Offshore Drilling may actually provide an opening for Republicans

Which is surprising given the total disarray the party is in.

My hope was that Republicans could use the energy issue to stem some loses and to actually yank some concessions from the Democrats but the latest USA Today / Gallup poll shows that by a 2 to 1 margin voters are more likely to support a candidate who supports offshore drilling.

Would you be more or less likely to support a candidate who supports easing restrictions on offshore domestic drilling?

More likely
All: 57%
Republicans: 73%
Independents: 60%
Democrats: 44%

Less likely
All: 31%
Republicans: 21%
Independents: 28%
Democrats: 40%

No difference
All: 9%
Republicans: 5%
Independents: 11%
Democrats: 10%

Source: USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 1,007 adults July 25-27. Margin of error: ±3 percentage points for full sample.

Combine this with the polls continuing to show John McCain in a close race with Our True Lord and Savior Barack Obama(tm) and we may just pick up a seat or two. It's a longshot hope I know but there it is.

That is unless we get the swing vote scenario, in which both candidates completely abandon all long held convictions in order to pander to special interest groups. In that case I am not sure who it hurts more but my guess would be Obama given McCain is already on the outs with a large portion of conservatives.

Speaking of "Swing Vote" it is actually an enjoyable film although the kid is a little too smart and the TV reporter (Paula Patton) is a little too ethical. There weren't a whole lot of cheap shots taken at Republicans. The issues that are presented in the letters Bud (Costner) receives and the debate question tend to show Costner's political leanings, but not in a particularly heavy handed way.

The commercials that the candidates come up with are hilarious especially the anti-abortion one run by the Democrat candidate (Dennis Hopper)