One Candidate Has Made The Commitment

Congratulations to John McCain who has said “In recent days I have set before the American people an energy plan, the Lexington Project — named for the town where Americans asserted their independence once before. And let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025.
John McCain, June 25, 2008″

I got this from his website here.

That page also lays out his plan in quite a bit of detail. While this looks to be a good starting point, imho, I can’t really give McCain much credit yet, to me it is more than he has apparently been able to grasp the obvious in committing himself to that goal. How he plans to get there, I don’t know yet, that will take a lot more research and debate. I want to hear both sides on his proposals, but I want to find the facts first. It ought to be clear to even the most casual observer that we need to get to energy independence as soon as we can, the question and debates should be on the issues. Instead, I will predict right now, that Obama slides out and does not adopt a commitment to energy independence. I bet that aspect will be totally lost in all of the arguing, frequently inflammatory and emotionally charged arguing over various aspects of his plan. I will pass on all the arguing, thank you. I will get busy and dive into the array of options McCain has offered, seek the facts, make my own evalutation based on those facts. Anyone want to offer up other options, feel free. Anyone want to try to prove to me that his options are a load of BS, feel free. Don’t waste your effort arguing, give me factual debate. Then let us both go away, both more informed, and both make our individual judgements.

So far, I am a little disappointed in the response to my recent efforts, I have sent out quite a few emails to quite a few people, and thus far, the response has not exactly been overwhelming. But most of the emails just went out less than 24 hours ago, and they did produce a spike in the number of view of this site, the highest ever at about 20. So at least I have piqued some interest. That is a good start.

Rix

And a fast holdup.  I just read the whole page, lots of good words on there, and I must say, I tend to agree with his positions.  But, it is short on facts, void on footnoted facts, and does not include any evidence to support that his plan would indeed lead to energy independence.  While I admire his commitment to the goal, he has a long ways to go before he convinces me that he will remain committed to the goal as a top national priority.

Ok, time for equal time, time to visit Obama’s site, again, and this time read in detail what he has to say about energy.  I blew it last time when I finished this post, and failed to publish it, I will do that now.  But my mistake did give me an easy measure of how long it took me to read McCain’s information thoroughly, 13 minutes.  Off to see what Obama has to say.

Rix

Status Update

I have now sent out links to my articles to both presidential candidates, O’Reilly, Hannity, and Colmes from Fox News, and about 20 or so individuals.  That’s it for today, but more will follow.  Regardless of how you got here, if you are reading this, and agree that it is the right goal/priority for out nation, please comment and join the effort.  I did see a spike in hits to this blog today, which is good, but we need more, lots more, not just hits, but comments from people willing to join the effort, to give some of their time for the greater good of us all.

Rix – Tired but Hopeful OF (Old Fart)

Open Letter to Obama and McCain

I have just sent the following to both the Obama and McCain websites, up to them if and how they respond.

Open Letter to Obama and McCain

Gentlemen: In my humble opinion, you have both let us citizens down terribly. 35 years after the first time the price of oil more than doubled, we are importing even more of our oil than we were then. That is shameful. You, and your contemporaries in politics for these past years, have proven to me that I cannot trust you to give me straight facts, come up with real, workable solutions. Shame on you. And shame on me. I and my contemporaries over the past 35 years have allowed you to get away with it. And what I have seen so far from both of you in this current evolution of the energy crisis is – business as usual, more hype, more emotional arguments, more of the same. As Col. Potter used to say on Mash, horse hockey. We need some answers and we need them NOW.

That’s enough for me, I am going to do what I can to force you to deal with the issues honestly and sincerely. I have launched a campaign to first, establish Energy Independence as a national priority and national goal, somewhat along the lines of what President Kennedy did on going to the moon. I don’t have the clout of Kennedy, obviously, but through the internet, perhaps I can muster the support I need. I think I can. My campaign has been launched at my blog Uncrossing the Wires, a blog jointly owned by my conservative self and my liberal daughter. You will see a copy of this letter posted there.

I believe that if one of you were to stand up and pronounce your agreement with Energy Independence as a national priority, you would win the election hands down. We are fed up with it, we don’t like paying through the nose for gasoline. And we are tired of being fed emotionally charged hype, created for the sole purpose of convincing us to vote for you. You want me to vote for you? Give me facts, try to eliminate emotion from the issues, or at least reduce it as far as possible. You know well that our judgement suffers when emotions are aroused, and you use that against us. So stop it. I don’t have time to listen to you two and your huge propaganda machines try convince me to vote for you, but I will listen to factual presentations your positions on energy. Oh yes, and I will be holding you accountable to do what you promise to do.

Maybe I am just a silly old man operating in my own fantasyland believing that the overwhelming majority of the voters will agree with me on this. But maybe not, time will tell. But if I have my way, as candidates for the highest office in the nation, you will be judged by the voters to a higher standard. Your positions will be considered against the reality of the last 35 years efforts on energy. Good luck, may the best candidate win.

Rick

Citizen of the United States of America, retired and living in Thailand (where the cost of living is far far less)