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GOP won’t let go of its new tire-gauge toy

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Atrios asked this morning, “Does anyone understand why Obama suggesting that people keep their tires properly inflated is some sort of hilarious gaffe?”

I’ve been trying to figure out the same thing for days. As the Obama campaign kicks off “energy week” with a new contrast ad and a policy speech in Michigan, Time’s Mark Halperin reports, “McCain supporters in Michigan will distribute tire gauges at Obama’s energy speech in Lansing. The RNC will also deliver gauges reading ‘Obama’s energy plan’ to Washington newsrooms.”

As of this morning, it looks like far-right blogs have received their copies of the Republican script, too. RedState.org’s Erick Erickson is on message: “Inflating your tires and getting a regular tune-up sounds more like Obama’s plan for ego maintenance than it does for helping American families.” Ed Morrissey added, “…Obama refers to ‘big oil’ and the need to reduce our use of oil by 35% over the next twenty years. How do we get there? Keep inflating those tires, folks.”

We are, quite obviously, in the midst of a very aggressive roll-out here. John McCain criticized the notion of well-inflated tires on Friday, and Newt Gingrich described Obama’s remarks as “loony toons” during a Fox News interview. Yesterday morning on ABC, McCain said, “It seems to me the only thing [Obama] wants us to do is inflate tires” to improve gas mileage.

And over the weekend, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, still auditioning for the role of VP, took to using a tire gauge as a prop.

Pawlenty a few minutes later pulled a prop out of his pocket.

“Barack Obama stood up at a speech recently and said that one of the things that is really important from energy policy from his standpoint is to check the pressure in our tires, so here’s a tire gauge and you can go out in the parking lot here and check your tires. Now, that’s an interesting thing — we want you to have good pressure in your tires, you know, it will very mildly add to your fuel efficiency — but checking the air pressure in your tires is not an energy policy for the United States of America,” Pawlenty said.

ABC News’ The Note added that tire gauges may get the Republican Party’s message “back on the road.”

There’s something deeply wrong with these people.

Let’s review. The other day, Barack Obama mentioned to voters in Missouri that there are things individuals can do to help conserve energy, including bringing their cars in for regular tune ups, and keeping their tires properly inflated. It seemed like a rather unremarkable thing to say.

But at this point, Republicans can’t seem to stop commenting on just how remarkable they think this is.

To reiterate a point from yesterday, someone sent me a transcript yesterday of Obama’s specific remarks in Missouri, and he apparently said the amount of energy to be saved by routine auto maintenance is comparable to the savings we’d get from the GOP’s coastal drilling policy. I have no idea if that’s true — it may very well not be — and I’ll be happy to let energy policy experts weigh in on whether Obama exaggerated the significance of scheduled car care. If he did, Obama should obviously drop this line from his speeches.

But oddly enough, that’s not what McCain and his surrogates are complaining about. They’re insisting, over and over again, that tire pressure is the entire Obama energy policy. Who, exactly, is supposed to believe such transparent nonsense?

Consider a counter-example. McCain was talking about skin cancer the other day.

McCain emphasized that skin cancer is preventable, and implored Americans to wear sunscreen, especially over the summer. What’s wrong with this advice? Not a thing. It’s a smart, sensible thing to say.

But imagine if Obama and his surrogates said the entirety of McCain’s healthcare policy is sunscreen application. McCain doesn’t really care about cancer, they could argue, he just wants everyone to run out at get some SPF 30. Those vying to be Obama’s running mate started holding up bottles of Coppertone during their speeches, saying things like, “We want you to wear sunscreen, you know, it will very mildly improve your chances of not getting sick. But wearing sunscreen is not a healthcare policy for the United States of America.”

This, of course, would be insane. And yet, that’s pretty much what’s become of Republican campaign rhetoric of late.

What’s more, the estimable Bill Scher added some details that bolster Obama’s point.

Obama was observing that coastal drilling would save us so little oil and so little money even twenty years from now, that you can actually save more money immediately by doing “simple things” such as keeping your tires properly inflated.

Where did he get that crazy idea? From George Bush’s Energy Department and Environmental Protection Agency…. Their joint site fueleconomy.gov is loaded with fuel-saving, money-saving tips. Keep your tires properly inflated, for example, and you can save up to 12 cents a gallon.

Compare that immediate savings from that single tip, with what coastal and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling combined would get you two decades from now: 6 cents a gallon.

And that’s being generous, because Bush’s Energy Department says we can’t expect any impact on prices from coastal drilling until the year 2030.

In their knee-jerk mockery, conservatives are flying closer to the truth then they intend to.

Update: A friend reminds me that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) also recently “appealed to those with the real power to make change — average citizens — to drive slower, keep engines tuned and tires properly inflated, to buy hybrids and lower overall consumption.”

Second Update: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist also believes keeping tires inflated is important.

Third Update: Not too long ago, NASCAR told fans, “With escalating fuel prices, the time is now for drivers to focus on simple things like proper tire pressure to maximize tire performance and increase fuel economy.”

Comments

  • Don B

    says:

    There’s something deeply wrong with these people

    I agree this is nonsense. At the same time, these people won the last two presidential elections for George Bush doing the same kinds of things. Remember the Purple Heart band-aids? Until these tactics stop working, I won’t make fun of them. And what about these coordinated efforts, anyway? Why can’t the dems put together some coordinated efforts? Are the GOP the only ones who know how to do this? Paging Howard Dean!

  • Booji Boy

    says:

    Clearly, the GOP is trying to spin this into the modern-day equivalent of Jimmy Carter’s cardigan. These guys aren’t exactly original, after all.

  • jimBOB

    says:

    There’s something deeply wrong with these people.

    I’ve thought that for years. Back in 1980 “there you go again.” was supposed to be some sort of devastating comeback. I never understood why. In 2000, the chimp mumbled “fuzzy math” after Gore had eviscerated his numbers. Again, this was supposed to be a meaningful response. I never understood why. During the great Dan Rather kerning scandal, some bloggers managed to cast doubt on a minor part of the evidence that the chimp had failed to complete his National Guard duty. This was considered so consequential that the rest of the evidence was ignored. I still have no idea why.

    These people have their tribe, and they will trumpet anything that seems to support their tribe no matter how nonsensical it is. There’s indeed something wrong with them.

  • azportsider

    says:

    Well, it’s pretty much all they’ve got. There isn’t a single issue where an honest accounting would put the GOPers ahead, so they can’t debate issues. What’s left but ad hominem attacks, strawman-battering, innuendo, lying, slander, and outright stupidity?

  • TRNC

    says:

    “There’s something deeply wrong with these people.”

    It’s unfortunate that it isn’t obvious whether you mean republicans or ABC “News” since both qualify.

  • Rabi

    says:

    This is just stupid. Inflating tires isn’t Obama policy, it’s just something the average person to do. The average American has no power to directly influence the price of oil, so doing little things to increase efficiency is all *they* can do. It’s not all *Obama* can do.
    It wasn’t crazy when Bush suggested it…

  • wonkie

    says:

    You are right. There is something deeply wrong with these people–they are, in terms of their politicals lives, deeply selfish. There is also something deeply wrong the newsmedia that collaborates with them and those members of the public who are stupid enough to be influenced by them. In other words there is something deeply wrong with our democracy: it is dominated by people who don’t give a hoot about anything or anyone up themselves. Fuck them all.

  • Tom Cleaver

    says:

    Hasn’t anyone noticed that after a Republican gets though pouring the kid’s college fund into the 30-gallon tank of his ugly-ass Republicanmobile (aka an SUV), he doesn’t have the quarter left to pay for the air to inflate his tires, let alone pay for something as radical as a tune-up.

  • Diogenes

    says:

    I wonder if this isn’t backfiring for McCain et al. Lots of blue-collar workers have been doing their own maintenance for years on their cars. They know that keeping your tires inflated and the engine tuned helps your mileage. Unlike the swift-boating, this is something where McCain’s chumps are actually disputing and mocking something that they know is true, and that many of them take pride in doing. I’d be interested in some polling to see if this is eroding the small base of trust that McCain already had with blue-collar voters.

  • Jeff

    says:

    There is something deeply wrong with the American people for having bought into this kind of crap for so long. This is essentially how every Republican has won office from Mayor to President over the past 30 years. Nothing but empty rhetoric and name calling, and yet, Americans have overwhelmingly voted them into office.

  • CJ

    says:

    John McCain: “It seems to me the only thing [Obama] wants us to do is inflate tires” to improve gas mileage.

    John McCain has a problem telling the truth.

  • slappy magoo

    says:

    Apparently, the latest Rasmussen poll shows a dead heat between Obama and McCain, and when undecided “leaners” are forced to make a choice, McCain comes out one point ahead. Statistically insignificant, but WTF? If there’s any year where there shouldn’t even be a contest, it’s this one.

    Why would the GOP stop such blatantly stupid and misleading tactics when they appear to be working?

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    Why shouldn’t Obama beat the Republicans to the punch and offer his own tire gauges?

    I bet I know which box would be emptied first. In fact, he should thank them for doing more to help America with them than with anything else they’ve proposed.

  • The Answer is Orange

    says:

    Cut it out CB. You want the GOPers to push this as far as they can. You see, to many people (especially in traditionally red states) do-it-yourself basic and even advanced car maintenance are a way of life.

    The S.O. is from the heartland and his entire family thinks those Kwikee Oil changing places are a joke. To them it’s like hiring someone to tie your shoes. So the leaders of the GOP are laughing at a big chunk of their base while indicating that they’re a bunch of know-nothings and probably elitist to boot.

    Popcorn?

  • Wrecktum

    says:

    Thesea are campaign tactics that win elections. Is it right? Of course not. Will it work? Maybe…..

  • Racer X

    says:

    I think the Republicans are trying to counter the Obama point that drilling for more oil is the entirety of the McCain energy plan.

    Fine.

    But which would actually save us money long-term, as opposed to giving more money to ExxonMobil? And which actually reduces carbon emissions?

    The GOP is really painting itself into a corner, and that’s fine with me. Once the voter sees that Obama’s energy plan is 10x better than McCain’s, they’ll remember this nonsense and punish the oil company whores GOP.

  • scott_m

    says:

    A few of the reasons the Republicans are carrying tire gauges:

    Their “revolution” has had a blowout
    Their expectations of electoral success are deflated
    They can’t keep the McCain campaign sufficiently full of hot air

  • TeeKay

    says:

    Let see our MSM cover Obama’s energy policy today. I think the media is going to talk more about the tire guage.

    You see, that’s what they do, steer the mass away from the real substance.

    My 2c.

  • Pancake

    says:

    These people should be embarrassed. Most of us live in a world where the context of what you say matters, where there is accountability for people who throw around baseless accusations, and where logic actually enters into the equation when you’re trying to solve a problem. The GOP and McCain are not living in this world. They are creating their own fictional world and trying to selling it to us, and far too many people are buying. This is simply ridiculous.

    You’d have to be seriously delusional to vote for McCain and his buddies. This post does a good job of making the point:

    http://aplacecalledblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/lets-all-vote-for-john-mccain.html

  • Ohioan

    says:

    Not too long ago, NASCAR told fans, “With escalating fuel prices, the time is now for drivers to focus on simple things like proper tire pressure to maximize tire performance and increase fuel economy.”

    McCain, pivot quickly! If you lose “NASCAR Dads”, you’re sunk!

  • joey

    says:

    “…I have no idea if that’s true — it may very well not be — and I’ll be happy to let energy policy experts weigh in on whether Obama exaggerated the significance of scheduled car care. If he did, Obama should obviously drop this line from his speeches.,,,”

    STEVE, YOU POSTED THIS IN RESPONSE…YOU HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS TRUE???

    “…Is making sure your car tires are inflated properly to save energy and gas money “loony tunes?” The federal government doesn’t think so. Neither does the auto industry.
    The Department of Energy estimates that (based on gas costing $3.96/gallon), “you can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure” which would ultimately save “up to $0.12/gallon” or, nearly the amount of the federal gas tax ($0.18/gallon), a tax Gingrich supports repealing. Moreover, the auto industry agrees with DoE’s assessment.
    But more importantly, Obama is correct to suggest that inflating tires properly and getting regular tune-ups “could save all the oil that they’re talking about getting off drilling” — and by a long shot. According to the Energy Information Administration, if Congress lifted the moratorium on offshore drilling, by 2030, oil crude production in the “lower-48? outer continental shelf will increase by about 200 thousand barrels per day. By contrast, the production offset based on Obama’s proposal will likely approach 800 thousand barrels per day, immediately….”

    Republicans are so ignorant they would have us running around on flat tires driving SUVs and carrying drills on our backs in order to fill up. Can they be anymore trite…just like the idiot who thinks he got one over on ya and runs around laughing and pointing fingers
    while rational people just shake their heads bewildered. Tire gauges???

    Dems should hand out small dental drills claiming, “The Republicans might as well be drilling with these, that’s about how effective off-shore drilling would be in bringing down gas prices in 10yrs.”

  • Sienna

    says:

    This is the equivalent of the odious little bandaids with purple hearts used to ridicule the injuries of John Kerry at the 2004 convention. It’s the equivalent of the rubber sandals they waved in the air while chanting “Fliiip Flop, Fliiip Flop”. Don’t you get it? Republicans reduce everything into minced up kindergarden phrases or pictures for the American public to consume. The objective is to get everyone to believe that this ex-editor of the Harvard Law Review actually has an energy policy consisting of nothing more than inflating tires.

    And in many cases, they will be successful.

  • Steve

    says:

    Reducing American Oil Consumption by 35%

    1.) Maintaining proper tire pressure will increase the mileage of your motor vehicle, whether it be a car, a light truck, an SUV, or even a tractor-trailer rig. That equals less gasoline required to get from “Point A” to “Point B.” Less gasoline means less oil consumed, and reduced consumption equals lower gasoline prices. Even the farthest of the far-right ninnyhammers know that proper tire inflation alone will save America 5% on its gasoline consumption—and the United States consumed 140 billion gallons of gasoline in 2004 (source cited: http://genomicsgtl.energy.gov/biofuels/transportation.shtml ). 5% of that would be 7 billion gallons of gasoline, and per this source (cited: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-09/970256096.Ch.r.html ), saving 7 billion gallons of gasoline equates to saving 15,075,2000,000 gallons of crude—or 358,933,000 barrels of crude oil every year.

    2.) Properly-inflated tires will prolong the life of the tires themselves, oft-times to the point of doubling the lifespan of the tire. Tire material compounds can consist of anywhere from 7% oil, up to 25% oil, and in 2003 alone, the US produced roughly 3.9 million tons of waste tires (source: http://www.ct.gov/Dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2714&Q=324902 ). If we give every conceivable benefit of the doubt to the measure, that equals 546 million pounds of oil. Doubling the lifespan of tires via proper inflation would reduce America’s oil consumption (in 2003 measurements, based on the minimum content of oil in tire being 7%) by 273 million pounds. A gallon of crude weights 7.48 pounds, so that 273 million pounds of “saved” crude equals 36,497,326 gallons—or 868,984 barrels. That’s not much, but the 7% number applies to “hard” rubber products (like the tires on your lawn mower); tires used on cars and trucks tend towards 21% oil content, which would equate to 2,606, 952 barrels of oil per year—just because some stupid Republicans think that proper tire inflation is a bad thing.

    So, if we add the two above numbers—2,606,952 barrels of oil and 358,933,000 barrels of oil, one finds that proper tire inflation alone saves 361,539,952 barrels of oil, per years, in the 2003/04 aggregate average. Based on our consuming roughly 19-point-6 million barrels per day, proper tire inflation reduces America’s overall dependence on oil by 5%.

    Imagine that—those tire gauges that the Bush/McCain cartel want you to ignore; the ones that they find so hilarious, could reduce America’s thirst for oil by 5%.

    Frightening, isn’t it?

  • pixie

    says:

    What McCain and his doofus advisers are doing is very insulting to most Americans. Why should we laugh about anything we can possibly do to save a little money? If they think average Joe is going to say, Yeah, that’s stupid to keep your tires properly inflated, they are going to be sorry. Even average Joe knows Obama has more to say about energy than that. I used to cringe about these tactics but now I just want to tell McCain etc just STFU. Lordy I can’t wait until Nov. 5! (but will airstrikes against Iran start Nov. 6?)

  • MaryL

    says:

    I’d love to see Obama make a speech on energy where he starts with a short, punchy, clear description of his overall energy policy. Then he would take out a tire gauge and say something like:

    “Finally, there’s this. John McCain and the Republicans think that even mentioning that this tire gauge is a big joke. That this simple tool, in the hands of every day Americans, which gives you the power to save your money — the money in your pocket right now — is just a big joke. They think it’s funny that anyone would even mention that routine car maintenance conserves energy and saves you real money. And it’s not just me saying that: it’s the Energy Department and Environmental Protection Agency. It’s Governor Schwarzenegger of California. It’s NASCAR.

    “I don’t think saving you money is a joke. I don’t think doing everything we can to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, while protecting the environment our children will inherit from us, is a joke. It may genuinely surprise you that the total amount of energy we all can save by routine auto maintenance is comparable to the savings we’d get from drilling for oil offshore, but it’s true.

    “This little tool is one of the things you can use right now to reduce your cost at the pump, without waiting years for new oil to become available. My administration will also be working hard to improve things for all of us in the short term, such as the $1000 energy rebate for every American family, and the long term, such as the development of alternative energy sources that will break the hold of foreign oil. But there are things under your control right now, things every one of you can do right now, to make an immediate difference in your life.

    “If John McCain and the Republicans want to laugh at you taking action to save money, well, let them laugh. They’re not paying your gas bill, are they?”

  • Phil Philiben

    says:

    Remember when Ronald Reagan removed the solar panels from the white House?
    I believe Obama has set a trap. Energy Conservation is the most effective “immediate” way to reduce our dependence on Foreign OiI.

  • Capt Kirk

    says:

    Hey, who needs to worry about keeping their tires inflated and auto maintenance when we could just have a “gas tax holiday”, get a free tank of gas and drive twice as much? Think of the psychological effect for god’s sake! Routine auto maintenance sounds like such drudgery when we could all be frolicking down McCain’s yellow brick road on a gas tax holiday.

  • sxp151

    says:

    “The Answer is Orange”: You’re exactly right.

    What this episode reveals is that Republican elites have no idea how to maintain a car, and that’s just one of the everyday things they have no experience with.

    John McCain is so rich, he hasn’t touched the front half of a car in twenty years. He knows where the cup-holder is and how to recline his seat, and that’s it.

    I’ll bet the next Republican tactic will be to carry around oil dipsticks and say, “Democrats think you should check your own oil. Ha ha ha!”

    I hope they keep this up.

  • Phillybits

    says:

    Fuel economy aside, keeping your tired properly inflated is also a good way to retain control of your car, extend the life of your tires, and prevent serious accidents that result in death.

    Maintaining proper tire pressure – when you weigh the pros against the cons, it’s a no-nonsense, common sense suggestion. Why the GOP wants to attack Obama over that I really don’t understand.

    I guess the GOP wants our cars to run less efficient and wants more peopel to die as a result of improperly inflated tires???

  • Tom in Ma

    says:

    Once Obama indicated a willingness to entertain, under certain conditions, proposals to drill offshore, in return for environmental protections — the GOP LOST ITS ISSUE on energy and gas prices. Which, by the way, was the ONLY issue that they were getting any traction on. So, the only thing that they have left on energy, is the tire guage. They are running against Carter’s sweater and Al Gore. Pretty pathetic.

  • DrBB

    says:

    That the substance of this is idiotic seems to me quite beside the point. It’s *always* idiotic–since when has that made any difference, the 800 bazillion or so times they’ve run this tactic? I mean at this late date, it should be safe to assume that everyone down to the least stamp-licker on the Obama payroll–heck, the DNC payroll–must necessarily have been expecting this kind of crap and planning for it since months and months ago, right? So the only question is, what IS the plan for dealing with yet another “he claims he invented the Intertubes!” campaign and is it going to work any better than the last 80 or so times one of our candidates has been put through this utterly predictable wringer? Cuz waiting for it to fail on the merits has not been remarkably successful in the past. Dear god how I would love to see some truly creative and effective pushback on this, and one reason I’ve been an Obama supporter is that he and his crew seem like they might be smart enough to have something up their sleeves that would actually work. Isn’t there some high-profile way to re-re-symbolize this thing?

    I want to see a video of Obama holding up his own little air gauge and saying “You know, we put one of these up to the tires on the Straight Talk Express bus and guess what? They’re flat out of ideas and running on empty when it comes to turning this country around.” Fight imagery with imagery. Pretending it’s beneath your notice won’t work, and neither will addressing the “substance” of it with explanations. There IS no substance with this kind of thing, just symbolism.

  • BuzzMon

    says:

    Could any of these Republicans actually USE a tire gauge? Have they ever done any of their own maintenance past telling their assistants to make sure the vehicle is clean (that’s first) and in good running order?
    This is a real opening to show who’s really in touch with the average American.

  • Mimikatz

    says:

    I think this campaign is really going to backfire. As I said before, I think their intent is to feminize Obama, while real men drill, drill drill. They probably also think the wife is the one who takes the car in for servicing (like in the ’50s and ’60s, or in families well off enough so the wife doesn’t have to work).

    But that’s not the reality in most families any more. Unlike the bandaids, this campaign actually makes fun of soimething real men do–auto maintenance. So, as Diogenes or someone said upthread, they are satirizing something their own base (NASCAR Dads, working class men in general) do and know to work. They aren’t satirizing Obama (as the bandaids satirized Kerry), they are satirizing people who know something about cars and who take care of their own maintenance. This is really stupid, and makes them seem like the out-of-touch people who (1) don’t have to worry about the price of gas and (2) have someone to atetned to all those little daily problems–i.e., people like John McCain and his wife.

    THAT should be the basis of the next Obama ad.

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    I very much like MaryL’s suggestion, but it needs one extra thing, real numbers. (Now I’m the last one to give them, since I’ve never driven a car in my life, if you don’t count sitting on a relative’s lap and turning the steering wheel when i was 8.) But Obama should say something like:
    “If your car currently gives you X number of miles per gallon, inflating your tire pressure to the right amount will increase that by Y, which means that if you drive Z number of miles in an average year, you’ll save $whatever, every year. And it’s not me saying this, it’s President Bush’s Energy Department, Gov. Schwarzenegger, and NASCAR.

    “This means that, by the time that offshore drilling can produce any oil whatsoever — again, according to President Bush’s own figures — you will have already saved $…”

    I don’t usually like charts on stage at a political speech, but this one calls for one.

    Then end by ‘thanking’ the Republicans for helping him publicize a way for the average American to save money.

  • cha cha cha

    says:

    “Republicans can’t seem to stop commenting on just how remarkable they think this is.”

    they think this is their gore/internet moment.

  • Mimikatz

    says:

    And one more thing–this sounds like a campaign devised by people who came out of the College Young Republicans . . .and never really left.

    Another reason why I think it will backfire is that the country (and our problems) are just a lot more serious than they were four years ago. The current recession is a consumer recession, not a business recession, and it is pretty serious for most people. Health care is less available. The war drags on. Time for something serious, not a bunch of juvenile jokesters.

  • Steaming Pile

    says:

    For God’s sake, when will we see a response from the Obama people? One that bites. One that people will be talking about. A campaign bus running on flat tires comes to mind.

    Obama’s got all this money to spend, right? Where is it? Show us some of it. The problem with “rope a dope,” if this is what the strategery is supposed to be, is that it infuriates us all while we watch our guy with his gloves over his face getting pummeled.

  • JSG

    says:

    I guess this just shows that most conservatives are effete out-of-touch elitists who wouldn’t be caught dead doing manual labor.

    Put air in your own tires? OMG… that’s SO working class. Heavens, you might even, gasp!, get your hands dirty. What would all the Young Republicans think?

  • Daniel Erway

    says:

    I just found this online:

    This communication reports on a preliminary study of tire pressures in randomly chosen vehicles, which were undergoing oil changes at a combined retail/auto-care facility. The study indicates that substantial benefits would accrue if car care facilities systematically offered complimentary tire pressure checks with oil changes including: (i) increased safety by decreasing all crashes and saving more than 100 lives per year, (ii) reduced petroleum consumption by over a billion gallons/year, which would (iia) provide over $4 billion in economic savings for US consumers that could in part be recouped in retail/auto-care facilities, (iib) reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 13.5 million tons and automobile pollution and (iic) enhance national security.

  • Dale

    says:

    Atrios asked this morning, “Does anyone understand why Obama suggesting that people keep their tires properly inflated is some sort of hilarious gaffe?”

    Republicans are like a bombing comedian, still using material that absolutely killed last year. They’re standing on stage sweating, waiting for the laughs that don’t come.
    “See it’s a tire gauge, ladies and germs.”

  • cha cha cha

    says:

    “For God’s sake, when will we see a response from the Obama people?”

    here’s my idea for a response, courtesy of t.p.m.:

    “Ten senior Hess Corporation executives and Hess family members contributed $28,500 each to the joint RNC-McCain fundraising committee just days after McCain reversed his position to favor offshore drilling, according to FEC records.”

  • judyinnm

    says:

    So, maybe, Obama SHOULD pick up on the sunscreen as McCain’s only health care policy (it is!!).

  • Polaris

    says:

    I surfed over to redstate to see what the comments were all about. These are truly frightening ignorant people.

    Their’s is a world that really has no basis on reality.

    A world where ANWR has limitless oil just hovering beneath the snow,

    Iraq organised 9/11 and the war’s so close to winning – if we just try a little harder.

    Obama’s a flip-flopping liar and Michelle’s an activist for some underground muslim movement but McCain’s an honest, decent war hero that will “look after” our troops. BTW we should invade Iran right now and nuke Russia.

    Offshore drilling will bring down pump prices to $2.00 a gallon in six months.

    The president just suffers from being misunderstood and in years to come we’ll realise just how wonderful he was. Dick Cheney deserves the Medal of Freedom for his service to the country

    I kid you not

  • Erik in Maine

    says:

    “Does anyone understand why Obama suggesting that people keep their tires properly inflated is some sort of hilarious gaffe?”

    Because they don’t want to cut consumption.

    Oil company profits are a percentage of gross revenues. Cutting consumption is bad for oil companies.

  • r€nato

    says:

    why do voters keep falling for this stupid shit?

    when the day comes that voters don’t buy this crap, the GOP will stop peddling it.

    until then, we will get exactly the kind of government we deserve.

  • ronin

    says:

    There is something deeply wrong with these people.

    Well of course they don’t believe this crap. The whole point is to label Obama as ineffectual, and to distract from actual policies Obama may have. The object is to run the whole campaign season on silly sound bites – no one will know what Obama’s policies actually are.

    The Dems really have to get serious about controlling the narrative here. They need to go on the attack against McSame and if that means cheap attacks, so be it.

  • Roddy McCorley

    says:

    It’s really quite simple. Any thing that doesn’t involve killing swarthy people simply cannot be a serious policy proposal. And therefore, it should be mocked. Endlessly.

  • anonymous

    says:

    I’m fine with inflating tires to save energy.
    But to claim that doing so would draw in oil equivalent of drilling?
    Please….
    I have to agree with the GOP on this one. Mr Obama’s claim was muddled, at best.
    Laughable claims deserve to be laughed at, IMHO; it’s just part of honest debate.

    So I especially don’t understand the outrage and ad hominem’s
    (eg. SickofBushMcCainLiebermann’s comment — “use a rectal thermometer”) —
    on this one.
    It’s unbecoming, to say the least. And it doesn’t do Mr Obama any favors, does it?

  • Molly Weasley

    says:

    Here’s what Obama should say:

    “I understand the Republicans are passing out tire gauges after I said the other day that one of the things that can help improve mileage is to keep your tires properly inflated. So take the tire gauge, and thank them. What they don’t realize is that the economic system has been so bad for the last eight years that many people in America can’t afford to buy tire gauges.

    “Rich Republicans like John McCain might not have to worry about fuel efficiency, but most of us do.”

    And I love the suggestion: For John McCain to say that my only energy policy is tire gauges is like my saying his only health care policy is to wear sunscreen.

  • Geoduck

    says:

    Um, actually.. there is now fairly strong evidence that slathering on sunscreen while baking outdoors does -not- prevent cancer, and in fact may even make the problem worse: the way to not get skin cancer is to not spend hours out semi-naked in the sun; limit your exposure, particularly in the middle of the day, and wear a shirt and a wide-brimmed hat. And -really- stay away from tanning beds.

  • james k. sayre

    says:

    “Young Republicans?” Remember the Bob Dylan song line about the old folks home at the college? Still true apparently… The Obama folks really ought to jump on this latest GOP stupidity and call it out for what it is: ruling class elitism… This GOP sneering at tire gauges and auto maintenance and auto tuneups is an echo of Cheney’s scoffing at the idea of energy conservation back when we were by ripped off by Enron in their rigging of the California energy markets back in 2001 and 2002.

    Maybe we need to see some tire gauges in raised fists inside and outside of the Democratic Convention in a few weeks. Every long journey (such as energy independence) starts with a few small steps…How about some dyed purple fingers to celebrate the Iraqis’ declaration of independence from American military occupation…

  • Fred X

    says:

    Since you are a liberal you probably have problems understanding those complicated number thingys or remembering more than 1 week in the past.

    Here is what you need to understand: We conservatives are not “Carterizing” Obama. B.O. is carterizing himself. If I was to shoot myself in the foot would you say that the evil global warming process had caused it? ( oops maybe! ) …. Any rational thinking person would say NO….you shot yourself in the foot.

    Thus I say to B.O…… Keep diggin baby…keep diggin! … it is no coincidence that he shows 1% down from McCain on Rasmussen ( the most accurate poll going ). I mean gesus …. down 1% to a wooden cigar store indian ( McCain) says something.

  • ron

    says:

    this is what republicans are best able to organize themselves to do – self destructive stupidity. this is why this country is fucked because a good part of people swallow this up. to think i actually voted for republicans in the past.

    lets hope obama adopts the speech suggestions given above.

  • Fred X

    says:

    I see alot of your liberal commenters like to call Bush “Mr Chimp”

    Are you going to be ok with people calling Obama Mr Chimp? Are you comfortable if he gets mad if someone says he is “chimping out” ?

    You better be. You started it. Now we all get to use it.

  • Andrew

    says:

    I actually think Obama should break out the sun screen and tell everyone that using a little SPF 30 is McCain’s entire energy plan. It could draw attention to the fact that McCain has no energy plan.

  • Andrew

    says:

    I actually think Obama should break out the sun screen and tell everyone that using a little SPF 30 is McCain’s entire healthcare plan. It could draw attention to the fact that McCain has no healthcare plan.

  • Dee Loralei

    says:

    Obama could also turn the gimmick of the Reps handing out tire gauges at his public events on it’s ears, by thanking them publicly for helping average Americans save money. Say something like ” I know the Republican party thinks this is a huge joke, but real people are hurting in their real pocketbooks at real gas pumps driving real cars,” throw in some of the very cool numbers you folks have produced from your research, and then say ” So I’d like to thank The Repuclivan Party of Michigan for handing out the tires gauges to help you save money. They think they are silly, but they are proving my point that tire pressure, tune-ups and other maintenance and driving the speed limit will save you real gas and real cash. The Department of Energy, Govs Swartenagger and Crist and NASCAR all agree.”

    Of course make it much punchier, but I bet if Obama thanked them, they’d drop the tactic immediately.

    Don’t run from this thing, or even scoff at it. Turn it around on the same guys doing it.

  • Davy Jones

    says:

    Rather than the argument provided in the above post, the appropriate response (from anyone hearing this tripe) is “McCain’s response to Obama’s detailed energy policy is over-inflated. McCain apparently prefers hot air to a sound energy policy.”

    Anyone from Obama’s campaign commenting on the republican response should use the words “overinflated” and “hot air.” “Gasbag” and lightweight work, too.

    In other words, don’t explain or defend – shove back.

  • Character Counts1

    says:

    You will save money by keeping your tires properly inflated. McCain does learn his lines well, like a trained monkey should. So well. that he repeats them, but only if they don’t exceed a certain length or complexity. Drill, drill is about as ineffective a solution to our energy problems as “bomb, bomb…” was. Barack Obama made a very good suggestion. It wasn’t his entire plan, and John McCain knows that. Poor John, he’s desperate so he finally decided to drop his pretense about “honor” when he took a page out of Carl Rove’s playbook. We all liked you John when you were known for straight talk, but you made the mistake of putting on the wrong set of clothes for this race, and now you walk and talk just like the duck that ran this country into the ground. Sorry John, Obama has it all over you. We need change!

  • robert

    says:

    You’re trying to make sense of a very witty ploy to castrate Obama. Oh, wait a minute, Hillary already that.

  • LeeBurl

    says:

    Don B

    I agree completely. We can mock these tactics all we want, but the end result is that it has the intended affect with the voters.

    We need to face facts; these tactics work. The message is simple and to the point. It may not be truthful, it may seem juvenile, and it may be sleazy, but it appears to be moving the poll numbers in McCain’s favor.

    Despite the enthusiasm, the crowds, and the message, I have never seen an Obama victory as a sure thing. The Obama campaign needs a forceful and easy to grasp response to this and then begin a heavy media of campaign of attack ads to force McCain to play defense.

    There is a wealth of YouTube videos that the campaign can glean to showcase McCain’s gaffes, flip-flops, and lies. The gloves need to come off of this campaign. I’m all for running a respectful, issues oriented campaign, but the voters seem to want to decide this election based on who has the most effective attack ads.

    I’m bit irritated that this campaign, given what happened to John Kerry, does not have a way to counter this.

  • Character Counts1

    says:

    There is an old Chinese proverb. “If you fight with pigs, you get muddy.” The Obama campaign needs to continue doing exactly what they are doing. McCain is desperate, and it shows. Have faith in the electorate. People will see who the empty suit is in this race.

  • Polaris

    says:

    Have faith in the electorate. Hmm.

    The same electorate that voted for GWB.

    Twice.

    I wish I was a person of faith

  • Brian P. Anderson

    says:

    I’m gonna start carrying a tire gauge in my pocket–right next to my Obama button. Wear it proudly.

  • Steve

    says:

    Since you are a liberal you probably have problems understanding those complicated number thingys or remembering more than 1 week in the past.

    fred-ex, as per my post @ 26: You are a fuckwit. McLie depends on people like you to be stupid enough to “not want to deal with the numbers.” Fortunately, America does not suffer from such an ideological addiction, and McLie will lose. It’s now just a matter of how badly he’ll lose—and I am all in favor of “running up the score….”

  • Warren Street

    says:

    This is what you get from the crowd that PAYS people to do things for them, rather than does things for themselves.

    Note that every one of these jackasses has been living on some form of government welfare of one kind or another–and has never had to live in the real world. Pawlenty should know better–he’s supposedly a common sense, working class Minnesotan. Too bad he never figured out what has been absolute common fucking sense since the day I learned to drive–if your tires are low, you’re going to burn more gas.

    But what do I know? I’m just another idiot who maintains his vehicle because my daddy isn’t going to buy me a new one when it goes to hell on me.

    This is where a lot of NASCAR and midwesterners are going to break with these idiot Republicans. You can’t minimize how ridiculous these people look to people who know what they’re talking about when it comes to this stuff–they know how to spot the “all hat, no cattle types.” Hopefully, this time, they’ll vote accordingly.

  • Howard Grisham

    says:

    I came across this interesting information this morning.

    Reuters
    ANALYSIS-US oil firms seek drilling access, but exports soar
    07.03.08, 2:40 PM ET

    Reduced demand in the U.S. has made it possible for American based oil companies to ship record amounts of American gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries to the tune of 1.6 million barrels a day during the first four months of 2008, even as we saw the price of gasoline increase at record rates. Shipments of American oil to other countries topped 1.8 million barrels a day in February of this year for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department. http://www.forbes.com/reuters/feeds/reuters/2008/07/03/2008-07-03T184028Z_01_N02435397_RTRIDST_0_USA-OIL-EXPORTS-ANALYSIS.html

    McCain’s plan for off shore drilling will produce between 1 and 2 million barrels of oil per day, but not until 2025-2030, less than we are exporting to other countries today. http://www.energybulletin.net/node/45477 Where will we ship that oil?

    The GOP and now Mr. McCain are fond of playing emotional shell games with the American voter. Corporate media is a willing accomplice and they operate on the theory that a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

    I think it might be reasonable to question why we are exporting gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries when our exports might be used to decrease the cost of fuel here immediately.

  • g

    says:

    Obama’s campaign should tie this line of thinking to McCain. McCain’s running on empty. He’s got a flat tire, he’s limping down the road, he running out of air….etc.

  • g2

    says:

    If you are still wondering what’s the deal with this line of attack you still haven’t gotten how the right works. They do this because it works. They know the dumber they take it the easier it is to control their target minds.

    When are liberals going to figure out they do this stuff we think is nuts because it works? Liberals won’t stoop to it so they lose or have close elections which is insane considering what their opponents offer.

    And no, three blog posts and a slot as Worst Person does NOT constitute “push back.”

    Liberal’s message goes nowhere. NOWHERE. The vast majority never hear the push back and over time the right can run any lie they want through the talk radio/Fox/Moonie times/ echo machine and it will be believed by the masses.

    Why don’t liberals understand this? It’s too late to do anything about now. We’ll hang on and “hope.”

    So far, Obama, who once seemed to see a problem and regroup, has no clue how to beat this because there is no way to do it. Liberals do not have a dedicated media outlet to push their message. NONE. Blogs are read by the converted, other than occasionally getting the media to retract something they are useless as poltical tools. Sorry but all bloggers do is talk to the converted. Grandma in Missouri does not read Atrios or TPM. Conservatives – like the cult they have become – are conditioned to not believe anything but info from approved sources.

    Robert Parry has brought the fact that the left has no media infrastructure for its message many times but most big liberal bloggers won’t even link to him. One of the left’s best minds and liberals won’t link to or even suppoort him, blind fools.

    Fact is liberal millionaires are stupid, very stupid people who can’t see two feet in front of them. There isn’t a one who could carry even Moon’s jock strap when it comes to understanding what makes people tick.

    George Soros said during 2004 he could quit giving because Kerry was going to win. George Soros is a blind fool.

    If you are scratching your head now, for God’s sake you have no idea.

  • sigh

    says:

    Compared to the rest of Obama’s energy policy that sounds like it came from the Communist Manifesto, at least his tire gauge suggestion isn’t a mandate…yet.

  • st john

    says:

    @85
    Did you notice the date on that Notice? It was August, 2001. That is pre-9/11, so it is irrelevant! This is a new time and a new danger zone. Don’t be fooled by liberals selling pre-9/11 snake oil. Drill, drill, drill. We cannot rely on tire inflation and auto maintenance for our salvation. St. John (not the real one) is here to protect us and save us from the radical liberal wing of American ideology. Praise His Holy Name, Amen

    I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation
    peace,
    st john (the real one)

  • Lars

    says:

    he apparently said the amount of energy to be saved by routine auto maintenance is comparable to the savings we’d get from the GOP’s coastal drilling policy. I have no idea if that’s true — it may very well not be — and I’ll be happy to let energy policy experts weigh in on whether Obama exaggerated the significance of scheduled car care

    Actually, Obama’s correct.

    Bush’s own EIA estimates that opening the 30% of technically recoverable offshore reserves which are currently offlimits will yield 160,000 barrels per day by 2030.

    According to info from Bush’s EPA, properly inflating tires results into up to 3% improvement in fuel economy.

    http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml

    There are 117 million households in the US, driving an average of 22,000 miles per year. The average household vehicle gets 20.4 mpg. That results in the consumption of 126 billion gallons of gas, equivalent to 6.5 billion barrels of oil, or 17.716 million barrels per day.

    Assume for a moment that all household could improve fuel economy 3% because their tires are underinflated. That would mean that everyone inflating their tires properly would increase average fuel economy to 21.0 mpg. At that level of fuel economy, oil use from household transportation would drop from 17.716 million bbl/day to 17.200 million bbl/day – a difference of 516,000 barrels per day, or 3.3 times the estimated incremental output of the Republican drilling “plan”.

    Unfortunately, understanding this is far beyond the grasp of most people and it’s certainly not intuitive. It just SEEMS so manly and “getting things done” to drilldrilldrill and push the “enviroweenies” out of the way and give us all 25 cent gas again (as the Republican mythology goes).

  • H-Bob

    says:

    How many of them actually know how to use a tire pressure gauge !

    To continue the tire theme, requiring replacement tires to meet the same fuel economy standards as the tires put on new cars (more efficient in order to get a higher EPA fuel economy rating) will save as much oil every few years as can be obtained from ANWR

  • Glazius

    says:

    Holding up a bottle of sunscreen and calling it John McCain’s health care policy is a credit to John McCain’s health care policy. He plans to get trillions of dollars to balance the budget by taxing health benefits.

    Oh, and creating “high-risk pools” similar to ones various states have already started, all of which have started out alright and then, as people needed treatment, quickly realized that they were taking in ten times less money than they needed to pay out. So they ended up denying coverage for the chronic conditions that landed people in the high-risk pool to begin with.

  • Erik in Maine

    says:

    @ 61. Fred X

    You mean the Jimmy Carter who told us that getting off of middle east oil was a national securty matter 30 years ago? The one who wanted to start working on alternative fuels way back then?

    That Jimmy Carter?

    The man wasn’t much of a leader but he was dead on right about energy.

  • DJ

    says:

    Unforturnately, this is what repuglicans do. We need to stop focusing on these idiots and start focusing on registering as many voters as we can. They are just plain idiots.

  • melior

    says:

    It’d be pretty funny if an epidemic of flat tires hit the Swift Boaters on election day. The ones not in jail already for gaming the electoral process anyway.

  • gizmo

    says:

    The Republicans can laugh all they want at the idea of inflating tires properly, but at least that approach would actually reduce oil consumption in the short run. Drilling offshore and opening ANWR to oil exploration won’t produce results for years, and won’t provide enough oil to make much of a difference. Enclosed below is a brilliant analysis of why the oil companies want those offshore leases so badly, and why their whores in Congress are working overtime to make it happen–

    http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/2/13152/24931/498/560880

  • elrod

    says:

    Part of the reason Republicans resist suggestions like inflating your tires is that they don’t want to admit that a society can choose to act collectively and intelligently. They want to preserve the status quo, in which business interests have free rein. They want a cowboy economy, and the notion of citizens acting in concert to bring about progressive change scares the shit out of them.

  • TallDave

    says:

    “Oh really? If you read the DOE link in Shaun’s topic and did the math, you’d find out pretty quick it’s not false, ”

    Uh, yes, it is. He’s off by an order of magnitude. The DOE link says you can save 3.3% and U.S. consumption is 20.8M barrels a day, half of which is gasoline, so even if fully half the population is driving on very poorly inflated tires you’re talking about only about 165,000 barrels a day, a tenth or less of the millions of barrels a day we could add in production. Hell, the mean estimate for ANWR alone is 780,000 bpd.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_consumption

    http://ezinearticles.com/?Half-of-the-National-Oil-Consumption-is-Gasoline&id=902903

    http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/anwr/pdf/sroiaf(2008)03.pdf

    Of course, Barack could easily defuse this by admitting he was wrong, but as with the surge he will not. This is why Barack Obama’s team is scared to death of letting him into any debate format that doesn’t rely on teleprompters: he’s a walking gaffe-o-matic and too arrogant to admit when he’s wrong.

  • TallDave

    says:

    “Drilling offshore and opening ANWR to oil exploration won’t produce results for years”

    Funny, they said that ten years ago too.

  • Polaris

    says:

    What the hell is the matter with you TallDave ?

    One last chance to preserve a unique Arctic wilderness.

    Suck up all the oil there and that satisfies SIX MONTHS of conus demand (go on check it out). Americans. No wonder they’re so reviled. I have a weird need to wash my hands

  • Lars

    says:

    Uh, yes, it is. He’s off by an order of magnitude. The DOE link says you can save 3.3% and U.S. consumption is 20.8M barrels a day, half of which is gasoline, so even if fully half the population is driving on very poorly inflated tires you’re talking about only about 165,000 barrels a day, a tenth or less of the millions of barrels a day we could add in production. Hell, the mean estimate for ANWR alone is 780,000 bpd.

    You’re incorrect on the front end, if you read my calculations, and you’re wrong on the back end as well. The Republicans are specifically referring to the OCS, where 70% of technically recoverable resources are already open for drilling. The part that they want to open will produce 160K bbl/day by 2030, as I said before, and which you can see in the following:

    http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/ongr.html

    The other question one should naturally ask is: Why aren’t they drilling at the 41 billion barrels of resources already open to them offshore? The answer is: because it’s not profitable, just like the areas they’re clamoring to “open”. It’s a giant red herring designed to shift blame for Republican oil policies that have increased oil 8 times over during Bush’s time in office. If the oil companies can lock up some new leases, that’s just a cherry on top. The main goal is to make sure they can keep the status quo, which is worth trillions in extra profits beyond what a real free market would price things at.

  • Lars

    says:

    Oh, I didn’t notice you invoking the “gaffe” and “teleprompter” droning. I see Limbaugh and company have properly given you new mantras to repeat ad nauseum.

    Also got the “said that ten years ago” one in, too.

    You can now use “messiah”, “fraud”, etc, then say “what change?” and mention how he has “no experience”.

    You could call him a Muslim, too, but then you’d really risk looking full-boiled, and I know you’re trying to maintain a thin veil, hoping no one will notice.

  • 2Manchu

    says:

    “Funny, they said that ten years ago too.”

    So why didn’t the Republican-led White House and Republican-led Congress, who had been running the government between January 2001 and January 2007, allow drilling in ANWR and the OCS during that time?

    “Of course, Barack could easily defuse this by admitting he was wrong,”

    He was wrong to say that keeping your tires properly inflated will help you save gas?

  • Lars

    says:

    @TD

    Regarding ANWR, how much difference is there in Alaskan production by 2020 (bbl/day) between the reference case and mean case in the EIA’s latest study on the matter? Surely you know, right?

    Be sure to link to the source data, not a Wiki article or anything similar.

    Thanks!

  • Lars

    says:

    Barack Obama: “New Energy for America”

    http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/factsheet_energy_speech_080308.pdf

    McCain’s “plan” is all about drilling, without telling people how he’s going to force companies to do that drilling. They’re not doing it now with the resources they have at their disposal. So does he propose paying them to drill? How will he make sure they lower prices? How will that happen?

    His “plan” is economically irrational, flying in the face of both free market principles and common logic.

  • Lars

    says:

    “John McCain Does Not Support A Windfall Profits Tax. A windfall profits tax on the oil companies will ultimately result in increasing our dependence on foreign oil and hinder investment in domestic exploration. Jimmy Carter put a windfall profits tax in to place with little to no useful results.”

    http://www.johnmccain.com//Informing/Issues/17671aa4-2fe8-4008-859f-0ef1468e96f4.htm

    While the tax was in effect, prices dropped radically, domestic production went up, imports decreased radically, the economy grew robustly, and the financial markets did very well. The tax was discontinued because the price of oil had gotten so low that no revenue was being generated.

    Why does McCain lie to the American public? He must not think very highly of their intelligence and memory.

    Does McCain care to mention that the windfall profits tax was instituted as part of a deal which included deregulating domestic oil prices? The whole point was to spur domestic production and decrease imports, and it did. Unfortunately for Carter, he had the integrity to do it when it was needed, even though it was an election year, and the resulting short-term run-up in prices cost him the election.

  • Dave

    says:

    It’s not the tire inflation issue itself; that’s been taught in auto shop since well forever. It’s the fact that Barry thinks the public is so dumb it needs the Messiah to teach us. “Yea verily I say into thee; keep the tires on thy car properly inflated; that ye may save your gold. And that all mankind might benefit from heeding these words”
    “And upon hearing these words the crowd wept; for never before had they heard such wisdom from one man.”
    “And the crowd went forth and purchased tire guages that they might save they might save the earth.”

  • JC

    says:

    Bear in mind they’re appealing to the same group of dimwits who parroted “Al invented the internet”.

    These people are, after all, clones of Biff Tannen. I’m sure at some point they will ask Obama to “make like a tree and split”.

  • GuyFromOhio

    says:

    “Yea verily I say into thee; keep the tires on thy car properly inflated; that ye may save your gold.

    Too bad my old shop teacher, NASCAR and Bush’s own Department of Energy got there first. So many messiahs, so little time!

    PS: CB, we need better trolls! These trolls suck!

  • Dave

    says:

    GuyfromOhio,

    Wow! Name-calling. It’s been like 10 minutes since I’ve heard a lib employ that tactic. Surely you are witty enough to do better than “troll”

    Now, I might be wrong, but I doubt it. I would guess your shop teacher wasn’t running for President. I can also likely safely assume there was some sort of profit motive behind NASCAR’s advise. Finally, I’m also fairly certain the DOE has had this recommendation around for many an administration.

    The point is for a President, or even a candidate for President to talk down to his audience and make such a elementary statement makes him seem arrogant. (no surprise with Barry).

    This, indeed, could very well be Barry’s “Cardigan Carter”, his Dukakis Tank Helmet, or his Kerry NASA Space Bunny. Regardless of the accuracy of the recommendation, it was not necessary for Barry to even do it. It makes it seem like he’s throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks (McCain too, BTW)

    So, this is not about properly inflated tires. It’s about Barry assuming he’s smarter than his audience. I have t wonder of humility is even part of his vocabulary.

  • jvill

    says:

    “Until these tactics stop working, I won’t make fun of them.”

    Exactly 100% wrong.

    The Republicants and their followers don’t listen to reason, study, logic, intellectual discovery, or anything revolving around empirical knowledge.

    They do, however, react to embarassment.

    Are our liberal talking heads popular? No.

    Are our liberal deep thinkers having an effect? Not really.

    Are our liberal comedians and those willing to mock and humiliate the ridculously long string of failed conservative ideas, narratives and people successful?

    Jon Stewart. Stephen Colbert. Keith Olbermann. Bill Maher.

    Yes.

    Mel Brooks got it right when he said his revenge on the Nazis was that he would mock and humiliate them for the rest of his life.

  • Dr. Wu

    says:

    The fact that ABC is whoring Tire-Gauge-Gate should come as a surprise to no one. “The Path to 9/11 Network” is doing absolutely everything within their power to prop up McCain, presumably because their ownership fears having to bear their share of the tax burden, operate under reasonable media regulations, or any of the other horrors which wingnuts believe Democrats will inflict upon them in the name of promoting the general welfare.

  • elitist jerk

    says:

    I’m hoping this is rope-a-dope, but that may be overly optimistic. Still, I’m pretty sure Obama did it to Hillary a couple times, so maybe he really is doing it to McCain, we’ll see.

    Not to put too fine a point on it, but the GOP constituency seems to be mostly evil rich people and stupid people (at any income level). George Lakoff would pretend to disagree, but he knows it’s true.

    jimBOB, the reason you still have no idea why these things have “worked” is because they don’t work on you, because you aren’t an idiot. But it’s not so hard to understand if you just remember that rationality is not innate to our species. Democrats and progressives tend to imagine — somehow and for no good reason! — that it is, and they lose a lot of votes thereby.

    Anyway, I have this here deep HOPE that Obama does in fact get that. (Love the idea of the Obama campaign giving away tire gauges! That would be awesome.)

  • 'THE ONE"

    says:

    Actually if you do engine maintainse and tire pressure and add driving technique you will save a few gallons a month time 200 million drivers in america and there would be quite a savings

  • 'THE ONE"

    says:

    Actually if you do engine maintainence and tire pressure and add driving technique you will save a few gallons a month time 200 million drivers in america and there would be quite a savings

  • Melinda

    says:

    Keep in mind that Obama did vote for the Bush/Cheney energy plan, so he probably thinks that inflating your tires is an energy savings idea. I really doubt that the GOP simply thinks that the statement is untrue… the funny part is Obama voted for this stuff, and believes that this is the Plan. The guy is a joke and in a year where a Dem should win hands down… he is struggling. Most people see it, most intelligent people see that this guy is full of hot air.
    Hey, there is an idea… to save some energy – deflate Obama.. that guy is nothing but hot air.

  • Dave

    says:

    @Andre
    “Stupid troll”

    Great! Another insightful, well thought out response. You need to remember, when it’s your turn to talk a bell will ring and a piece of corn will come down a chute.

  • wheeee

    says:

    “But imagine if Obama and his surrogates said the entirety of McCain’s healthcare policy is sunscreen application. McCain doesn’t really care about cancer, they could argue, he just wants everyone to run out at get some SPF 30. Those vying to be Obama’s running mate started holding up bottles of Coppertone during their speeches, saying things like, “We want you to wear sunscreen, you know, it will very mildly improve your chances of not getting sick. But wearing sunscreen is not a healthcare policy for the United States of America.”

    The Obama camp and the Obamamniacs should do this just to point out the
    absurdity of the GOP and their tire gauges.
    The GOP have no ideas and they know it.

    Besides, any NASCAR fan can tell you how important proper tire pressure is to winning the big race.
    If you have the wrong pressure the car does not perform correctly and the driver will not win on that given day.

  • Karena

    says:

    Where can I get one?

    I’d be proud to carry a tire guage with OBAMA on it, plus I wouldn’t have to buy one. Another stupid stunt by a stupid candidate.

  • Joe G.

    says:

    I want to get a gauge, but would never give McCain the donation for it. I really think it will be valuable memorabilia once Obama wins the election ala “Dewy Defeats Truman” 🙂

  • H J

    says:

    Air Guage? and Tune Up.
    We no longer have tune-Up’s
    The new car have cmputers and you change out the sprek plugs ever 50,000-100,000 miles
    It just showes how dumb Obama and his people are.
    This is just more of the hate C**P.
    H J

  • RC3

    says:

    The point is not whether or not maintenance is a good thing, The question is whether or not it should be done instead of increasing the domestic oil supply. Also, in order to get the results Obama is touting every car in America would have to be under-inflated to begin with, and then every car in America would have to be properly inflated. Neither is realistic. Not to mention his complaining about hyperbole about air pressure while engaging in it about “Drill Here”. Obviously McCain did not mean to drill under his feet, but in our own Country.
    By the way, I am not a McCain supporter, but we need to get real on solving the problems of this country.

  • STEVE

    says:

    Obama and his adoring media are idiots. For the tire inflation theory to work, you would have to assume that everyone is running around on under inflated tires. At the current price of gasoline (thanks to no drill democrats) I can assure you that Americans are allready doing everything they can to get the best fuel milage possible, such as checking the inflation of their tires. I suppose President Obama would suggest creating a government agency to monitor everyones tire pressure right?.

  • Darrel

    says:

    Airing up your tires to save a small percentage on gas is not ridiculous, but what Obama said in quotes SURELY is ridiculous.

    “But we could save ALL the oil that they’re talking about getting off drilling — if everybody was just inflating their tires? “

  • Aredee

    says:

    I’m an Obama supporter, but I’m going to order a whole bunch of those gauges for my family and me. It would be a great way to at least partially drain McCain’s campaign war chest, and besides, they have Obama’s name on them.

    I’d use them as a badge of honor.

  • Aredee

    says:

    UPDATE: The GOP National committee is selling the gauges for a $25 contribution. Fawgeddaboutit.