Romney Vs. Obama On Climate: The YouTube Faceoff

The two top presidential candidates have been notably silent on one of the most urgent issues of our time, but Barack Obama and Mitt Romney weren’t always so tight-lipped on climate change. Back in 2007-2008, for instance, when both men were also running for president, each was vocal and detailed in describing what sort of action they planned on taking to address the climate crisis. Four years later — over which time said crisis has only been exacerbated by the continued ramping up of global greenhouse gas emissions and the stubborn inaction from the US and China — neither has much to say.

The candidates have been so quiet on global warming that activists formed a new group, #ClimateSilence specifically to petition the candidates to speak up. So far, to little avail. But let’s take the opportunity to take a quick stroll back through time to see how Obama and Romney’s campaign climate talk has evolved over time. As you’ll see, some things have changed dramatically — others, well, you know the drill. Here’s a good old fashioned YouTube faceoff between Mitt and Obama on climate:

In a stump speech during his quest for the Republican candidacy, Romney coins a phrase he’ll come back to even 4 years later — “it’s not America warming, it’s global warming” — by which he means it’s not our responsibility to act to reduce emissions. He does, however, admit that climate change is a real and pressing problem, saying that carbon pollution from industry “may very well be causing the dramatic warming of our planet.”

Addressing climate change was a major part of Obama’s campaign platform. He promised to reduce carbon pollution, to start a green jobs revolution, and to invest heavily in clean energy. Shortly after he was elected, he released this video, calling for a cab and trade program to rein in carbon emissions. He says here he’ll push aggressively for clean energy, which he did, doling out generous investment and funding for R&D in the stimulus bill.

In 2009, the House of Representatives, with a handful of actual Republican votes, passed climate and clean energy legislation that included a cap and trade mechanism to draw down C02 pollution. Here, Obama heralds its passage with an enthusiastic speech about the benefits of pivoting towards a cleaner economy and fighting climate change. He hits at “dangerous polluters” and underscores the growth it would bring to a clean energy economy. This would be the closest we ever got to passing policy addressing climate change, and the last time Obama would so fully endorse climate action.

Watch Mitt Romney use some familiar language as to why we shouldn’t address climate change through policy. Watch him try to remember if he’s allowed to believe in global warming in June, and remember that nope, he’s not supposed to by October. Driven rightward by his party’s fanatical anti-science drift over the last three years, the leading candidate for the Republican party can’t even admit that climate change is happening without getting hammered in the primaries. Climate change has been pushed from the agenda by the recession and an oblivious mainstream media, so Romney doesn’t have many talking points ready when confronted by voters.

After securing his party’s nomination, Romney’s biggest laugh line at the Republican National Convention comes at the expense of Obama’s efforts to address climate change. “Obama promised … to heal the planet,” he says, “my promise is to help your family.” And the crowd goes wild. Climate change’s descent into a fully enshrined political non-issue for the right is complete.

Saying “climate change is not a hoax” is all it takes to draw applause now; rebutting Mitt’s comments above proves popular with the audience Democratic National Convention. Yet Obama offers no further details on how he might do anything Mitt wouldn’t, climate policy-wise.

Polls indicate that voters are concerned about climate again; especially Democrats and independents. And the all-important undecided voters tend to believe in global warming, too — if the candidates were smart, perhaps they’d break their climate silence. But they probably won’t.

And so you have but the comments revealed in my little YouTube face-off to determine what each candidate thinks about climate, and who’d take the issue seriously if elected come November. It’s not exactly a brain-buster.