The oil and gas industry can strengthen its political footing in the US by hitching its arguments to ideals beyond the usual pragmatics of energy security, jobs, wealth creation, and tax revenue. Those all are important goals. But they can be limp lances in an ideological joust. The industry finds itself in just such a struggle and must find comfort arguing at an appropriately elevated, however gauzier level.That step can be difficult. In and out of an inherently pragmatic industry, pragmatists don't like to be called ideological. The characterization implies disconnection from solid reality, high-mindedness, dogmatism. In Washington, DC, it can banish a person from meetings at which deal...