# What should Obama do about the BP oil spill? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 2, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638 "2010-06-02T13:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/21 "2010-06-02T15:32:24Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Being president in a crisis, when your practical power is extremely limited, is pretty much all about politics. I am sure the political side of it matters to Obama and his advisers. In terms of relieving the spill and its effects, no, it really does not matter. That’s what I’m saying. He can look busy standing around on the shore if he wants, but he’d be in the way of the people actually working on this, and at the same time he’d be neglecting this issue and others. > [@](#): > > The other thing he needs to do, if he hasn’t already, is get better control of his own bureaucracy. A couple of weeks back, after he had announced a virtual moratorium on new drilling, the government was still handing out permits. There was a NYTimes story about it. I hope that has already been fixed. I can look for the story but I assume they can give out permits while not allowing the companies to go ahead and drill. Although a moratorium on permits would be good since they obviously need a new approval process. > [@Airbeck](#): > > Let me ask you this, if you feel so strongly about it, and its just a matter of getting down there and rolling up the sleeves, then why aren’t you down there right now helping with cleanup yourself? Personal responsibility and all that, right? Why rely on the nanny state government to solve our problems? I don’t know your political bent, but from your comment it seems pretty obvious. I apologize if I’ve misinterpreted your comments. Does that really matter? For all you know, he’s on break. 😛 A lot of us would like to be helping down there but we have jobs and can’t put them on hold. The government still has to handle its end of things. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/22 "2010-06-02T15:37:49Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Agreed. If anyone wants to criticize the administration for not doing enough, which they are of course entitled to do, they should also at least have some suggestions as to what they should be doing. Otherwise I’d suggest shutting up. > > Just yelling ‘DO SOMETHING’ isn’t a valid criticism. Yes and no. Obama was elected on platitudes about “change” and when pressed for what that meant, his critics said that he had no real plan and it was all talk. This BP oil spill looks like more of the same. 1. Get in front of the story. The Holder speech should have been on day 10 not day 40. At some point, we Americans should be assured that somehow BP is not going to get away by not paying for the cleanup and will be still allowed sucking money out of the seafloor to _not_ pay for the cleanup. The President is our political leader and he needs to act as such. 2. Get the US Navy involved. If anyone can assistwith an oilwell 5000’ deep it would be the Navy. Get DHS (FEMA) involved. 3. Start a review of offshore practices. If it is so difficult to fix a problem 1 mile deep, should oil companies be allowed to drill there? Why were the out so far? If we should allow it, what contigencies are in place in case this happens again. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/23 "2010-06-02T15:39:37Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Seriously though: how do you “skim” oil that’s miles underwater? It won’t and isn’t staying under water for long. As oil is less dense than water, it floats to the top. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/24 "2010-06-02T15:42:58Z")
I think the thing that Obama is missing is Leadership. Of course he doesn’t have the know-how or the time or whatever to fly down there and start combing out tar balls, but by not doing the types of things that Boyo Jim suggested above, he just looks like he’s ignoring it. First and foremost, the President is a Leader. He doesn’t have a whole lot to do officially when compared to the Judicial/Legislative branches. What has he been doing for the last 40 days? Obama and his staff seem to be seriously dropping the ball on the Leader aspect of what the President is. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/25 "2010-06-02T15:46:04Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Let me ask you this, if you feel so strongly about it, and its just a matter of getting down there and rolling up the sleeves, then why aren’t you down there right now helping with cleanup yourself? Personal responsibility and all that, right? Why rely on the nanny state government to solve our problems? I don’t know your political bent, but from your comment it seems pretty obvious. I apologize if I’ve misinterpreted your comments. I will be. My family and I had planned a vacation to Alabama this summer, months ago. We get there in about a week and a half. Just in time to assist with the clean-up of the shore. Luckily our house is right on the beach, so we won’t have far to go each day. But, that still doesn’t absolve the administration from taking the proper steps to try and keep as much oil as possible from ever reaching the shores. And so far they have not done much in substantive measures. Sure there has been a lot of political posturing, but not much in the way of really trying to accomplish anything. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/26 "2010-06-02T15:51:08Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > In fairness, when part of your campaign is criticizing the party of the current administration’s handling of the Hurrican Katrina disaster, it would seem that when you come into power that you should be handling your own natural disaster in a more proactive manner. > > The BP well exploded over 40 days ago. Oil is now reaching the coastlines of our country, 30-40 days **AFTER** the well explosion. In my opinion, they have had more time and done less than what the then adminstration did during Katrina. Fairness? The oil rig explosion was a "natural " disaster? That is a weird starting point. Almost the technology for dealing with oil rigs and underwater assessment is in the hands of private industry. Submersibles and underwater robots are the tools of the oil companies. I suppose I would stuff a torpedo in it out of frustration. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/27 "2010-06-02T15:58:06Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > 1. Get in front of the story. The Holder speech should have been on day 10 not day 40. Fair point. > [@](#): > > At some point, we Americans should be assured that somehow BP is not going to get away by not paying for the cleanup and will be still allowed sucking money out of the seafloor to _not_ pay for the cleanup. I thought that had already been established. > [@](#): > > 1. Get the US Navy involved. If anyone can assistwith an oilwell 5000’ deep it would be the Navy. Get DHS (FEMA) involved. They should be involved if they can do anything, although I don’t know how much either of them can do here. > [@](#): > > 1. Start a review of offshore practices. If it is so difficult to fix a problem 1 mile deep, should oil companies be allowed to drill there? Why were the out so far? If we should allow it, what contigencies are in place in case this happens again. Definitely true. I’m guessing that will be more of a priority once the leak is contained. > [@Wilbo523](#): > > It won’t and isn’t staying under water for long. As oil is less dense than water, it floats to the top. Fair point. Again I’m not sure how this is done. > [@Sateryn76](#): > > I think the thing that Obama is missing is Leadership. > > Of course he doesn’t have the know-how or the time or whatever to fly down there and start combing out tar balls, but by not doing the types of things that Boyo Jim suggested above, he just looks like he’s ignoring it. You forgot to mention that he needs to have his sleeves rolled up while doing this. If he doesn’t roll up his sleeves people will think he’s not really working. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/28 "2010-06-02T15:59:15Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > ETA: Yes, they are calling it “his Katrina.” Did Rush invent that phrase? Dunno who invented it. I heard some of the pundits on a news show (Sunday morning news show…I forget) that suggested calling it his Katrina is not terribly appropriate. They likened it more to Jimmy Carter and the Iran Hostage Crisis. It just simmered and simmered and certainly hurt him in the 1980 election. They think this may have a similar effect on the Obama administration. Personally I would be happy to see Obama demand a bottom-up review of MMS (not to mention the SEC) and demand they be revamped to do the job they are there to do. Restructure them such that they are clear who they work for (which is not the banks, oil or mining companies to name a few). Get them back into the business of applying regulations firmly. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/29 "2010-06-02T16:19:17Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > At some point, we Americans should be assured that somehow BP is not going to get away by not paying for the cleanup and will be still allowed sucking money out of the seafloor to _not_ pay for the cleanup. > [@Marley23](#): > > I thought that had already been established. Yes but I recall similar noises being made in the Exxon Valdez case. The Exxon Valdez accident happened in 1989. Final judgment against them was settled on in 2009…20 _years_ later and the damages reduced to a bit more than $500 million. Also, some in Congress are seeking to raise the absurdly low damage cap currently in place but those measures are being blocked by others in Congress. So, call me dubious on just how much BP will be opening its wallet once this is done. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/30 "2010-06-02T16:23:51Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Yes but I recall similar noises being made in the Exxon Valdez case. The Exxon Valdez accident happened in 1989. Final judgment against them was settled on in 2009…20 _years_ later and the damages reduced to a bit more than $500 million. > > Also, some in Congress are seeking to raise the absurdly low damage cap currently in place but those measures are being blocked by others in Congress. > > So, call me dubious on just how much BP will be opening its wallet once this is done. The Supreme Court case was about punitive damages paid to the victims. I don’t know how the costs of that cleanup were resolved. I understand the skepticism but the court case doesn’t really apply. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/31 "2010-06-02T16:24:51Z")
This is a very good question. Perhaps [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=564132) has some relevant responses. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/32 "2010-06-02T16:31:44Z")
He’s already done the most important thing: directed the Department of the Interior to split the MMS into separate agencies. One to police drilling operations, the other to collect the royalties. As far as what he can do vis-a-vis his approval ratings, not much. **Wilbo** outlines the issue perfectly - he’s complaining about how Obama isn’t doing enough, and ignoring the people asking what he’s supposed to be doing. The electorate will probably do the same. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/33 "2010-06-02T16:42:31Z")
**What should Obama do about the BP oil spill?** He should take a nice, refreshing swim in the oily waters on national television to show everyone once and for all that oil is just as natural as seawater. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/34 "2010-06-02T16:53:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > As far as what he can do vis-a-vis his approval ratings, not much. **Wilbo** outlines the issue perfectly - he’s complaining about how Obama isn’t doing enough, and ignoring the people asking what he’s supposed to be doing. The electorate will probably do the same. I think you must have missed a post or two of mine. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/35 "2010-06-02T16:58:59Z")
You’re quite right- I completely missed this: > [@](#): > > Get every fucking boat you can to “skim baby skim” The Federal government has those type of resources. Every gallon they skim up before it gets to land is a gallon that doesn’t need to be cleaned up off of the beaches and marshlands. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/36 "2010-06-02T17:33:34Z")
I really think that the people criticizing how the White House has handled the crisis would be criticizing him just as loudly no matter what Obama had done. If he had done more, people would be blasting him for Big Government interference. If he had done less, people would be blasting him for fiddling while Rome burned. The White House has has been monitoring the crisis from the beginning; but as has been said, all of the equipment and expertise to resolve this problem is in the hands of private industry, which has been mobilized to the extent it can be, and is being closely monitored every step of the way, and government services are being mobilized to the degree they can be useful. Because of the action taken, relatively little of the oil has made it to the coastline. Projections had been that shoreline contamination would be earlier and much, much worse, as I recall. Also remember that BP either deliberately or accidentally grossly underreported how much oil was leaking. People are being very obtuse is assuming this is something anyone–even St. Reagan–can fix quickly. Since there’s truly little that government intervention can achieve, the criticism amounts to people expecting Obama to spend tax dollars putting on a show for the electorate. I for one am glad he hasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/37 "2010-06-02T17:47:21Z")
Should Obama go down to the beach via helicopter and jump out wearing a flight suit with an impressive codpiece? He could even have a “mission accomplished” banner. Being “seen to be doing something” for P.R. purposes is useless crap window dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/38 "2010-06-02T18:09:37Z")
[Michele Bachmann demands gangster president commandeer boats](http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2010/06/michele_bachman_99.php) > [@](#): > > The administration, they were hands off. They didn’t do anything. Where were the boats that could have been commandeered by the government to be sent into this region to deal with that oil plume as it was coming up in the water and destroying marine life? Nowhere to be found. Why? The administration was hands off on this policy. (Video below.) Being a democrat, maybe Obama should’ve rather commandeered all the assault rifles people own along the gulf and simply **shot the oil slick dead.** He could then ‘forget’ to restore that private property after his victory over oil and kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/39 "2010-06-02T20:02:09Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Michele Bachmann demands gangster president commandeer boats](http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2010/06/michele_bachman_99.php) > Being a democrat, maybe Obama should’ve rather commandeered all the assault rifles people own along the gulf and simply **shot the oil slick dead.** > He could then ‘forget’ to restore that private property after his victory over oil and kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Proof, as if we needed any, that no matter what Obama does Bachmann and her ilk will say it is the wrong thing (I think that is not hyperbole but literal or near enough to make no difference). If Obama miracled the well to stop they’d claim it was because of a pact with the Devil. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638/40 "2010-06-02T21:58:41Z")
I think Obama is doing and has done about what I would have. I think he’s been good about not demonizing BP and the oil industry, and I don’t think further government involvement would speed up the spill cap any more than it already is proceeding. Overall, this arch-conservative energy expert is pretty happy with the way Obama has handled things to date. Interestingly, the “99% hard-line Republican engineers” I work with also seem to think, both unanimously and grudgingly, that Obama has done a good job of handling the spill. Folks that think Obama’s not visibly “doing enough” have not seen the immense amount of R&D and effort being done right now, with folks working 16-hour days 7 days a week, down in the Gulf. Obama may be suffering in the polls a bit, but I chalk that up to mainly the immense technical and scientific dumbassery of the average American, especially those whose sole knowledge of the energy field is from a random Times article or two, Wikipedia, and some teenager’s Anger Blog. I think a key test for Obama will be how he handles the aftermath - how he gets money etc. from BP to clean up and compensate, how he handles the remediation of the affected areas, and how standards are set for current and future offshore drilling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-obama-do-about-the-bp-oil-spill/541638.md?page=3)