Offshore Oil Drilling: The Rhetoric and the Reality

As the largest oil spill in US history continues to spew gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, Obama made a speech admitting his fault. Remorse filled the president's rhetoric, as he regretted allowing the oil industry to go unchecked and dragging his feet on reform. We've seen presidents receive criticism for scandals or how they've handled disasters before: Nixon and Watergate, Reagan and Iran-Contra, Clinton and Lewinsky, Bush and Katrina. And now we see Obama face attacks for how he is handling the oil spill. But what does the evidence have to say about what politicians say and what they really mean?

Obama speaks of regret for past mistakes and a renewed commitment to the future: "In case you’re wondering who’s responsible, I take responsibility...It is my job to make sure that everything is done to shut this down. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen right away or the way I’d like it to happen. It doesn’t mean that we’re not going to make mistakes...The federal government is fully engaged, and I’m fully engaged". Listening to these words, you may feel full of hope and belief that the government can save us.

Or (more rightly) you may be filled with skepticism. After all politicians are not known for their honesty nor their firm stance on issues. Take John McCain for example. He came under a lot of criticism during the presidential campaign for changing his stance on off shore drilling. Originally against it, McCain claims he changed his mind about the offshore drilling after observing how much Americans paid at the pump. Or maybe it was the campaign contributions that came pouring in after the announcement. Or that he was about to campaign in Texas, notorious for their pro-drilling stance. Even Obama himself, who once claimed to be against off-shore drilling, has changed his stance to ease America's independence on foreign energy. Not that their aren't massive oil lobbyists and industries at his back now.

Maybe Obama will bring change. I'm an optimist and I also love nature. And I would love nothing more than for this oil spill to stop, and have aid brought to the Gulf and regulation brought to the oil industry. But I'm not blind. I know that there is a long history of contradictions between what presidents promise and what they do. So while I've got my fingers crossed, I'm not getting my hopes up.

Works Cited:

The New York Times "Obama Offers Regret Mixed With Resolve"

The Washington Post "Industry Gushed Money After Reversal on Drilling"

CNN "Obama says offshore drilling stance nothing new"

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