How anyone tries to "paint" Peak Oil is pretty much irrelevant.  PO is kind of like Cindy Sheehan that way - an unspinnable force of nature.  Once the signs and portents become obvious to the common man, there will of course be attempts to deflect blame onto this or that group for political advantage.  Ultimately it just won't matter, and I think even your average prole will underestand that there's no use crying over burned oil.  When it's gone, it's gone, and we're all to blame - after all, we were the ones who used it.