Obama’s backing of shale gas aimed at voters in Marcellus region

On January 31, 2012 — No comments

President Barack Obama’s early valentine to the natural gas industry in his State of the Union address Tuesday spurred activist anxiety and industry infatuation, but the lengthy section dedicated to domestic energy was also an appeal to the millions of voters living above the Marcellus Shale formation.

Sure, the Middle Atlantic states were never specifically mentioned, but Mr. Obama’s endorsement of the nation’s shale gas particularly resonates in these swing states. Texas and its Barnett Shale region are not expected to tip Democratic anytime soon, and no candidate is looking at North Dakota’s drilling boom and salivating for three electoral votes.

“There’s no chance he wins the presidency without Pennsylvania,” said Christopher Borick, a political scientist and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. “And he needs those middle-of-the-road voters who might be optimistic about shale gas.”

It’s a strategy that brings the Marcellus debate — and the Marcellus region — to the center of the 2012 election as the president courts voters seeking solutions to unemployment problems and energy dependence.

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