Defueling the Oil Industry

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Democratic Presidential Debate moderator: "As president, would you be willing to sacrifice some of that growth, even knowing potentially that it could displace thousands — maybe hundreds of thousands — of blue-collar workers in the interest of transitioning to that greener economy?

Joe Biden: "The answer is yes."

President Trump denounced Biden's radical anti-fossil-fuel agenda while barnstorming through Pennsylvania last week.

Trump: "Biden's plan is an economic death sentence for Pennsylvania's energy sector — I mean, I think you all know that."

In the second presidential debate, an exchange between Trump and Biden on the topic even puzzled the moderator.

Trump: "Would you close down the oil industry?"

Biden: "By the way, I would transition from the oil industry, yes."

Moderator: "Why would you do that?"

Biden: "Because the oil industry pollutes significantly — because it has to be replaced by renewable energy over time."

Over 10 million Americans work in the oil and natural gas industry.

This — after the final presidential debate — led Trump's former energy secretary and former Texas governor, Rick Perry, to warn in a tweet: "Hey Texas and Pennsylvania, Joe Biden just admitted he would transition from the oil industry, effectively killing an estimated 11 million jobs."

Trump: "Last week Sleepy Joe Biden made perhaps the most shocking admission ever uttered in the history of presidential debates. In other words, he blew it."

In addition to the enormous loss of jobs ...

Trump: "He is going to destroy the oil industry. Will you remember that, Texas? Will you remember that, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio?"

If Biden got his way, gas prices would skyrocket.

Trump: "Nice to have that $2 [per gallon] gasoline, isn't it?"

Biden's timeline for phasing out the fossil fuel industry is anybody's guess, including Biden's.

Biden: We need other industries to transition — to get to ultimately a complete zero emissions by 2025. We have to move toward a net-zero emissions. The first place to do that by the year 2035 is in energy production, by 2050, totally."

And his campaign's official webpage only adds to the confusion, "ensuring the U.S. achieves a 100% clean-energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050."

Biden flip-flops a lot and doesn't seem sure about his own positions on many points of policy.

This has led some to wonder who's actually running against Trump.

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