Cliff Willmeng, Boulder County fractivist, gives Colorado the middle finger

As Democrats nationally try to run from the environmental extremist arm of their party, it’s becoming more and more apparent that these extremists are really just a core part of the base for the Democratic party.  The Wall Street Journal today ran an interesting piece about how Democrats are beginning to abandon the Cliff Willmeng Wing of the Democratic Party.

“Mike McKenna, president of conservative lobbying firm MWR Strategies, which has close ties to GOP congressional leadership, said “it’s a genuine shift and an important one.” Among the drivers, he said, is the local tax revenue that comes from related economic growth.

Since March 2008, oil production has increased 58% and natural-gas output has risen 21%, making the U.S. the world’s largest producer of both fuels, according to federal and international agency statistics. Jobs directly related to oil and gas production have nearly doubled in the past 10 years to 697,600, government data shows.”

While Udall may be paying lip service to the oil and gas industry this election season (for about the first time ever), his fishing for dollars will likely not continue if he’s re-elected.  Afterall, remember the notes a constituent conveyed about Udall’s support of the Keystone XL pipeline:

“Meeting was not very productive as Ms. Robinson stated that the Senator was an environmentalist and his views were incongruent with support of the Keystone XL.”

And, let’s not forget that he’s married to one of the climate change racket’s movement’s biggest supporters, Maggie Fox.  Pillow talk could be awkward if he fully supported the oil and gas industry.  Of course, his 97% lifetime voting record from the League of Conservation Voters speaks for itself.

But, what’s most interesting in this WSJ article is the quote from a Fort Collins fractivist.  Despite Hickenlooper’s support and Udall’s recently-discovered support for the industry, fractivists will support Democrats come November.  Why?  Because the issues take a backseat to the party.  From the article:

“Kelly Giddens, campaign manager for the Citizens for a Healthy Fort Collins, a Colorado-based environmental group, doesn’t like Mr. Udall’s push for natural-gas exports but also doesn’t want a Republican to take his seat.  As for voting for Mr. Udall this November, she said, ‘It’s going to be a giant hold-your-nose-and-vote-thing.  But I will.'”

Think about it.  Fractivists shout from every Colorado mountaintop that fracking causes cancer, birth defects, and poisoned water (none of these are accurate, but we digress).  Yet, if they truly believe all of what they say, how could Giddens and other radical environmentalists possibly vote for recent fracking converts like Udall and Hick?  It would be a betrayal of their own survival instincts.

The answer is obvious – these fractivists don’t really believe the cancer-causing nonsense, and they are at the most basic level, nothing more than a pro-Democrat special interest group.  For Giddens and Willmeng, what is good for Democrats is more important than “clean water”.