Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the 2016 Chief of Missions Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 2016. [State Department Photo/Public Domain]
Part of the reason they’re confused is Joe Biden’s flip-flopping on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) methods used to loosen oil and natural gas deep in the earth. And his flip-flopping on fossil fuels in general.
When asked about fracking and fossil fuel production throughout the Democratic Party primary, Biden said things like “no more, no new fracking,” “we are gonna get rid of fossil fuels,” “we would make sure it’s eliminated,” and “I guarantee you we’re going to end fossil fuel.”
See it for yourself in the video below.
Biden’s Energy Policies Created by Radical Progressives
Perhaps the most startling part of that clip is when Biden said he’d kill jobs in the fossil fuel industry if it meant reaching “green” goals. Those goals have been set by radical people like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who Biden chose for his climate policy panel. Ocasio-Cortez is the original promoter of the so-called Green New Deal and is a member of the radical “Squad” group in Congress.
It’s easy to see what Pennsylvanians think about Biden’s fracking confusion. Donald Trump has been steadily eroding the former Vice President’s polling lead in the state.
It’s no wonder. Oil and natural gas are a big part of Pennsylvania’s economy. Estimates for the number of oil industry jobs in Pennsylvania range from 621,504 (Food & Water Watch) to 1.2 million (API).
Alongside those employed in the fossil fuel industry, oil and gas companies pay nearly 200,000 landowners in Pennsylvania royalties to lease their land.
Hundred of Thousands of Pennsylvanians Are Invested in Fracking
There are hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania voters with a vested interest in the continuation of fracking there.
That number dwarfs the 44,292 vote margin by which Trump beat Clinton in the state in 2016. The oil and gas industry is a vital voting constituency that Biden must please to win the state. Those voters have a lot of power.
That might explain his blatant flip-flop when he was in Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago. When face to face with voters who Biden knows want no part of a fracking ban, he changed his tune to match.
When Anderson Cooper tried to clarify this with Biden in a recent CNN town hall, Biden seemed to try to have it both ways.
Trump a Clear Contrast to Biden’s Confusion
There’s no doubt about where President Trump stands on fracking. In a tele-rally, Trump called out Biden and Democrats for their positions on fracking and what they would do to Pennsylvanians.
Only one candidate is unequivocal when it comes to protecting jobs and livelihoods in Pennsylvania.
