--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In any crass political calculation…" description: "\"In any crass political calculation, drilling for oil will always win more votes than putting a price on carbon. But if I recall what I was taught in fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/jeff-goodell-8272_always_in-any-crass-political-calculation-drill_1300019.jpg" --- # In any crass political calculation, drilling for oil will… ![“In any crass political calculation, drilling for oil will always win more votes than putting a price on carbon. But if I recall what I was taught in fifth-grade American government class, we elect presidents to do more than crass political calculations.” quote by Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/jeff-goodell-8272_always_in-any-crass-political-calculation-drill_1300019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/jeff-goodell-8272_always_in-any-crass-political-calculation-drill_1300019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/jeff-goodell-8272_always_in-any-crass-political-calculation-drill_1300019.jpg) > “In any crass political calculation, drilling for oil will always win more votes than putting a price on carbon. But if I recall what I was taught in fifth-grade American government class, we elect presidents to do more than crass political calculations.” [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political decisions often favor immediate economic gains, like oil drilling, over long‑term environmental policies, despite the broader purpose of elected leaders. **In simple terms:** Short‑term votes can outweigh climate action. Key Takeaway Prioritize policies with lasting impact. Themes politics environment policy Mood critical concerned Type political environmental When to use this quote - election campaigns - legislative debates Key Concepts short‑term gain long‑term sustainability Questions to Reflect On - How can voters demand more climate‑focused leadership? - What incentives could shift political priorities? A Different Perspective Economic interests can dominate voter preferences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-government/) [Calculation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calculation/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of folks look at the political calculation and then determine the policy. 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The decisions it is making, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kuenssberg/our-political-system-seems-to-be-proving-itself-almost-incapable-of/) [Laura Kuenssberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kuenssberg/) > [Short term political calculations of the past must give way to long-term investments for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sununu/short-term-political-calculations-of-the-past-must-give-way-to-long/) [Chris Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sununu/) > [That mysterious independent variable of political calculation, Public Opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/that-mysterious-independent-variable-of-political-calculation-public/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [No one does a better, cleaner, or environmental friendlier, than the United States, when it comes to drilling for oil, gas, coal, oil refineries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pratt/no-one-does-a-better-cleaner-or-environmental-friendlier-than-the/) [David Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pratt/) > [I'd lower gas prices to what they should be in this country. 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If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/how-much-is-an-hour-of-your-time-worth-it-s-worth-whatever-wage-you/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [“...and his analysis proved him to be the first of theoretical astronomers no less than the greatest of 'arithmeticians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-w-rouse-ball-2/and-his-analysis-proved-him-to-be-the-first-of-theoretical/) W.W. Rouse Ball > [The best calculation is the absence of calculation. Once you have attained a certain level of recognition, others generally figure that when you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-best-calculation-is-the-absence-of-calculation-once-you-have/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Never make a calculation until you know the answer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-archibald-wheeler/never-make-a-calculation-until-you-know-the-answer/) [John Archibald Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-archibald-wheeler/) ## More by Jeff Goodell > [One thing you can say about nuclear power: the people who believe it is the silver bullet for America's energy problems never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/one-thing-you-can-say-about-nuclear-power-the-people-who-believe-it/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [The biggest tab the public picks up for fossil fuels has to do with what economists call 'external costs,' like the health effects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/the-biggest-tab-the-public-picks-up-for-fossil-fuels-has-to-do-with/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [To understand how quickly we're cooking the planet, we need good data. To have good data, we need good satellites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/to-understand-how-quickly-we-re-cooking-the-planet-we-need-good-data/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Australia is the only island continent on the planet, which means that changes caused by planet-warming pollution - warmer seas, which can drive stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/australia-is-the-only-island-continent-on-the-planet-which-means-that/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [In the world of energy politics, the sudden vanishing of the word 'coal' is a remarkable and unprecedented event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/in-the-world-of-energy-politics-the-sudden-vanishing-of-the-word-coal/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [The end of coal in Appalachia doesn't mean that America is running out of coal (there's plenty left in Wyoming). 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He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. 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