Disappointed but at least Obama kept the West Coast ban in place

[quinnox]

I did not like the news about Obama lifting the drilling ban. I would have been outraged if he had lifted the West Coast drilling ban and I bet a lot of Californians and Oregonians would have been too and it would have cost Obama a lot of support, but he did leave this ban in place thankfully.

If the folks in the Eastern US want to spoil their ocean views with a bunch of huge ugly oil platforms in the ocean then go ahead and do it. And watch the tourism drop off too, no one wants to see that.

Alaska I am kind of ambivalent about, because I'm not sure where they might put the oil platforms and it might be in isolated areas that hardly anyone goes to anyway, but I'm still not happy about it of course.

[blindpig]

1. It has nothing to do with what the people want.

Haven't you figured that out yet?

[kestrel91316]

8. Au contraire. It has EVERYTHING to do with what the people want.

What the people of the US WANT, as they have demonstrated by their wasteful ways, is CHEAP GASOLINE FOR THEIR GAS HOGS.

[Edweird]

14. As I recall, oil from these rigs does not have to be sold here. It goes to the highest bidder.

In other words, our consumption has no bearing on this. It's solely about profit for the oil companies.

[kestrel91316]

16. When oil enters the global market it becomes available for our use.

We have the same access to the market that anyone else does.

[polichick]

2. Wonder if they drill in Hawaii - anyone know? nt

[quinnox]

5. never been but I would be shocked if they do

I don't ever remember seeing a picture of Hawaii with oil rigs in the ocean background.

[Enthusiast]

10. Geologically speaking

(not a geologist) the Hawaiian Islands are volcanic sea mounts. I don't believe they have oil.

The West Coast would also be a less likely source than the Gulf.

[polichick]

11. Lucky for them! nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. I am out here in CA --

so we are technically "safe" from this bill, but I remain appalled by this proposed change. My disgust with this administration is growing by the day.

[sandnsea]

4. There isn't going to be any drilling

He's just forcing these people to stop with their claptrap and admit that their bullshit drill baby drill won't work.

[kiva]

7. Right, and his clever lack of support of the public option forced

the Republicans to support it and insist that it be included in HCR...oh, wait, never mind.

[sandnsea]

9. Because that's just what happened

:sarcasm:

Please document your assertion because I never saw anything of the sort, and that was never the assertion either.

[kiva]

12. Oh, please, DU was full of the

"this is just one of his masterful chess moves to hurt the Republicans" nonsense, and if you didn't see any of those posts it suggests that you see what you choose to see.

[Oregone]

6. As long as my ocean view isn't going to be ruined

:)

Not till I sell my house at least

[earth mom]

13. Do you really think Obama is gonna spare California & Oregon? Think again. nt

[kenny blankenship]

15. He won't lift the West Coast ban,

because without California he can't get reelected.

[earth mom]

17. I'm starting to think that maybe Obama doesn't care about getting reelected.

Maybe Obama wanted the job so that he could fulfill his childhood dream of being president and to finish off what * started but couldn't finish.

[upi402]

18. Rape's okay

with lube. Ah I know he's playing the long game... or I keep hoping he'll stop stabbing America and us in the back.

[gleaner]

19. What makes you think that we are not ....

outraged? I live in California and I know folks in Oregon who are horrified. Just because the drilling would take place in the east does not lessen its impact on all of us. I don't think the folks in the east want it either. Did anyone ask them? Obama just said this is the way it will be. I hear they are already forming environmental protection groups to oppose it. This is not a world where actions against nature can be hidden and isolated anymore. We have strained the earth's resources to their outer limit and if we don't stop destroying rain forests, beaches, deserts and the ozone layer we will be as extinct as the dinosaurs.

Alaska is a unique ecology. The polar bears are in deep trouble as a species because the glaciers are melting due to global warming. They are not replaceable. The global impact as the glaciers melt at an alarmingly fast rate will be tremendous. Floods, climate changes and extinction of many species of creatures both undersea and on land that depend on them for their existence. You might want to think about what you are saying. We can't dispense with parts of this planet without killing the whole planet and ourselves in the process. I'm glad you're not "happy" about it, but maybe you should do a little research and find out what the potential is for the destruction of the place where you are living as we desecrate the earth beyond the point where we can sustain our own species let alone the many others that are going extinct faster than they ever have before. It matters. It definitely matters.

And by the way, last I heard Obama had lost a lot of support in California, Oregon and many other parts of the county and not only for this.

[Bluebear]

20. 'If the folks in the Eastern US want to spoil their ocean views' - where did THAT leap come from?