Will Obama listen to the loudest voice on Keystone XL pipeline?

The latest news coming out of the Keystone XL pipeline battle is a new offensive by the Province of Alberta, which posted an expensive advertisement in the New York Times, trumpeting the benefits of the project.

It is the latest salvo in what has become an all-out shoutfest in the U.S. over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. And, not to declare a winner in the Battle of the Bellowers, but pipeline supporters have hit a pitch the opposition can’t seem to muster.

Still, U.S. President Barack Obama and the White House have made sounds recently that suggest they are not as sold on the Keystone XL pipeline as some might hope.

Which begs the question, will all the bluster have any effect on Obama's final decision?

Those opposed to the pipeline have held thousands-strong protests at the gates of the White House, for whatever that is worth these days. They have sent NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair to speak in Washington, only to have him roundly attacked upon his return. They have seen a scathing editorial written in the influential New York Times, which was followed by a rebuttal piece and Alberta’s $30,000 advertisement.

[ Related: Keystone XL: Alberta lobbies in U.S. with New York Times ad ]

But those are murmurs compared to the cymbal-crashing parade Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his side have put together. Here are a few of the recent voices added to Harper’s pro-pipeline chorus:

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, Alberta’s Alison Redford and Joe Oliver, the federal natural resources minister, have all gone stumping in the U.S. recently to drum up support for the project.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has put the weight of Canada’s Washington embassy behind the pipeline. “We have a team in Washington, and it has been the No. 1 priority of our embassy for two years,” he said at a recent luncheon.

The Conservative government has gone about polishing its environmental image to win the affection of U.S. leaders.

And a bipartisan bid from the U.S. senate is attempting to secure the final say on whether to approve the pipeline.

[ More Brew: Ottawa polishes eco-image to save Keystone XL project ]

And among all the shouting, Obama has stayed mum on what his final decision is likely to be. He delayed approving the pipeline until after the recent presidential election, suggesting to some he was likely to side in favour of the project at the cost of his environmental image.

But then Obama addressed climate change in his State of the Union address, and more recently strummed about the limited benefits of the project. He recently told House Republicans he suspected the pipeline would not create as many jobs as have been promised.

A White House spokesman also told reporters that “green energy technology” was more important for the climate that the Keystone XL pipeline. Bloomberg also reports that Obama is set to tell federal agencies they must consider how major projects will affect global warming, which could a long way to delaying the pipeline further.

There is still no saying what Obama’s final decision will be, or whether U.S. supporters will find another way to get the Keystone XL pipeline approved. But what is clear is that Obama is taking everything into account when making his decision.

His own decision. Not just an echoing of the loudest voice in his ear. Unlike most the Prime Minister's Office tangle with, Obama seems like just he just make up his own mind.