Obama's 60 Minutes Interview

You can check out the Obama interview yourself if you haven't seen it yet or if you just want to review it by accessing the YouTube videos in my last blog post.

An important point I wanted to make regarding Obama's policies is the fact that he still intends to focus on alternative energy, even with the price of gasoline falling. I think this is important because we all know that we cannot remain on petroleum forever - there is a finite supply.

We should also recall that during the Reagan administration, we had the opportunity to develop an alternative source of fuel, but because gasoline was cheaper and the price of developing that alternative energy was considered too high, it was scrapped. I think Obama and his team realize that we cannot afford to do the same thing we did back then, that being put alternative energy on the "back-burner."

After all, we're now 20-30 years from that point when the petroleum supply was higher and alternative energy wasn't as much of a concern. The petroleum supply is now considerably lower, and consequently, that's a major reason why the U.S. was dealing with $4-$5/gallon gas prices just a few short months ago.

In my opinion, it's refreshing to see Obama see the "big picture" here when it comes to petroleum and alternative energy - petroleum prices will rise again at some point, probably in the not-too-distant future, as the supply continues to dwindle and the longer we continue to utilize it for our automobiles and our homes. That is why it's imperative we continue developing alternative energy sources and implement them into our society as soon as we can - that way, when the petroleum prices do go back up, we won't be as hampered like we were a few short months back.

It would be wise for foreign nations like Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and other countries to do the same, and it seems they are on their way as well. After all, petroleum will run out one day, so at some point, alternative energy will be the main means of sustaining our society, so why not continue researching and implementing it into our society as soon as possible?

That's why I found Obama's view refreshing when he mentioned this on 60 Minutes Sunday night.

CBS' 60 Minutes program interviewed President-Elect Barack Obama on Sunday night, asking him questions on a various number of topics, including the following:

- How he is preparing for his inauguration as our 44th President on January 20, 2009 and the transfer of command from Bush's administration to his own
- The current economic crisis the U.S is facing
- The problems hampering the $700 billion stimulus package and why we haven't seen any tangible results from that package yet
- How his life has been changed by the fact he is about to become the next President of the United States
- How the "first dog" search is going

The interview also included Michelle Obama as well. We also learn about the role Barack's mother-in-law played in his campaign (namely, taking care of Malia and Sasha while Michelle was out campaigning for her husband).

We also see Barack's views on whether the auto industry should be helped (yes, but not with blank checks) and why he wants to do more to help the homeowners during this economic crisis, as he feels they have not been helped as much as they should be.

Here are the 7 parts of Obama's Nov. 16, 2008 Interview with 60 Minutes:

Part 1: