Drilling within the United States should have been proposed and carried out a few years ago so that we can reap the benefits now. It was not done and so we are paying the price for it. We need time to reverse these bad decisions.

I completely agree with you that no candidate has an immediate solution for the crisis. However, the nature of the energy field is such that unless a substantial number of people (businesses, individuals etc.) comply within a short period of time, there will be no immediate resolution to the problem. It is very hard to have immediate change. I agree with Barr in that letting businesses push for change will be much faster than letting the government handle it. We all know how bureaucracy works.

I also feel that people are asking for the impossible. They want independence from foreign oil and yet drilling in the United States meets with much opposition. They want a transition to alternate fuels but many people do not trust them while others want the change immediately. People (including businesses) want change without having to pay anything out of their pocket, without damage to the environment and without any delay. Energy policy is mostly economics. There is always an opportunity cost. You simply cannot gain anything without having to give up something.