McClatchy Newspapers: The Gulf oil spill has triggered a crisis of confidence, shaking Americans’ views about BP, the oil industry, technology and President Barack Obama and slowing a planned expansion of domestic offshore oil drilling. Are the worst spill in U.S. history and images of dead birds and toxic syrup lapping at Gulf shores shocking enough to be a tipping point for energy policy and consumer behavior, however? Will Americans rush to smaller cars or spend more to buy hybrids? Will …