’t “need” all that oil, we simply want it. ”
Wrong.
All of our machinery and cars will not be tossed just because and even if we brought in all the alternatives tomm.
All cars and machinery that require oil are built to last 5 to 10 years.
We do not want the oil. We need it because we cannot afford to just throw away all these products. It sounds as if you are expecting everyone to just go clean slate with alternatives over night.
Not gonna happen.
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“We simply have to do something about it. ”
“simply?”
I see a problem here. It looks as if you think its simple.
It seems that its that kind of thinking that adds to the problem of America not being able to agree on a solution when one side thinks it is or should be simple.
We need to agree on the terms on the convertion and exactly what it will entail and require in materials and time.
So far the answer from the left has been to cut back. Which is stupid because prices as they are have already caused us to do that.
The other answer is the alternatives which both sides support , but this will take time. Of course I should mention that the left does not support nuke.
Works for the French and the Swedes. I thought the left idolized their systems ?
I think once we loose that word “simply” things will be understood a little better and we can actually move forward.
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-“You can’t wish it away”
No, but it is not “simple” as you implied. And please tell me whom you know of that is thinking this.
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“We have to finally and for once and for all end this stupid love of the 19th century technology of the internal combustion engine. ”
Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
Yes, we need to do away with it. but the facts is like I said above. This technology and machinery will be around for at least another ten years and the whole country is not going to throw away their heaters and cars and factories jet planes and boats or each and every cities mass transit system overnight.
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“And the national grid is a serious national security need as well. Any two-bit terrorist could black out a major metropolitan area with relative ease as things stand now. ”
Yes, but first we need to find out what the new grid will be carrying before we just build an entirely new grid for the entire United States of America.
You make it sound as if its as simple as rewiring your speakers.
That would be a huge phenomenal undertaking of biblical proportions.
( I thought you weren’t worried about terrorists?)
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“Oil is globally traded and there’s no political impetus to end that sorry state of market-failure affairs. As long as our ridiculous dependence continues, dangerous regimes across the globe have a cash cow to fund their malicious rule. ”
Gee, thanks, but I’m the one who has been telling you this all along.
And its no wonder there are no politics that can fix it.
Well maybe a little bit, the govt. can influence some changes. But the market has usually had better control. Although it did react one way when Bush lifted the ban.
And it went the other way every time Iran farts.
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“But no, the silly cons will want to squeeze every last dollar out of oil because they really don’t care about national security, pollution, progress, or the future they’ll leave their kids – they only care about the almighty dollar and how much of it they have in their accounts. Meanwhile, sycophants like you will be pandered by the GOP with silly, inane excuses to continue the status quo. Good luck with that, Micky. One day maybe you’ll wake up and realize that the GOP does not represent you or your interests. They’re just using you. ”
Of course you had to throw in the usual belittlement of the right. I do this to the left also but really not half as much, lets both grow the f**k up and realize that with those sentiments we will never make progress.
The right is most definitely the champions of national security. The last 8 years prove it without a doubt.
We care about pollution. We do not care about global warming(most of us).
I have thought about my sons future, from time to time.
I do not appreciate being called a sycophant, meaning a self seeking fawning parasite/swindler.
I sobered up and realized that the left did not represent my interests. So please, between you and I know for a fact that I spend more of my hours with a clear head than you do.
That was just a little even exchange for the personal attack on me with the word sycophant.
Now, try this.
Even though I’m terribly upset with you for for your disingenuous display of dishonest quotes the other day lets see if we can set an example and actually put together a solution or some sort of agreement on what an ideal scenario for our future energy transference from major oil to alternatives and minimal oil would look like.
I don’t know, I don’t want to do the kumbaya thing, don’t get me wrong.
But I can do one of two things here.
Concentrate on letting you know how wrong I think you are or see if you,re not and maybe two adult men could find a decent idea
“We have more than 3 %. Otherwise why would it be such an important issue that we pull it out of the ground?”
It’s not an “important issue.” It’s a made-up BS issue for the consumption of the uneducated (re: 70% of Americans). No one argues the reserve numbers. We have about the most accurate measuring on the planet. Of our “provable” reserves, we have about enough to fuel the nation for all of three years at current consumption. At the current rate of extraction, we only have about 11 years. So, yes. We do have to explore and drill, and we will. But more importantly, we have to find ways to end our ridiculous rate of consumption. The oil companies have everything they need. They don’t need any more encouragement.
As for the grid, we do not have to build an entire grid from scratch. We simply have to add to it and alter it so that it is truly national – to get the power from where it’s produced to where it’s needed. Small government conservatives hate the government ever doing anything, but this is exactly what we need a government to do. Like the continental rails or the interstate highways, the great dams and canals, only the government – or at least govvernment money and impetus – can build up a truly national grid.
I’ll tell you another idea that Americans need to get through our collective skull: virtual commuting! The old American management midset is still stuck in the brick and mortar world of yeaterday. The service sector is rife with unnecessary commuting. Most of these jobs could easily be done from home (processing orders, accounting, auditing, shipping/receiving documentation, transcription, trading, etc). We need to take the profitteering out of broadband and wire up the country, end the feudal cable monopolies, and let loose the capacity of Americans to work from home. The government could offer tax credits for the software and hardware investments required and American managers need to grow-up and realize the obsolescence of the old brick and mortar workplace. This goes for the university system as well. And also the sales sector. We have to end the taxpayor subsidies for unnecessary travel. All this pointless flying around to shake hands all over the place is wasteful – another obsolete holdover of the old American management model.
And I love Picketts plan for converting vehicles to use natural gas! We have tons of it, it’s clean, and many people could feul up right from home! Why we hadn’t moved in that direction years ago is beyond me.
JMJ
“But more importantly, we have to find ways to end our ridiculous rate of consumption. ”
This is in the works as the price right now has motivated us more than usual
People are aware of solar, wind, hydrogen etc.
But we are not going to find our way there if things are not cost appealing.
If it costs us more to transfer over to say solar for example, it will take that much longer.
Not everyone has a few grand to plop a unit on their roof and wait a year for it to give the return.
So then you enter the probability that the fed will start offering tax credits or vouchers whatever. and then you will have an argument over the taxes that pay for it.
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“Small government conservatives hate the government ever doing anything, but this is exactly what we need a government to do. ”
Hawaii suffers from infrastructure problems due to the “add on” method.
Its counter productive because the add ons are made of newer materials and technology that doesn’t match up with the old.
Older sections of wiring, water, sewage fall apart due to the stress newer parts put on them. Its a bottle neck dilemma. While the newer wiring and pipelines can handle more volume and handle more expediently the older sections fail.
Consequently our roads are always being dug up monthly, sometimes yearly to repair the old pipes and underground utilities that fall apart after the new was installed.
Our power goes out weekly for about 1/2 because the new grid put in up the street increase flow at a faster pace and its wreaking havoc on the old.
We are looking for trouble if we do it on the cheap.
Unfortunately the majority of the country doesn’t trust the govt. to do anything
Wiring the country with a new grid after and if we successfully move over to more renewable’s or alternatives is one thing.
Your last paragraph starting with virtual commuting all the way to the end sounds like you would have to turn the free market and a lot of basic rights and freedoms on its ear in order to get it to work.
Lets just worry about getting alternative energies in place and off of foreign oil first.
Once again, converting vehicles to natural gas is great. but its the time it will take and if people are willing to incur the cost. When if the car is more than a couple years old I doubt anyone will be willing to do that.
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The United States has more deposits of oil shale than anyone in the world.
The Bureau of Land Management says it holds an estimated 2,500 gigabarrels of recoverable oil. But what comes from shale is stuff called kerogen. And this stuff requires certain kind if refining that is not being used enough right now. And that’s why we don’t see all that much production of oil from oil shale. The oil shale reserves don’t meet the oil industry definition of proven oil reserves.
But its there !
And we should start drilling Anwar.
“Reserves: The U.S. currently gets 58% of its oil from foreign sources and this is forecast to hit 70% by 2020. ANWAR reserve estimates are in the neighborhood of 16 billion barrels, which would replace the equivalent of what we currently import from Saudi Arabia”
That right there is what we need to do.
just for the plain fact that as idealistic as everyone is being about all the other energy sources it will be a while before we have them at full capacity.
Anwar can be harvested within a few years. It will take longer than that to get all other alternatives up and running. I would say anywhere from 10 to 20 years before we are using the least amount of oil we have ever used.
Until then, we will need oil. After then, we will need oil. Not as much. but we will need it none the less.
And with Anwars reserves lasting 20 years that buys us a lot of time to bring other sources into play.
Its simply foolish not to drill.
The Pickett plan, for example, estimates a 1.2 trillion dollar price tag just to get wind and a better grid up and running (and profits in his Pickett-Pocket). That is a high price, and you’re right, people don’t care for high price tags – especially up front (just look at all the morons who partook in the recent mortgage debacle). Take the war in Iraq. When the Bush administration – along with plenty of Dems and Reps – said that the war would practically pay for itself, most Americans were fine with it. Now that the war costs are looking to get well up into 13 digits, most Americans are not happy at all.
I bring up the war in Iraq to juxtapose it with the Pickett plan. Let’s face it – we would never have invaded Iraq if they had no oil. We didn’t invade North Korea because the Chinese might lose their cool. We didn’t invade Iran because there was no way to put a happy face on that bloody scenario. We didn’t invade Sudan because even though they have a lot of oil, the North African infrastructure can’t guarentee delivery. We don’t invade Nigeria because they have friendly crooks running the country, for whatever that’s worth.
We invaded Iraq because it was the one oil-rich country isolated from the rest of the world, and hated in it’s own region. We will spend up to three trillion dollars horsing around over there and to this day, 5+ years on, we still haven’t turned a dime of profit from it. Yet for a half or a third of that cost, we could cut our dependence on oil in half in just a decade. It’s a fair point. No amount of domestic drilling could match that ratio and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than warring in the Middle East.
But go ahead and take the war out of it if you like. That’s still 700 billion American dollars leaving our shores every year for oil. Imports have quadrupled in that past forty years and again domestic drilling in no way can compete with that ratio. There’s no way to turn around that supply/demand problem with domestic supply. Period. Even the oil companies admit that as matter of obvious fact. The only other way to get supply is further importing. Anwar is all well and fine, but it simply will not impact prices on the macro-scale. We should drill and there’s plenty of leases to go around, but it’s not going to make a real difference in the average American’s life. Just remember this: no one is stopping the oil companies from drilling on the vast majority of the places they want to drill. Yet these same companies would rather do business in war-torn Iraq than here. Why? Not because of “liberals” or “environmentalists,” but because they know there’s more oil there than here. That’s the way markets work.
As for shale or sand, coal or whatever, converting these things to standard motor combustibles is very costly and dirty. And it does nothing to ween us from oil.
Look,
We KNOW we have only so much supply.
We KNOW demand will only continue to grow.
We MUST address the demand with a different supply.
Now, you conservatives and republicans, like our good host, the “Wall Street Conservative,” claim to be the masters of capitalism and trade. You please tell me, what the heck am I saying that you disagree with and why???
JMJ
I think after the Iraqis decide on how to divy up their oil we should be hitting them up for some. Right now we get some from them but its hard to tell what the futire is like untill we know how much thay can produce. They’ve got something like 25% of the worlds reserves.
We did not invade Iraq because we thought we could take their oil from them. but it did need to be protected from its neigbors. And how we going to buy any if its getting blown up or stolen all the time ?
Besides that, I think it was more of a military strategy to get a grip on these clowns.
It was all very convenient for some reasons and very neccessary for oyher reasons. The neccesity gave us the justification to take advantage of the convenience.
No matter what, just to make sure our asses are covered we should drill.
“and again domestic drilling in no way can compete with that ratio. ”
What I’ve been saying is that Anwar at full production can cover our needs/demands for up to 20 years. In that twenty years we will of already put many other sources in place.
It will last us 20 years based on todays usage. But in 10 years that usage can be cut in half, and in twenty years hopefully it can be 75% less than what we use today. So, whats coming out of Anwar could actually last 35 years if we start putting alternatives into action ASAP.
And whats to say we wont come up with some other ingenuous form of energy or find other reserves ?
The shale will work. Its just a different process. What we need is more plants that do this on a larger volume, that will bring down cost.
Whats interesting is that the main excuse like you said is the cost. Well right now its actually cheaper to but a barrel of oil frfom shale than it is to but a barrel of crude.
This comparison was drawn up in 2005
“According to a survey conducted by the RAND Corporation, the cost of producing a barrel of oil at a surface retorting complex in the United States (comprising a mine, retorting plant, upgrading plant, supporting utilities, and spent shale reclamation), would range between US$70–95 ($440–600/m3, adjusted to 2005 values). This estimate considers varying levels of kerogen quality and extraction efficiency. In order for the operation to be profitable, the price of crude oil would need to remain above these levels.”
And even if the cost is slightley higher I believe its worth it for security reasons.
We have to remember that we will not be weened from oil for a long-long time. That idealistic dream needs to be shot to the moon already. I remember all this “getting rid of oil” conversations being similar to the wishful dreams from earth freaks in the 60s.
I want energy independance before anything. I really dont care how we do it.
But the reality is that its going to be a while. And in the meantime they’ve (middle east and others)got us by the balls.
And I’ all about nukes. Thats the next most logical think to drilling our own.
Anyway, thats all stuff that wont work for years.
Right now we need to drill, everywhere.
More oil, it becomes cheaper.
Also, I dont think the middle east is going to remain stable (stable as it id now)
We need our butts coverd, first and foremost above anything.
“You please tell me, what the heck am I saying that you disagree with and why???”
I’m tired, my Great Dane of 11 years just passed away, I’ll get back to you.
Obama’s political eyewash
http://imustimes.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/jacobs-obama-to-iraq-its-all-eye-wash/
Please, everyone, contact Eric Cantor’s robo-call headquarters and ask the Congressman to STOP bothering people in Henrico County at eight-thirty in the evening!
The man apparently can’t take a hint!
People HATE these cowardly computer-generated phone calls!
Enough!!!
Thank you for your help.