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Most back McCain on offshore drilling

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor June 19, 2008 06:52 PM

A poll done last month suggests that whatever the merits of the idea, most Americans agree with Republican John McCain about ending the federal ban on offshore oil drilling.

In the Gallup survey, 57 percent of respondents said they support oil drilling in coastal and wilderness areas now off-limits to exploration, while 41 percent said they were opposed. While Gallup did not have previous polls to measure the trend, rising gas prices and energy costs are almost certain to have built support for the idea.

Republicans were far more supportive, 80 percent, while independents were more evenly divided, with 56 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed. Democrats opposed the idea by a 59 percent to 39 percent margin.

Their presumptive nominee, Barack Obama, also opposes the idea, saying it would take years to produce oil offshore, would reward Big Oil, and would run counter to the need for clean energy. The two candidates have been battling on the issue all week, opening up another front in their general election battle.

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The Big O is right on this one-no contest! Offshore oil drilling would produce, at very best, a token amount of oil ( about 2% of expected world demand ), wiould take 10 or more years to get, pose very real and significant enviromental risks, and be unbelievably expensive. Put the same amount of money and time into solar, wind, electric cars and other renewables and the benefits would be much more meaningful , cleaner and longer lasting. This one is an easy call for anyone that studies the true facts. By the way-what happended to the Straight Talk Express? This McCain is flip-flopping like a newly caught fish on a boat on everything based on the latest polls. Does he really believe in anything? His campaign is a mess and he seems very confused. Do I sense a landslide?

Posted by John June 19, 08 08:36 PM
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There is no 100% pollution-free, CO2-free, NIMBY-free solution to producing more energy. Remember the "Cape Wind" project? When a wind farm was proposed off the Massachusetts coast, Senator Ted Kennedy opposed it because he was afraid it would spoil the view as they went windsurfing. In other parts of the nation, windmills have been blocked by other environmentalists like the Audubon Society who claimed that birds would be killed by the blades.

You just name it, and I guarantee you'll find some liberals and some environmentalists who are against it. Put all their activism together, and we'll have to go back to lighting candles, riding horses and living on small farms.

Posted by Steve June 20, 08 10:42 AM
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John McCain's son Andrew is a Director of Silver State Bancorp that has been named in two complaints alleging conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, fraud and civil RICO claims.

www.webofdeception.com

Posted by Robert Lewis June 20, 08 10:59 AM
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lets drill before any more time goes by

Posted by margaret smith June 20, 08 01:06 PM
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