Obama and McCain on Energy Policy and the Role of the Government

A good, short article appeared on this not too long ago in the Wall Street Journal. Its worth a read. According to this article the main differences come down to this:

Obama: Bigger role for the government in promoting alternatives to oil (though in what way - through incentives or through subsidizing?) and regulating emissions. Promises to invest 150 billion dollars in alternative fuels. Supports nuclear if we come up with "a safe, long-term solution for disposing of nuclear waste".

McCain: More of a market based approach. His record shows a resistance to supporting mandates and tax credits. I suppose, ultimately, this just means that the federal standards on emissions would be more lax, and he would be less willing to spend tax dollars on less promising alternative fuels. It is not clear to me, though, exactly what role he things the government should have. Is it just to get out of the way?

On a different note: I'm not sure what I think about drilling. I know Obama opposes it, but what exactly is McCain's opinion?

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