Whit’s right (see yesterday’s post) about the Washington Post’s Peter Baker very interesting article – how mounting scientific evidence has gradually convinced President Bush that steps need to be taken to solve climate change. I reject the hype-laden title for the series “The Imperiled Presidency” – do you hear the echoing doom when you say that aloud? But I did speak with Peter about the piece when he working on it, and I think it’s pretty fair overall.
Regular readers know that Terra Rossa likes to highlight the growing Republican momentum behind solving climate change. Republican governors. Our party’s presidential hopefuls (the New York Times recently cited “near-unanimous recognition among the [GOP presidential] leaders of the threat posed by global warming”). American business executives. Evangelical leaders. Three- and four-star retired U.S. military commanders. Conservative thinkers such as Newt Gingrich. They’ve acknowledged the threat of climate change and encouraged solutions.
All of which is why I’m optimistic that 2008 will bring an opportunity for our Party to lead on this important issue. Momentum for it is growing among Republicans, don’t you agree?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 at 9:43 am and is filed under Climate Change, Politics/Government . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Yes, some of them may have converted to your religion. Now if you could only convince those pesky climatologists. (See http://www.icecap.us)
January 20th, 2008 at 8:29 am
All of which is why I’m optimistic that 2008 will bring an opportunity for our Party to lead on this important issue. Momentum for it is growing among Republicans, don’t you agree?
Hardly !! Your point is clear when you used 2008. The REAL issue is getting re-elected & elected, the movement du jour to sign on to. NOT something to believe in with your heart and soul, a core belief !
And the current Whitehouse sponsored that supremely embarrassing Climate Conference, where the rest of the world came to DC and snubbed our President. Nothing could show how far out-of-touch with reality GWB is, than to request a global meeting and have everyone come and diss [politely, they are diplomats] every word he said. In 40 years of watching politics, I have never seen a greater bumble ! Better to leave everyone at home and say nothing.
And George Wallace showed more class in his statement when Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize than did Terra Rosa when Al Gore won his.
The Republican Party may get 45% of the 2008 vote, but it seems that you have 99% of the Global Warming deniers.
The Republican Party needs several election cycles out, way out. of power to reform. This is what happens to political parties when they lose big, and then lose again.
November 2008 will see the USA still mired in Iraq, a recession and $100+ oil. All will be blamed on Republicans. The Democrats (any of the 3 left) will beat any of the 5 Republicans for the Presidency (see Iraq, recession, energy), and come close to getting a filibuster proof 60 D Senators and a strong House majority.
Another loss in 2010 will change the Republican Party, a badly needed change ! And you are correct, the change will come outside DC and the established political class there, and the Governors can, and will, lead any change.
Just as the Republican Party lost the African-American vote, they will lose the average American concerned about the environment (and that number will grow as the effects of Global Warming grow). And that will be true as long as Global Warming deniers find their home in the Republican Party.