When it comes to energy, Senator John McCain is quite a Republican maverick. He has said that he ‘respects’ former Vice President Al Gore’s work on this subject, and that he ‘shares’ his (Gore’s) goals (energy independence, clean energy, and so on).

He basically endorsed Gore’s plan even though, as Debra Saunders points out, that plan can never work. Gore’s goals can never be achieved, especially not because Gore opposes offshore drilling and is not in favor of nuclear energy. Yet, McCain speaks positively about the ultra-progressive.

That’s a bit strange, perhaps, but it makes more sense than some may think:

I can see GOP readers tearing out their hair and asking why oh why McCain can take on Obama for opposing offshore oil drilling despite gasoline now costing more than $4 per gallon, but not Gore.

But maybe there is a method of McCain’s madness. With the USA Today/Gallup poll showing 65 percent of Americans disapproving of President Bush, McCain is within three points – read: the margin of error – of Obama in the Realclearpolitics.com national poll average.

Voters seem to be looking for a president who is more interested in getting things done than scoring partisan points and being deliberately confrontational. Perhaps McCain can be more effective in taking on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for barring any House vote on offshore oil drilling.

“I respect her position,” McCain said, but then he slammed Pelosi for her decision “to not even allow votes.” If elected, McCain said, he would sit down with Pelosi to talk energy.

Perhaps in joining Democrats in energy babble, McCain actually could get something halfway sensible done – that is, more oil drilling, more nuclear plants and more renewable energy.

In this sense, McCain’s approach makes sense.