Two
states have voted. After the Iowa vote I was on an
emotional high. Barack Obama had won, it
seemed like his road to the Democratic nomination was clearing in front of
him. Then Clinton won last night and muddied things up again. I still think ultimately that Barack Obama
will win the nomination but one of the arguments Clinton levels against Obama is that he
doesn’t have clear policy objectives, that he is just selling hope and
promises.
While
I think there is great value in pitching hope and bringing a renewed energy to
politics, I will address that in a later installment. First, I want to take a look at a few of
Obama’s policies and explain, from an average person’s perspective, in layman’s
terms why I like his plans and why these issues matter to me. Obama does have clear and well-thought out
plans on all the issues and his positions offer the most realistic – if not
always the most politically expedient or easiest – solutions to the problems
facing our country.
Energy and the Environment
Until
recently it has often seemed that the environment is a younger generation
issue. I think this is still true to an
extent but I think that the increasingly irrefutable evidence that global
warming exists and that our planet is in trouble is making it a mainstream
issue now. After all, even Bush has made
concessions on the issue.
For
me, the environment and changing our energy policies is amazingly
important. And not just because as I
look at my sweet girl sitting next to me I want to know that she and her
children will be able to play outside and breath the air without suffering
major health implications. To me the
aspect of environmental and energy policy that so many people ignore is the importance
changes will play in the US
being able to compete globally. We are a
wasteful country and it is an expensive practice that we can’t keep following.
Investing in and finding the key to improved and alternative energy sources and
uses can be a key to revitalizing US industry. We have led this kind of frontier breaking
research and development so many times before – space, health breakthroughs,
agricultural invention, etc. It is time we took the lead again.
I
like Obama’s plans because he seems to recognize all of this. His cap and trade system for example will
encourage industry to get cleaner while helping fund exploration of alternative
energy. One of the reasons we haven’t
changed our ways and cleaned up our act is that US industry – and not just the oil
companies – are making too much money now to have an incentive to change. Obama’s cap and trade auction will help
provide incentive for companies to make the needed changes. By working through
an open market system, however, the cap and trade auction will not force a
single option on companies. Those
industries who can reduce their emissions cost effectively can sell their
emissions to the highest bidder. Similarly those industries electing not to make the needed changes can
buy emissions in order to continue with business as usual.
Obama’s
plan also includes several components to propel the US into the lead in alternative
energy technology and uses. He will
reinvest money made by his cap and trade system to fund research and to help
offset the expense of retrofitting plants and to keep costs from being passed
on to and overburdening workers and consumers. In addition he will seek funding to invest in a new skilled workforce.
An
Obama administration will mean a change in American attitude. We have lagged behind the rest of the
developed world in addressing climate change and accepting the need to adapt
and leave our old, wasteful ways behind. Obama speaks of change and the environment is one area where change is
most desperately needed. I am convinced that President Obama will set us on a
course that will make the dream of my child and grandchildren enjoying the
wonders of nature and breathing fresh air and living in a country that is
economically sound and competitive and leading the world in the right direction
is a dream I will be able to watch come true.
