In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a Republican primary in Florida today. It has largely come down to a Romney/McCain contest, the polls have been bouncing all over the place, it’s utterly impossible to predict what will happen, and it’s likely that whoever wins — particularly if it’s a sizeable win — will secure the Republican nomination. So it’s a big deal.
Naturally I won’t/can’t endorse anyone, but just considering things from the generic green voter’s perspective, it seems like Romney would be the better outcome. He has obviously and openly retrograde positions on climate and energy and would provide green voters with a clear choice.
McCain’s positions on the same issues are attractive on the surface. The media would laud him for it. He would give green Republicans like Crist and Schwarzenegger a rallying point. There’s a powerful temptation on the part of the public and green groups alike to pretend that there’s bipartisan consensus on this stuff.
Not too far beneath the surface, however, McCain’s policy proposals on climate/energy are just weak and ineffectual. On the merits, governing the country, he’d be far closer to Romney than to Clinton or Obama. What’s more, his selection as the Republican candidate would effectively drive climate out of the race as a live issue, to the detriment of the climate movement and the climate itself.
So … Mittmentum! Wo0t!
