In case you missed it, yesterday the U.S. House led by the Democratic caucus passed a measure to lift the 26-year ban on off-shore oil drilling as long as it’s 50 miles away from the coast and the coastal state approves it.
I can see it now: Come to Ocean City, Maryland. Great crabs, Great beaches, ignore the derricks.
Nonetheless, as Time notes, popular opinion is solidly behind more drilling:
The issue is an electoral winner for Republicans. Between March and June, around the time when gas settled above $4 per gallon, the American electorate shifted off its longstanding 50-50 split between those who want more energy conservation and those who want more petroleum extraction. A Gallup poll in May found the split at 57%-41% in favor of offshore and wilderness drilling. A mid-June Pew poll found a 12-point swing since February in favor of expanded exploration and extraction, and a 60%-34% gap in favor of prioritizing developing energy sources over protecting the environment.
The GOP recognized the shift early, and focused all their energy on blocking Democratic attempts to placate gas pump shock through legislation that did not include expanded drilling. The more the Democrats tried, the harder the Republicans hit back. The GOP liked the issue so much, they even stayed on Capitol Hill for part of the August recess demanding a vote on drilling.
I’ll emphasize this: drilling off-shore will have little impact on gasoline prices even in the long term but will greatly help domestic oil company profits. It does nothing to stop the American addiction to oil.
Chalk this one up to a victory for Republican John McCain, who can now say he even persuaded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to sense what Americans want.
