2008 Election: Energy - Defining this year's election

[Editor's note: This is the first face-off style column in an occasional series aimed at giving the College Democrats and College Republicans a chance to weigh in on issues in this year's election.]

Energy policy is the defining issue in this election. It drives the economy, as crude oil prices dictate the price of nearly everything else. Energy policy affects foreign policy, with a country's possession of oil playing a large role in how we deal with it. And it has an effect on the environment, which we are slowly destroying with every drop of gasoline we burn. We are at a crossroads in this country when it comes to energy policy: If we continue down the path we are on, we will see sky-rocketing inflation, wars over oil and far fewer polar bears. But if we make a change now, there is a good chance we can right the ship.

Democrats lead the way when it comes to protecting the environment and creating alternative energy solutions. Global warming is a serious issue that requires serious solutions, not empty promises made at election time with no real results. The Republicans have realized that to get to the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the election, they have to follow the Democrats' leadership on this issue. But they have no track record of producing results, and we can expect that this issue will slip back as a priority somewhere between Election Day and Inauguration Day if the Republicans win in November.

Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) choice of a running mate belies his campaign rhetoric and shows his true commitment to taking the energy crisis seriously. Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) only recently admitted a human role in global warming. This is not the attitude we need a heartbeat away from the Oval Office if we expect to make any progress toward solving the energy crisis. We need leaders who will address this problem head on, not who bury their heads in the melting snow.

The Republicans' big new idea is that we need to drill for oil here at home. That is a cigarette addict promising that the next pack he buys will be the last, or a gambling addict slipping off to Atlantic City for one last night of poker. The solution is not more oil. What we need is a plan that weans us off of oil and produces alternative, sustainable and cost-effective sources of energy. And a stop-gap measure like this only means more time spent destroying the environment and less time searching for an alternative.

Regrettably, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has offered tepid support for drilling in the United States for the sake of political expediency. But he has by no means made it the centerpiece of his energy policy. Obama and the Democratic Party have laid out a comprehensive, detailed plan on how he will make the energy crisis a priority. He sets ambitious goals, calling for five million new green jobs, increasing fuel efficiency standards, fully funding alternative energy sources and taxing oil companies who continue to profit as they enable our addiction to foreign oil. He proposes a project on the scale of the Apollo program to get to the moon - and he didn't first commit to these ideals when he realized he wanted to win the Iowa caucus.

We don't need leaders who resort to pithy, poll-tested talking points and solutions that simply prolong the energy problem. We need leaders who are willing to spend the political capital necessary to effect meaningful change. Obama has the plan and the will to end America's addiction to oil and put us on the path to alternative energy sources.

John Allenbach is president of the College Democrats. He can be reached at jallenba@umd.edu.