Watching the Iowa Caucuses last night, with all those folks trying to cram into elementary school libraries and high school gymnasiums, I just couldn't put my skepticism aside.

While shivering reporters and armchair analysts seemed excited to comment on the record turnout and hopes for a "new direction" the next time around, I was haunted by the H.L. Mencken quote, "Looking for an honest politician is like looking for an ethical burglar."

Point is, I don't trust a single one of them. Democrats or Republicans, their priorities rarely seem to be dictated by what's in the country's best interest. Certainly that's been the case for decades when it comes to energy.

Sure, both Iowa winners have something to say about energy. Obama, a candidate who hails from Illinois, where ethanol is king, is a huge supporter of biofuels. Shocker! And Huckabee touts hydrogen and clean coal as "avenues of alternative energy we have to pursue." Hydrogen: a 20-year stall tactic, and clean coal: a myth.

In the meantime, while the diesel-guzzling campaign buses move from the unforgiving Iowa cold to the unforgiving New Hampshire cold, we brace for another round of lip service.

Fortunately for us, our financial gains in 2008 will not be dictated by the candidates' promises of energy independence and "getting off oil." Just like Washington's current lack of leadership on energy didn't hurt the alternative energy market in 2007.

Don't get me wrong: certainly any federal support for alternative energy integration will help move this thing along even faster . . . but it's not necessary. Because there's nothing they can do, nor is there any law they can pass, that'll put more easy oil in the ground or make coal a clean, sustainable resource.

At the end of the day, it is only alternative energy and energy conservation that will keep the world turning. The market knows this, and continues to reward those who can see beyond election-time hype and focus on real, competitive solutions to the energy crisis.

How else do you explain the $117 billion invested in clean energy in 2007? A 35 percent increase from the $86.5 billion invested in 2006.

Whether it's solar, geothermal, wind or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, we will continue to move forward, embracing a new energy economy . . . and get rich doing it.

To a new way of life, and a new generation of wealth,

Jeff

 

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One thing that proponents of alternative energy never seem to get, and it winds up alienating you from the people who could "git it done." You are married to the idea that the federal government must be the driving force behind lifestyle/consumption changes.
Amazingly there are a few of us luddite anachronisms who really believe in individual freedom expressed in markets. Compounding that, we believe that this weird outdated thing called "freedom" will steer us quicker to clean, affordable, and strategically commonsense energy solutions far quicker than some crooked idiot lawyer sitting in a chair "representing the people."
Quaint loons like us vote for Ron Paul, and we watch the rest of you bitch because the "right people" aren't pulling the levers of power.

The only myth is that we have the commitment to develop ready sources of energy to run our economy. We have competing claims as to replacing oil. In the short to medium term, we need more oil; more efficient uses of oil and we should develop more nuclear energy as has France.

First, "... any federal support for alternative energy integration will help move this thing along even faster." has seldom if ever been true in the past except maybe for the Atomic Bomb. The federal helped along development of aircraft by deciding to put all the money into the only thing that could possibly work, the dirigible. Government programs hinder by putting regulations, restrictions in direction, restrictions on ownership, who can have access to the research, burdensome approval processes and monstrous reporting requirements on any organization wanting to get the grants. This restricts the areas of research, who can do the research and what the results will be allowed to be.

Second, there is one person with a nearly 20 year record of honesty and commitment to his campaign statements. The Parties are corrupt and all of the main-stream politicians in them are corrupt. Guess who isn't corrupt.

Dr. Paul is an honest polotician With 10 terms as a rep. he has never deviated from only voting form legislation which passes the litmus test of the US constitution.
Lobists never persue him because they know they cannot change his mind. He is the only candidate worthy of the office.

Jeff -

Less cynical demagoguery please and more actual ideas on how to improve the problems we have and make money while doing it.

Your ego-stroking just leaves a bad, haughty, self-righteous taste in readers' mouths.

Anyone can complain - real value comes from those that can point to a solution and implement it. You have clearly found some - let's hear about those and less about the "do-nothing politicians".

Don't Huckabee and Hillary, for that matter Bill Clinton all hail from Arkansas? Home of Hot Springs, Arkansas. GEOTHERMAL so close to the surface that the springs are hot enough to swim in during the winter??? Where is that geothermal plant???

Please consider the (Very Late) advancements in the Fischer/Tropsch process.developed by these Germans in the late 30s,this technology produces ultra pure ""white crude", which among other matters , has an unlimited shelf life. Major point?North America is the 800 pound gorilla when it comes to coal.I believe, had we pursued this technology back in the early 70s oil crisis(regardless of the excessive cost)with the passion & resources of the Manhattan Project,we would be independent of eastern oil for the last 20 years. and there would be no gasoline vehicles on our highways.(check out Sasol,Syntroleum & Rentech)