This is from the rather interesting and odd files.

2004 Presidential Candidate & Democratic Senator John Kerry “debated” potential 2008 Presidential Candidate & Republican Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Global Warming today. Redstate has the story with a disappointed conservative POV.

Gingrich apparently started his speech by supporting and endorsing the book written by Kerry with his wife on the subject. He then conceded that Global climate change exists and that it is man made, a point that many on the conservative Republican side dismiss and an admission that made any real “debate” as far as I can tell nonexistent in the room. Apparently some differences in how to achieve the objective were mentioned but two people who agree on a topic with only slight variations on how to achieve a goal isn’t very debate-like.

National debate over Global Climate Change or as it is often referred to as “Global Warming” was extensive in both the 2000 & 2004 elections but increasingly the president and his administration along with a host of moderate Republicans in Congress & Governorships have begun endorsing the idea that man is causing global climate change and that something needs to be done.

This Gingrich/Kerry “debate” is an interesting example of how this issue is being framed for 2008. No longer is it a Republican vs. Democratic issue with current candidates like John McCain expressing concern. Gingrich has been hyped as the potential “conservative” alternative to McCain & Giuliani but this debate along with recent statements about Iraq and an impending book entitled ‘Contract With the Earth’ put doubt on that label.

Undoubtedly Global Climate Change will be an issue but possibly just a major one in the primaries, specifically the Republican primary. In a general election unless two candidates who are on extreme wings of their parties run, both sides could concede the premise like Kerry/Gingrich and move onto nuance about solving the problem.