Why do the Democrats (represented by Barack Obama) oppose to offshore drilling for oil?

Question

Why do the Democrats (represented by Barack Obama) oppose to offshore drilling for oil?

Answer 1

There are legitimate environmental concerns, and it is not any sort of short-term answer to our energy problems. It would take years before we'd see any benefits from it.

Could it be part of a strategy? Perhaps.  

Answer 2

becuase they get paid off by the enviromentalists to not support it

Answer 3

First, it isn't just Democrats.  The Republican governor of California, Arnold Scharzenegger, also opposes offshore drilling, and until very recently, so did the Republican governor of Florida.  And they aren't the only ones.  The problem is oil spills.  When there's an oil spill on land, it can be contained fairly easliy.  But in the ocean, even a small spill very quickly spreads, blanketing beaches, killing wildlife, and covering vast stretches of ocean with an oily film.

That's the downside, but it is not really offset by an upside.  Even if all the areas currently restricted to drilling were opened up, it would be years before any oil could be recovered from those areas.  There would be no short-term effect at all on the price of oil, and by extension gasoline, and even long term the effect would possibly be a decrease at the pump of a few cents.  So the reason people, Democrats and even some Republicans, oppose offshore drilling is because you risk environmental catastrophe for no real benefit on oil prices in return.

But hey, I work for a major oil company, and I plan to retire in a few years.  So by all means, let's drill offshore.  The better my company's stock price is, the better for me.  

Answer 4

not anymore.

Answer 5

Why don't the oil companies drill where they already leased the land or did they just waste a bunch of money leasing where they knew no oil existed?

Answer 6

Because by the TIME it "Works", it's gonna be 2016, gas will be over $10. a Gallon, and the "NEW" supply of off-Shore Oil is only gonna drop the Price about a Quarter a Gallon! Now YOU tell ME, you think it's worth it??!  :0 Drilling for Oil is NO LONGER the "way to go" in this Country... We've GOT TO start finding NEW sources of Energy...- & we SHOULD HAVE started doing it- 20 years ago!  Because NOW we're gonna have to PAY through the NOSE- to get OFF of Our dependency on Oil...  :(  

Answer 7

They are trying to create a situation- that if Barack can get elected with a Dem house and senate- to take over the oil production of this country and nationalize it the way Hugo Chavez did in Venezuela.  

Answer 8

They have their hands in the pockets of the wacko environmentalists.  

Answer 9

because they are afraid of destroying the enviorment by an oil spill

Answer 10

Because it would take about 10 years to find and drill oil on the coast, which would be expensive as h**l, and in that ten years we could make alternative energies that would be more permanent solution then fifty years of oil.

**Also in Venezuela the price is 11 cents a gallon sooooooo i dont see socialized oil as a bad option.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_us...

Answer 11

I think all politicians suck. Unfortunately, I have to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. I do vote, every time. Are you @ least registered?

Answer 12

Because most of them have invested in "Big Oil" and want the price to stay high because they make more money.