NPR: How Republicans Learned To Reject Climate Change

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125075282

How Republicans Learned To Reject Climate Change

by Alan Greenblatt

March 25, 2010

As climate change emerged as a top issue on the national scene a few years ago, it had one unusual quality: The response to it showed surprising signs of bipartisan support.

Two or three years ago, Republicans such as Sen. John McCain and Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charlie Crist played nearly as prominent a role as Al Gore in advocating a robust regulatory response.

No more. Climate hasn't yet become as partisan an issue as, say, health care and taxes. But it's getting there.

Growing Partisan Divide

Some Republicans who advocated tough environmental measures are leaving the scene, such as Schwarzenegger, who signed a landmark California law capping carbon emissions in 2006 but is term-limited out of office as governor this year.

...

(Audio and full transcript at link.)

[texastoast]

1. I know. It made me sad. I liked McCain's viewpoint

But then, he acted sane. I do believe that he believes in the need to preserve the environment, but doesn't have the balls to confront "Bush's base" (the Northeastern industrialists along with the oil industry).

So sad. McCain, et al. are smart enough to know that their children and grandchildren can't eat money.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. McCain 2000 was sane, but Bush's whispering campaign said he was crazy.

McCain 2008 seemed to me to be a consultant-tailored caricature of McCain 2000. Once in a while, McCain 2000 became visible, but the consultants quickly buried him.

McCain 2010 seems to have become a full-fledged party hack.

It's sad. I miss McCain 2000.

[texastoast]

3. Yes.

I wonder how it is that you sell your soul like that. Gore did the same thing in 2000. I'm so thankful that he decided that he was a "recovering politician" by the time he did his MoveOn.org May 2004 speech. I kept a copy of it for my child to read when he is old enough to appreciate staying true to oneself.

Oh. My. God. If only THAT Gore had run in 2000, we would SO be in a better place today. It's a shame that the party and their lobbyists buy the souls of the best, and that the best allow it to happen.