I’m sure many WUWT readers on both sides of the AGW debate watched Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech last night. The most memorable line that got a standing ovation was a poke back at Obama’s famous line – “I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children … this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.” given at his acceptance speech in 2008.
Marc Morano of Climate Depot has the story about how some folks are upset about that. Mike Mann, since he doesn’t have anything else to do since being put on “sabbatical” is of course given the opportunity to refute. He’s the ‘go to guy’ now that Gore has imploded.
Below are selected excerpts of the Politico article. To read full article go to here. (subscription required)
Politico: Romney’s climate change remark makes waves
By Alex Guillen
8/30/12 11:29 PM EDT
Mitt Romney took a shot at President Barack Obama’s climate change position during his acceptance speech Thursday.
“President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet,” Romney said after accepting the GOP’s presidential nomination in Tampa, drawing laughter from the crowd. “My promise is to help you and your family.”
The line received a standing ovation.
Romney was referring to now-famous remarks Obama made in 2008 after securing the Democratic nomination. “I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children … this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.”
A needless slam on science? That’s how it appeared to Penn State climate researcher Michael Mann.
“How sad it is to witness such fallacious logic from a major party candidate for president,” Mann, one of the nation’s best-known climate researchers, told POLITICO. “If we do not take the necessary actions to combat climate change now, we will of course be leaving our children and grandchildren the legacy of a degraded planet.”
[…]
Marc Morano, publisher of the climate skeptic blog Climate Depot, predicted that Romney’s line from Thursday’s speech will be memorable.
“Kudos to Romney for an accurate framing of the global warming debate,” he said. “Romney’s quip will serve to remind voters just how lofty Obama’s rhetoric once was. Romney’s reminder of Obama’s promise to command the oceans will be one of the most memorable lines of the speech.”
Romney’s speech also included a reiteration of his promise to achieve North American energy independence by 2020 “by taking full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables.”
To read full article and comment online:
https://www.politicopro.com/go/?id=13838 (subscription required)
==========================================================
I agree with Dr. Michael Mann, candidate Obama’s statement about healing the planet was indeed “fallacious logic”, especially in lieu of his track record on climate now. – Anthony
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Someone please wake me up when the guy gets around to details. Maybe when the debates begin? Hopefully. I mean like the guy has been running for president for eight years. Says he was unemployed. He should have had plenty of time to work out the details. We like people with details much more than rhetoric and outlines of plans short on the details. Because if you provide the details we know you want the job.
How about replacing the d word (debt) with the g word (growth)?
How about some Jack Kemp style Kemp/Ross Economic Recovery Plan details?
The G word takes care of the D word.
Rhetoric does nothing for the 15% of our work force still idle.
WUWT folks watched but many people around me have tuned out.
The ratings for this party’s national convention have dropped substantially. Specific details with a growth message can turn things in the upcoming debates.
Woops, I’m referring to the Kemp-Roth (not Ross) tax bill. The 1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act.
Romney: “My promise is to help you and your family.”
When a politician threatens to help you, be scared.
It’s funny that the “religious” Romney mocks President Obama for promising to slow the rise of the oceans. After all, according to the Bible, Moses rolled back the sea and the Israelites escaped from Pharaoh’s army. I don’t really believe in magic, but perhaps the prophet Moses knew a few things about geography, and that’s why he saved his people. Romney just told the whole world that he is no Moses and that he can’t roll back the rising seas. I think I am going to vote for President Obama because he has some scientific ideas about how we might slow the rise of the seas and save our people.
Please don’t assume we belong to a US political “side”. Some of us are not playing the game at all. From the other side of the world you all look completely bonkers.
I’m not sure why you all hate Obama so much. He hasn’t lost a war or started one. He seems to have managed to end one and is halfway to ending another. He nailed Bin Laden which has to be a good thing. He hasn’t vomited on the president of Japan recently. He hasn’t made poor taste jokes about nuking Iran. He still seems to have all his marbles. He hasn’t been caught boffing interns in the Oval office. He hasn’t been impeached. By the admittedly low standards of recent US presidents the man looks like an absolute saint.
@ur momisugly ldd says: August 31, 2012 at 11:32 am
Your ad hom and rant against left wing Canadian media is irrelevant, it changes nothing and addresses none of American Chris Hedges talking points. I agree with Chris Hedges that with Obama/Democrat or Romney/Republican, electing either of these corporate America icons will change nothing for Main St. America (it will only further enrich Wall St. America).
http://theagenda.tvo.org/guest/169970/Chris-Hedges
Do not forget that Obama installed the Male-hating Feminists into the White House and spent plenty of time denigrating and humiliating Fathers, all men and boys just to ensure the female vote. His rhetoric on the AGW hysterics can also be witnessed by the actions of the Nation-wide, job destroying EPA.
Ian H: Obama has a tendency to rule by Executive Order. So far he’s gone around both Congress and the Constitution. Both are impeachable offenses but the Senate is controlled by the democrats under Harry Reid. This is NO way that route will control Obama. So we set our teeth and wait for the elections.
kim says: August 31, 2012 at 8:36 am
I think that line was from June ’08, well before the convention. It was after he’d clinched the nomination, which may account for the mistaken impression, not fact-checked, by the political writer. Of course, I haven’t fact-checked either.
========================
Actually, Teh Won made this claim at his acceptance speech, in front of the Greek columns.
Ian H says:
September 1, 2012 at 10:05 am
“Please don’t assume we belong to a US political “side”. Some of us are not playing the game at all. From the other side of the world you all look completely bonkers.
I’m not sure why you all hate Obama so much. He hasn’t lost a war or started one. He seems to have managed to end one and is halfway to ending another. He nailed Bin Laden which has to be a good thing. He hasn’t vomited on the president of Japan recently. He hasn’t made poor taste jokes about nuking Iran. He still seems to have all his marbles. He hasn’t been caught boffing interns in the Oval office. He hasn’t been impeached. By the admittedly low standards of recent US presidents the man looks like an absolute saint.”
Point well taken by this US voter, but the reason he doesn’t get in much trouble is because he’s been out on the golf course for the majority of his term (except when he sneaks out for a forbidden cheeseburger).
Oh… I am a little miffed that he’s run up another $5 trillion on the US tab. He’s one of the three people in the US who hasn’t noticed that we can’t afford that right now. The other two will come to that awareness when they sober up.
Snapple says:
September 1, 2012 at 9:15 am
It’s funny that the “religious” Romney mocks President Obama for promising to slow the rise of the oceans. After all, according to the Bible, Moses rolled back the sea and the Israelites escaped from Pharaoh’s army. I don’t really believe in magic, but perhaps the prophet Moses knew a few things about geography, and that’s why he saved his people. Romney just told the whole world that he is no Moses and that he can’t roll back the rising seas. I think I am going to vote for President Obama because he has some scientific ideas about how we might slow the rise of the seas and save our people.
You left off the /sarc tag.
Ian H,
It’s time to let an adult run things for a ‘change’. The country handed the Presidency to Obama, who has not one drop of slave blood, in its misplaced apologia for slavery. The country gave the job to a clueless Marxist who had…
No governing experience
No military experience
No foreign policy experience
No economic experience
No business experience
No medical experience
No foreign trade experience
No energy experience
No wonder he’s managed to screw things up royally. For some contrast, here is Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater:
“I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution or that have failed their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is ‘needed’ before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents ‘interests,’ I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”
Instead, the country picked Lyndon Johnson, and what a disaster he was. Now the country has a real choice. We had better not blow it this time.
re: Ian H says: September 1, 2012 at 10:05 am
Speaking to your points first. He hasn’t won a war either, and the one ‘he ended’ was done by Bush’s plan. He delayed getting Osama for months, and was only able to do so to begin with because of intelligence work done before his time, and using methods he condemned. He may not have vomited (what, you think traveling presidents are immune to stomach bugs?), but Obama prostrates himself and our nation to foreign leaders – bowing to the Japanese Emperor, the Saudi King, even on American soil, bowing to the Chinese President, he even bowed to an American mayor who happened to be of Asian decent! He sent the Dali Llama out the back door, past a massive heap of garbage. He may not have joked about nuking Iran, but he ridiculed the disabled and the Special Olympics. He attacks Republicans and conservatives for discriminating against minorities – turns out Obama has one of the least diverse staffs of former presidents. Attacks Republicans and conservatives as discriminating against women – turns out Obama female campaign staffers earn less than male coworkers. He personally attacked and blamed; Fox News (repeatedly), Rush Limbaugh (private individual), ATMs, Wall Street “Fat Cats,” Bush, Bush, and Bush again, Republicans, wealthy people, Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Casinos, private jet owners, Wall Street, Big Oil, small oil, any oil, coal, Bush, over half of the very population he is sworn to represent (e.g., anyone who’s not a liberal/progressive or who disagrees with him), the Supreme Court, state governments, local governments, Fox News, Drudge Report, journalists and reporters in general, jet owners, Las Vegas, Las Vegas casinos, the Cambridge police, ATMS, Bush, and don’t forget, Bush, wealthy people, Rush Limbaugh, Donald Trump, ATMs, European economy… the list goes on and on – it’d be easier to list groups he hasn’t attacked and denigrated than those he has! Obama sneezed while defending Obamacare; blames it on Republicans (frankly I think that one was staged purposefully). He hasn’t been impeached because Democrats control the Senate and would never try him.
But why do we really hate Obama’s policies? Over 43 months unemployment above 8.3%, and real unemployment and underemployment of more than 23 million people. The worst recession ‘recovery’ ever. The most expensive new regulations of any president. A “McJobs” ‘recovery,’ where there are currently still fewer people working than when he took office. The most people ever on food stamps and government assistance. All sorts of end runs around Congress and the Constitution that the Supreme Court will have to rectify after years of costly litigation. Rampant scandals such as Fast and Furious. His EPA running wild and in conjunction with Obama, strangling our ability to produce cheap abundant energy. First real wage drop ever. A Dept. of Justice that no longer provides equal justice under the law, but decides which laws it is even willing to prosecute and which it will ignore – and worse, prosecuting states for actually upholding existing laws. He’s appointed nothing but radical hard leftists to his Cabinet, Czars, and top positions, some of which have been forced to resign once their radical views became known. He’s been incredibly divisive – race baiting, class warfare, gender warfare, etc.
Do you REALLY not see why he is so reviled by many? Open your eyes and look at reality.
@ur momisugly Gail Combs
Doesn’t the presence of Ryan have some influence on your expectations / analysis of Romney ?
Though perhaps only of popcorn relevance to me on this side of the pond.