Oil Dependence on the Middle East: Jimmy Carter Tried to Break It

And Republicans demogogued the issue and, in the 1980s, reversed Jimmy Carter’s even very modest initiatives. Now it’s President Obama’s turn to get smacked around by the Republicans on this issue. But I think that he has to do it. It’s right for the country, and it’s right for the world. American energy independence needs to be akin to the 1960s effort to land a man on the moon: a focused and unifying national vision. But after the recent health care debacle, it seems that the Democrats are in no mood to try anything visionary or important. Let’s hope President Obama keeps his center of gravity and continues to try to take on hard issues (even if it results in him being a one-termer). What, afterall, does it profit a man to gain a second term, but lose his soul? And who knows how the politics might play on this. People may very well reward Obama’s effort and honesty on this issue. In other words, it might not be total political poison (as it was for Carter):