“means protectionism and isolationism, both of which are in opposition to America’s long-term interests.”
Not necessarily. Being in a position to tell the folks currently exporting oil to us to go pound sand doesn’t mean that we will.
However, there is only one position of strength in this economic model, and this is to be independent of the need to import. From that position of strength, there is a much greater likelihood that crude markets will be driven more by rationality than emotion.
And if we did, it doesn't mean that they will. They'll just sell it to China (exempt from Kyoto) in exchange for the billions and billions of dollars we've been sending them all these years.