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Republicans and Global Warming
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Are some Republicans really coming around on climate change? Brian Beutler doubts it and Ryan Avent brings more skepticism. What's interesting is that there really has been some stirrings of change in certain sectors of corporate America, but it seems that to be considered viable in Republican presidential politics you need to pay fealty to each and every specific business group priority; just a generally "pro business" posture doesn't seem to be good enough.
That's too bad, because it seems to me that things like a carbon tax whose revenues are plowed into income tax rebates (or something similar) and support for relaxation of zoning rules ought to count as both "green" and "conservative" and even have some support from your more independent-minded conservative intellectuals (though not from the key Movement publications) but seem to be nonstarters for Republican politicians. Generally speaking, for a party that's become incredibly unpopular we're seeing very little interest in policy innovation, not even anything on a par with strong-but-doomed insurgencies like McCain 2000 or Hart 1984.
That's too bad, because it seems to me that things like a carbon tax whose revenues are plowed into income tax rebates (or something similar) and support for relaxation of zoning rules ought to count as both "green" and "conservative" and even have some support from your more independent-minded conservative intellectuals (though not from the key Movement publications) but seem to be nonstarters for Republican politicians. Generally speaking, for a party that's become incredibly unpopular we're seeing very little interest in policy innovation, not even anything on a par with strong-but-doomed insurgencies like McCain 2000 or Hart 1984.
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