“But I’m left with no sense at all of what it is Obama would do over McCain with regards to this. For, if you believe that carbon emissions are the ultimate cause of global climate change, the US is certainly becoming an ever increasingly smaller source of all of that compared to the other rising powers.”

Form. Over Substance.

Euro politics.

Democrat politics.

Obama politics.

For them, it is much, much better to say, and be said to say, the right things (believing is strictly optional, and mostly for suckers), and do nothing, than to say the wrong things, or even be skeptical of the “right things”, and nevertheless achieve positive results. This is the essence of the left.

You have seen “form over substance” succeed since at least high school.

We, like europe, can be loved again if only we will confess our carbon sins, admit that war is bad, and act like France (in our own damned interests, thank you) in failing tolive up to these ideals (though we are making progress.

The paradox is that we are called upon literally and figuratively to do so much for the rest of the world that we cannot act as Europe. The world becomes more dangerous when we (see, eg, Jimmy Carter) pursue form over substance. Taking it on the chin from those who resent needing us is the price the US pays for helping keep the world on an even keel — mostly even anyway. It’s a burden we dare not ditch.