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JOHN’S REPORT - Face it: Fossil fuel extraction is messy. Whether you’re drilling for oil or digging for coal, the process of obtaining the raw materials that, for better or for worse, fuel the bulk of our economy is nearly as destructive to our environment as burning them.
And so it is with fracking, short for "Hydraulic Fracturing," whereby one—if one is a massive mining operation—drills deep into underground rock formations, pumps them full of chemically treated water, and harvests the oil or natural gas embedded in the rock.
Environmentalists, naturally, hate fracking due to its tendency to contaminate precious groundwater, emit toxic greenhouse gases, and potentially trigger seismic activity.
And, just as naturally, politicians from “the left” tend to oppose it, to stay on the good side of the environmentalists, and because climate disruption is, you know, a real thing.
There’s just one problem. The Electoral College has made that “Mecca of Fracking,” Pennsylvania, the biggest swing state in America. No Democrat is going to carry the state if they oppose fracking, which, to pardon the pun, is a goldmine for workers and businesses alike in the state. It’s fundamental to the state's economic health.
And no Democrat is going to win the Presidency without Pennsylvania. That’s why Kamala Harris 2024 has embraced fracking in stark contrast to her total opposition to the controversial practice when she first ran for president four years ago.
This pivot had to be done for political reasons, but what's the best way for her to navigate Trump's attacks on her flip flop? More importantly, how can she make her position believable to the voters in Pennsylvania whose jobs rely on the controversial practice?
First, she needs to own the change in position. She must show that her position is not so much a flip-flop as a “flip-forward,” an evolution that aligns with her core values—protecting our environment and strengthening our economy.
In contrast to Trump, who has no core values other than naked self-interest and will say anything to get what he wants, Kamala can show that her new embrace of fracking is based on a deep dive into the issue and solid evidence.
These are merely suggestions, but she might respond to the attacks like this:
“I support fracking, period. Full stop. As I’ve said, my values have never changed. My goals have never changed. But, when I identify better approaches or tactics—where the benefits outweigh the costs—then we must evolve and meet the moment to get us to the bigger goal of protecting and creating jobs while ensuring a cleaner and greener environment. These are not mutually exclusive notions. Elected leaders need to stop talking and start listening, do their homework and be open to the possibility that they don’t have a monopoly on the truth or good ideas. Public servants need to evolve to achieve our shared goals and improve the quality of life for all Americans.”
So, unlike Trump, Kamala listens to experts from both the environmental and energy sectors and has determined that modern fracking technology can reduce environmental damage while supporting energy independence.
Furthermore, by supporting the well-paying jobs the fracking creates now, she's buying time and easing the transition into the more sustainable energy future we all want and which our planet so desperately needs.
In addition, Kamala can portray her embrace of fracking as yet another facet of her desire to strengthen America at home and abroad. Maintaining our energy independence while working for cleaner alternatives will protect our economy, especially in the face of disruptions in the global energy market that might result from the various wars that are brewing across the globe.
In making these arguments, she should avoid making it all about Pennsylvania. This will help her avoid the appearance of simply pandering to Pennsylvania voters and provide an excellent example of her intelligent, fact-based, and pragmatic leadership style, starkly contrasting to the flip-flopping Agent of Chaos she's running against.
Because when it comes to flip-flopping, Trump is the undisputed world-champion. On nearly every single major issue of our day, from Abortion to Gun Control, Healthcare to Immigration, the Iraq War to Climate Change, Trump, the one-time Democrat-turned-independent-turned-MAGA-Republican has changed his position to suit his own personal political ambitions.
In a 2009 letter to The New York Times, Trump was one of the business leaders who called for urgent action to combat climate change, expressing concern over rising global temperatures.
But as president, Trump consistently questioned the science behind climate change, famously calling it a "hoax" and withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. Why? Because clean energy is bad for the oil and gas interests that fuel his campaign.
The point is, Trump parading around Pennsylvania accusing Harris of being a flip-flopper is rich—especially from a fake billionaire who’s cash flow depends on the sale of MAGA swag and Truth Social Stock, which is being flushed down a fracking hole as we speak.
Undecided Pennsylvanians will appreciate and find refreshing Kamala Harris’s straight talk, honesty and change of heart—versus a candidate who doesn’t have an honest bone in his body, let alone a heart—and they will make her the next President of the United States.
(John Shallman is an Award-winning political media consultant and crisis management expert and President of Shallman Communications in Los Angeles. Author of the national best-selling book, Return from Siberia. @johnshallman)
