OPINION:
Oh boy, oh joy, Beto O’Rourke, the once-upon-a-time golden star of Democratic politics, has a new Green plan, and yes, it’ll cost $5 trillion — that’s taxpayer trillion, not personal or business bucks — but at the end of the day, the world will be saved and the 12-year countdown to earthly destruction will be halted in its tracks and every man, woman and child will have clean air to breathe every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
That Robert Francis — he’s no Howdy Doody. No matter what all those people say.
“The greatest threat we face, which will test our country, our democracy, every single one of us, is climate change,” O’Rourke said in a statement about his $5 trillion path toward greenhouse gas emission net zero-ness, by 2050.
One can just see the arm-bouncing now.
“We have one last chance to unleash the ingenuity and political will of hundreds of millions of Americans to meet this moment before it’s too late.,” he went on, The Hill reported. “The actions we’re announcing today will help us get there — by wasting no time cutting pollution, making historic investments in infrastructure, innovation —” and so on, and so forth.
It’s boring even to write, never mind read.
But the essence of Beto’s big climate change plan is this: As president, he’ll shove the $5 trillion-slash-bazillion-slash-whatever emission standards onto an unwilling participant called America via executive order.
He’ll be Barack Obama on steroids — meaning, he’ll not just have one pen and cellphone, but many.
Just one question: Who are these so-called “hundreds of millions of Americans” who’ve apparently set their political wills on spending trillions for radical environmentalism? ’Cause the polls that make the public rounds don’t show that. Most of the polls the public read show the economy, immigration and health care as the trifecta of top voter concerns.
Maybe Beto’s got a secret poll somewhere — you know, from the same company telling Democrats that impeachment is a winning campaign message?
Anyhow, here’s the theory on Beto’s rollout of this ridiculous zero-emissions, zero-production, poverty-inducing plan: He needed something to stay in the race.
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has stolen his thunder. Other Dems on the campaign trail all have signature emission-slashing environmental plans. Beto’s got to compete.
Just know, with this guy, with Beto, the key to taking his Green policies with any shred of seriousness is to not look at old Howdy Doody videos on YouTube. And for the love of God, please don’t listen to the show’s theme song.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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