Dangerous Tea Party — Positive, Intuitive, Creative Musings from Brilliant Minds

Though there's a bit of a pejorative nature to the term, I am, at heart, an information junkie. One of my biggest assets, however, is my ability to extrapolate and integrate information from the myriad sources that serve as my teachers, and in turn, teach others. As it is in the collective, rather than in isolation, that we grow, I invite others to communicate their ideas and experiences here, as well, so we can each grow and improve our thoughts – and beings.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Indecisive or deliberate...that is the question


“The only people who don’t change their minds are either incompetent or dead.” Everett Dirksin

I just read this quote on my Weirdquotes widget on my Google homepage. Of course, the first thing I thought of was the current Presidential contest.

No doubt, both candidates have had their share of changes of mind. I think the question that's not getting asked in all this talk of "flip-flopping" is WHY the candidate is altering his position. There's a distinct difference between going out, researching, seeking new information, and coming to a new position on an important issue, and simply revising one's position out of political expediency, or what can really only correctly be called pandering.

I'll make no bones here. Barack Obama is my candidate. That doesn't mean I like or agree with everything he says or does. Nor would I expect to. He's not me - so there's little to no chance that he and I will see eye to eye on every issue. Taken all the issues, though, and there's no question that he gets my vote.

His recent restatement of his position on offshore drilling is one topic, though, that has me scratching my head. Because he is a consummate politician, he deftly worded his reconsideration of offshore drilling, couching it as one in a litany of considerations that must be taken into account with regard to any comprehensive energy plan.

The thing so few people seem to be talking enough about, though, the Obama campaign included, is the fact that according to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Mineral Management Service, nearly 68 million acres of federal lands (onshore and off) are part of non-producing oil leases as of fiscal year 2007. This is in contrast to 25.7 million acres of leased lands that are currently producing oil. This means we already have 68 million domestic acres of leased land on which companies aren't extracting oil where they could be.

Obama has mentioned this - if not as precisely as some would like, and certainly not often enough. But if he understands the fundamental premise that "Drill Here; Drill Now!" is not a solution, that we cannot possibly drill our way out of this situation, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

People keep describing Obama as arrogant. My answer to that is that any human being who would believe him or herself fit to take on this job had better be damned arrogant - or they will be eaten alive. There's a difference, though, between arrogance and hubris. We've had nearly 8 years of hubris. I'm willing to put my vote and energy behind the new guy, even as he changes positions from time to time. A change of a position done with sincerity, introspection, and deliberation can only be the sign of a competent leader, and we have never been more in need of one of those than we are at this moment in time.

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