by Collin Corbett
Part One: Combating the Liberal Spin
There is perhaps nothing more aggravating than when conservative candidates and Republican officials are confronted by liberal activists who chastise them for their “support of Big Oil,” and the only response they can muster is a stammered slur of equivocations. In the past month I’ve seen this situation replayed over and over, with only a single official handling the situation with anything resembling deftness. In today’s political climate, there is no excuse for this being a “gotcha question.” It’s time we messaged this issue properly.
Democratic lawmakers in Washington have called for an end to energy subsidies such as those given to “Big Oil” companies operating in the United States, pointing to $4 billion in subsidies the five largest oil companies receive each year. Their reasoning has emotional appeal: with a lagging economy, rising national debt, and worsening unemployment levels, subsidies to rich oil magnates are simply enriching “fat cats” at the expense of hard-working Americans. So how can we compete with this picture? It’s easy: stick to the facts.