No Keystone XL Pipeline Decision until After November Election

Whew!!!

The State Department has extended the comment period on the Keystone XL Pipeline, “...likely postponing a final decision on the controversial project until after the Nov. 4 midterm elections.”

If nothing else, this will buy an extra seven months before Planet Earth's Worst Nightmare begins.  I'm guessing President Obama will veto the XL Pipeline if the Democrats keep control of the Senate.  Then again, if the Senate goes Republican, Obama will probably be impeached and convicted of, well, whatever flimsy trumped-up charges the Kochsuckers can come up with.  If that's the case, maybe Obama will give the finger to the Kochs' useful idiots, veto the XL Pipeline and say “what're you gonna do, impeach me?”

It doesn't say much for American voters' collective intelligence, but most Americans are in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  Sad but true. 

But I don't think the XL Pipeline will be a major issue during the 2014 midterm election.  The election will revolve around the economy in general, and Obamacare in particular.  As pundits and columnists have been saying for months now, Democrats need to get behind the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obamacare) and get out there and talk about it.  They need to keep hammering away at the fact that eight million (and counting) previously uninsured Americans now have health insurance.  Health insurance companies can no longer turn you down because of a pre-existing condition, and they aren't allowed to cancel your coverage if you have the nerve to go and get sick.  Shout it from the rooftops!  Get the message out!

Anyway, this pipeline delay was a shrewd decision.  It won't be a factor in the upcoming election.  Democrats are the ones who usually fall into this trap:  campaigning relentlessly on their favorite issues — the environment, income inequality, the Talibangelical war on women (war on everybody, for that matter) — issues where the voters agree with them wholeheartedly, and then they turn around and vote Republican because of “Jobs!”

Maybe Republicans will fall into that same trap this year.  Maybe they'll wage a shrill campaign in favor of Keystone XL and against those treehuggers and environazis who are ruining America, while Obamacare gets more popular and the economy improves.

Works for me.