Anybody watching the RNC?

[HAL 9000 96]

Drill baby drill? I only caught part of Giuliani's speech. Did someone yell that from the crowd (I use crowd in the loosest sense of the term)?

Drilling is the best way to lower the price of oil. A majority of Americans understand that basic fact. What is Obama's plan? Tune up your car and inflate your tires.

And how will that actually lower the price? I'm curious.

Given that its no secret there's not enough and not fast enough amounts to process to make a significant impact any time in the near future. Unless of course, you deny that little tidbit of REALITY.

I would say your the one taking a leave from reality. Supply and demand is a pretty well established concept. Tell you what, if drilling our own oil will not change the price then why is it when a hurricane takes out our gulf rigs why does the price go up?

There is a little secret your overlooking. We have more oil in North America than the middle east has. All we need to do is get it.

No matter though, the country has woken up to the fact that your side wants higher prices. That is why your against drilling. Your fighting a loosing battle.

I agree that the supply and demand issue along with the stupid speculation that goes on would be positively affected by drilling offshore. The argument is that it won't be available anytime soon and that it won't help right now. But it WILL help eventually. And I believe it would immediately help with prices if people knew that we were going to be drilling our own oil and that it would be available eventually. Right now much speculation(which causes prices to rise) and hikes in price occur due to the world's increase in gas usage along with tension in countries that supply our gas. Knowing we are on the way to drilling more at home will immediately reduce some of the tension. If people don't want to admit that, what can you do. It is not being offered as the only solution, just part of the bigger picture to get energy independent.

Eventually. Interesting. A band aid doesn't cover a gushing wound.

The rest just doesn't add up but take the government's logic, not mine, into account.

(you're going to have to do some addition here).

USGS Oil adn Gas Assessment

[HAL 9000 96]

While it might appear quite logically correct to suggest that drilling will lower prices (and I think this is perhaps where John McCain's politics are easier to sell to the public than Obamas) - the reality isn't quite so cut and dried. Supply and demand does indeed impact prices - but a lot hinges on oil-traders and speculators who assess risk based on the current world situation. I used to work for BP back in London and on the trading floor there it was interesting to see what impact say a terrorist bombing in Azerbaijan would have on prices. So it has to do with Geopolitics as well.

Specifically some of the impacts we've felt in recent years have to do with instability in the ME. The war in Iraq didn't exactly help matters if you consider that that production there was all but shut down during the war (which of course feeds into supply and demand) and the oil companies are only just now returning.

I am not understanding how what you wrote proves the prices won't go down...if that's what you were trying to say? We wouldn't be dealing with the oil traders as much if we had more of our own oil...which would mean less tension for us and less caring about how tension in the ME will affect our oil prices. How would this not help prices?

Cold hard numbers should help. I know they don't convince Gary, but numbers are numbers while opinions based on what our heroes tell us are quite another thing.

In case you don't believe the geologists at USGS, ask the official keepers of energy statistics of the US Government:

EIA

[HAL 9000 96]

Is it feasible that, within ten years, we have the beginnings of a new era in energy technology? What's preventing that? The "drill, drill, drill" mantra seems to me like saying "We need more hay" just before the first Model T rolls off the assembly line.

So you are saying that we need higher oil prices. Thanks for clearing that up.

What?

Is gas the only fuel that can start a car engine? In ten years, we could have the start of efficient electric cars and the oil that we've just then started to pump would be largely moot. The idea that the god OIL is the answer to everything seems, like I said, as outmoded as the dependence on hay and a good shovel.

Some folks would rather give big business a break, while increasing momentary profits for a select group of oil tycoons... instead of spending less on alternatives that already exist.

Is it feasible that, within ten years, we have the beginnings of a new era in energy technology? What's preventing that? The "drill, drill, drill" mantra seems to me like saying "We need more hay" just before the first Model T rolls off the assembly line.

Well I see what you mean...but the hay could have been used for something else, right?

And with what Paul Daniels wrote...I guess one reason for the corp's to drill is knowing that people are buying less gas these days due to the prices and people will buy more if they start drilling. But then how are either Obama or McCain actually going to get anything done when they don't control the market? That is a good question. I think they probably have to offer incentives to companies who do these things. (if that's been talked about by them already, I haven't really paid attention:P).

Much better thinking. This means that they could also offer better incentives for developing higher fuel efficiencies, on top of mandating such things. Of course... the incentives can also increase for better technologies.

[IAMX 3,055]

That went right over your head. Go ahead, keep saying we don't need to drill. It helps our side so much.

Nice selective reading, Gary. Who said we don't need to drill? My quote:

There is already enough drilling in this country. Some of us are realistic in that MORE drilling is no solution whatsoever to a major oil problem that this country cannot produce enough of to make any significant impact on prices.

So I guess not reading helps your side quite a bit too.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Is it feasible that, within ten years, we have the beginnings of a new era in energy technology? What's preventing that? The "drill, drill, drill" mantra seems to me like saying "We need more hay" just before the first Model T rolls off the assembly line.

So you are saying that we need higher oil prices. Thanks for clearing that up.

What?

Is gas the only fuel that can start a car engine? In ten years, we could have the start of efficient electric cars and the oil that we've just then started to pump would be largely moot. The idea that the god OIL is the answer to everything seems, like I said, as outmoded as the dependence on hay and a good shovel.

Some folks would rather give big business a break, while increasing momentary profits for a select group of oil tycoons... instead of spending less on alternatives that already exist.

Is it feasible that, within ten years, we have the beginnings of a new era in energy technology? What's preventing that? The "drill, drill, drill" mantra seems to me like saying "We need more hay" just before the first Model T rolls off the assembly line.

Well I see what you mean...but the hay could have been used for something else, right?

And with what Paul Daniels wrote...I guess one reason for the corp's to drill is knowing that people are buying less gas these days due to the prices and people will buy more if they start drilling. But then how are either Obama or McCain actually going to get anything done when they don't control the market? That is a good question. I think they probably have to offer incentives to companies who do these things. (if that's been talked about by them already, I haven't really paid attention:P).

Much better thinking. This means that they could also offer better incentives for developing higher fuel efficiencies, on top of mandating such things. Of course... the incentives can also increase for better technologies.

Again though - there's no incentive for a company to do that if it will be fewer $$$ per tank.

Slightly O/T but there was a guy on TV the other night who had invented a device that basically lowered the amount of water used in a toilet flush. He tried to sell it to UK water companies - and was strangely surprised when they told him where to go...

"Its better for the environment...."

"But we'll make less money"

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Incidentally this is more or less the reasoning that's been applied to healthcare. Profit trumps all - and we assume that our common good is the same as theirs.

Clearly it just isn't the case.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Wow - what was wrong with Bill Frist - every word was over-annucianted. Sounded like he ought to be hosting a gameshow or something.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Drill baby drill? I only caught part of Giuliani's speech. Did someone yell that from the crowd (I use crowd in the loosest sense of the term)?

Drilling is the best way to lower the price of oil. A majority of Americans understand that basic fact. What is Obama's plan? Tune up your car and inflate your tires.

Obviously a plant. They're looking for a catch phrase. Chanting "U.S.A., U.S.A." is getting a bit stale.

As opposed to Obama, Obama, Obama?

zing!

We'll have the last laugh in November. McCain really screwed up with this pick.

But the dems screwed up more with their pick of Obama. Get used to hearing President McCain. You will hear it for the next 4 years.

WHAT WAS THAT???? PRESIDENT WHO? I've been waiting for this day. God bless America baby.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Joe Six-Pack