RNC: Taking it to the streets

Grist talks to Republican convention-goers about McCain’s climate and energy plans 2

While at the Republican National Convention, I caught up with some of the delegates and others milling around downtown St. Paul to talk about John McCain's climate and energy policies. Most supporters were enthusiastic about his support for expanded oil drilling (especially the Texas oilmen I ran into), but they think he's been deluded by the wacky environmentalists when it comes to his climate-change plan. Here are some of the best interviews.

First up, Texas delegates Keith Rothra, on the right, of Longview, Texas, and Ron Slover, left, of Amarillo, Texas. Rothra is the Republican Party chair of Gregg County, and Slover tells me he's T. Boone Picken's biggest enemy.

Gerry Widegren, of Long Beach, Miss., was standing outside the convention hawking these "Drill Now Windup Keys" to passersby. We talked a bit about the windup keys, which you stick on the back of your car, and McCain's energy policies:

Brian Smith, 28, a member of Young Republicans and a consultant who works with the Department of Defense to make military installations more energy efficient, seems pretty excited though about McCain's plans:

C.C. Moore, of Brooklyn Center, Minn., was a Hillary Clinton voter in the primary and is now planning to vote for John McCain:

Kate Sheppard is Grist’s political reporter.

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  1. caniscandida Posted 7:51 am
    07 Sep 2008

    byebye caribou; byebye Gwich'inDoesn't FORCING the oil companies to "drill here, drill now," and then distribute the oil solely to US consumers, sound a lot like good ol' Soviet-style "collectivism"?
    God bless that saintly Karl Marx!  He saves the day again!
    On Boone Pickens and "alternative sources": Was it not clear already back in 1970 to anybody with a brain, and a bit of native cynicism, that NOTHING was going to happen with solar, wind, etc., at least with regard to "scaling them up" (to use DR's expression in his conversation with nose-picking Jim DiPeso), unless and until the oil-masters could find a way to make some profit out of those alternative sources?

    Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
  2. taylorshelton Posted 1:40 pm
    07 Sep 2008

    pot calls the kettle what?from the first video: "we don't need a bunch of pie-in-the-sky, so-called 'opinions', based on some phony political rhetoric that means nothing".
    interesting, sir. and you say you believe that drilling for oil anywhere and everywhere is the solution to our energy crisis. very interesting with this 'phony political rhetoric' bit.

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