McCain team ‘practically giddy’ over tire gauges

August 4, 2008

After a week in which the Republican presidential campaign was panned for being “immature,” “juvenile,” and “childish,” John McCain’s team has responded this week by literally acting like children with a new toy.

A practically giddy Mark Salter, the senior aide to John McCain best known for his gruffness, told the traveling press corps before takeoff Monday morning that the would be handing out copies of Barack Obama’s energy plan during flight.

Moments after the Boeing 737 was airborne, Salter swooped past the cabin-dividing curtain and gleefully handed out tire gauges that read “Obama’s Energy Plan.” The stunt pokes fun at Obama’s suggestion that American’s improve their gas mileage by filling up their tires and will be reportedly be replicated, compliments of McCain supporters, at Obama’s appearance in Michigan Monday.

Salter isn’t “practically giddy” about anything, ever, but he’s so excited about tire gauges, he can’t contain his child-like glee. It’s genuinely pathetic.

And it’s topped only by this.

Now — we’re not kidding — the McCain campaign is actually trying to raise money off this. From McCain campaign manager Rick Davis’ latest fundraising email:

“John McCain says we need offshore oil drilling and we need it now. Senator Barack Obama has consistently opposed offshore drilling — calling it a ‘gimmick.’ Senator Obama’s solution to high gas prices is telling Americans to make sure their tires are inflated.

“Today, I’m asking for your help in putting Senator Obama’s ‘tire gauge’ energy policy to the test. With an immediate donation of $25 or more, we will send you an “Obama Energy Plan” tire pressure gauge. Will simply inflating your tires reduce the financial burden of high gas prices on your wallet?”

I don’t doubt that there are going to be some very foolish people who pony up the $25. I just don’t want to meet them.

For what it’s worth, the Obama campaign is pushing back on this.

Senator McCain and his Republican allies just can’t help themselves — given the choice between offering real solutions or engaging in more negative attacks, they choose the low road every time. The latest? Trying to raise money and distract voters by criticizing Senator Obama’s comments that keeping your tires properly inflated saves energy. As Senator McCain knows, Barack Obama has a comprehensive plan to provide real relief to Americans struggling with soaring prices and make the long-term investments we need to break our addiction to oil.

And while the McCain team may is busy amusing themselves, the fact is that the idea they’re attacking is supported by, among others, top McCain surrogate Joe Lieberman, conference call host Mike Rogers, Governors Charlie Crist and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Department of Energy, and NASCAR — all of whom have urged Americans to help save energy by minding tire pressure.

But hey, who ever let the facts — or supporters’ positions — get in the way of a political attack? Aboard the Low Road Express, that’s no problem at all.

The list is a little long to reproduce here, but sure enough, Lieberman, Crist, Schwarzenegger, the Bush administration, Republican congressional candidates, NASCAR, and the American Petroleum Institute all agree that routine tire maintenance actually help fuel efficiency, just as Obama said. In fact, one McCain surrogate has actually published on the subject:

“You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer. Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.09/gallon.”

I’d just add that public opinion is notoriously hard to predict, but I feel pretty certain this is a loser of a stunt. No one, no matter how ignorant, can really believe that properly-inflated tires are the sum total of Obama’s energy policy.

In order for an attack to work, it has to be plausible. McCain’s “giddy” toy is a little too stupid to actually work.

Ooh, “Low Road Express,” I like that, I hope the Obama campaign puts that one into heavy rotation, it’s got a great ring to it!

  • Who’s the McCain surrogate that published on the subject? I don’t see a link.

    I’ll second putting “Low Road Express” into heavy rotation.

  • I agree that this is silly, but it still may be effective. It reminds me of Tom Ridge’s suggestion about having duct tape on hand to seal doors and windows in the event of a biological attack. That was not the entire sum of his comments, but it was the only part people remembered, because it was so pointless.

    The problem is, there are no easy ways to address these challenges (either terrorism or high energy prices) so policy makers end up nibbling around the edges with small suggestions that may help a little if at all.

  • I could use a tire gauge, actually. And this one is would be a great souvenir of 2008. If the McSame campaign would like to send me one, that would be great. But if they think I’d contribute $25 for one, they’re as dumb as they look.

  • They should make an ad out of this. Show beaming Republicans brandishing the gauges, and then cut to Obama saying “Is that the best you can do?” Then throw in all the GOP folks who have said people should inflate their tires and follow it with a couple choice morsels from Obama’s plan. Kicker: Obama offers real solutions. McCain’s plan? Snide remarks and four-more years of George Bush. The choice is clear.

    Yes, it blows, but the idea is for the Obama campaign to turn the tables on McCain and show how pathetic he’s acting.

  • were i the obama campaign, i’d be handing out free tire gauges at every stop, while remaking the point the he made in his energy speech: mccain’s solution is drilling, period, but i (obama) am working the problem at every level, including providng you a tire gauge!

    and then, my capper would be: the mccain campaign has tire gauges too, and waddya know? his cost $25!

  • Crooked Road Express works well too.

    Not sure how or when the republicans first came up with the stunt business. But if I had to guess, it was probably about the time Newt Gingrich came to the scene. A brief history of the stunt nuttiness may be warranted. The latest has to rank right up there in the nuttiest ratings.

    So, are these bozos in the infotainment business or are they really serious about governing? Would there be any hands reachable on the other side of the aisle if McCain was lucky enough to win this war? It has all the prospects of four more lost years. As the saying goes, our current crisis would be a terrible thing to waste!

  • I’d like someone to get ahold of one of those tire gauges. Mostly I’d like to know whether they were made with good old ‘merican labor or if they were “Made in China”. I know where I’d put my money were I a betting man.

  • Yeah, I kind of want one of these too. The oil industry should probably get me one – they already bought McCain’s candidacy…

  • Just like the purple heart bandages everything is a joke to the Republicans…..
    Obama needs to hammer home that he is the adult in this election ..
    Love the Low Road Express…how bout the Double Talk Express

  • I think this is yet another example where the stupidity of the idea proves that the people cooking this shit up aren’t running it past anyone who isn’t inside the bubble. Let’s hope that continues, and that the media covers the actual policies instead of repeating whatever retarded thing the McCain campaign decides is funny that day.

    You know what will be really funny? Whatever the McCain campaign comes up with on global warming. I’ll bet his new advisors still think it’s a hoax, even though McCain doesn’t. That should make for some interesting ads.

  • New billboard. Heading: WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING TIRE GUAGES. Picture of a beat up 1930’s vintage bus sitting on cinder blocks (no tires) and a skelaton sitting at the wheel.

  • Oh. My. F—ing. God. Please, PLEASE, someone tell me that people aren’t falling for this shite.

    Does this mean that some wingnuts will stop keeping their tires inflated because it’s “liberal” and therefore against their “conservative moral values”?

  • Maybe Barack should go to a hardware store and buy a bunch of drill bits so people can go out and drill for their own oil and gas. And when they’re done popping holes into everything looking for that elusive black gold they can recognize we need a better long-term solution for energy than popping holes into everything. Either that or hand out screws and say this is from John McCain’s many friends in the oil business.

    For Republicans election season is about showmanship not substance. They’ve become professional shark jumpers and the media is too enthralled to call them on it.

  • Howard, great idea. I’d be happy to pony up some $ to the Obama campaign for them to hand out tire gauges. Maybe with a tiny drill on one size that says “more fuel available in 2030” and on the gauge size says “more fuel RIGHT NOW. Just a start. Obama ’08”

  • its actually quite sad to see how obama supporters are following him like a herd of animals following their leader straight off a cliff anyone taking an unbiased perspective can clearly see how unreliable and dishonest obama can be for political expediency (did you hear about his new view on using the oil reserves?he just said that we should use them, while last week he said we shouldnt, a clear contradiction!) obama really is the infallible messiah to them! stop following blindly and think for yourselves! obama made a ridiculous comment about tire inflation making up for high oil prices, so mccain has the total right to mock that!

  • From the McCain website:

    The Obama Energy Plan
    Senator Obama has no plan to address the energy challenges we face as a nation. He has said no to offshore drilling, no to domestic drilling and no to nuclear energy. He has no plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

    Talk about a pack of lies.

    Can the media comment on this? About the only thing there that’s even close to accurate is that Obama opposes removing the offshore drilling moratorium. Everything else is just plain false.

    1) False McCain Claim: “Senator Obama has no plan to address the energy challenges we face as a nation.”

    Reality: Obama has a plan, and it is much more comprehensive (and realistic) than McCain’s. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnergyFactSheet.pdf

    2) False McCain Claim: “[Obama has said] no to domestic drilling”

    Reality: Obama wants the oil companies to use the leases that have already been issued before new ones are granted:

    Require Oil Companies to Use Existing Drilling Leases: The 68 million acres of stockpiled leases have the potential to produce an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil each day. This would nearly double total U.S. oil production. The Obama plan would force oil and gas companies to either produce or pay a fee on unused federal onshore and offshore leases they are stockpiling.

    3) False McCain Claim: “[Obama has said] no to nuclear energy”

    Reality: Obama has only said “no” to unsafe nuclear energy:

    Nuclear power represents more than 70 percent of our noncarbon generated electricity. It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table. However, there is no future for expanded nuclear without first addressing four key issues: public right-to-know, security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage, and proliferation… Obama will also lead federal efforts to look for a safe, long-term disposal solution based on objective, scientific analysis. In the meantime, Obama will develop requirements to ensure that the waste stored at current reactor sites is contained using the most advanced dry-cask storage technology available.

    4: False McCain Claim: “He has no plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

    Reality: Obama of course does have a plan:

    Obama will halt this dangerous trend, and take the necessary steps to achieving energy independence. Obama will make it a top priority of his climate change and energy independence agenda to reduce oil consumption by at least 35%, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030. This will more than offset the equivalent of oil we are expected to import from OPEC nations in 2030.

    Is that enough lies to get the media to mention it? We’ll see.

  • Thomas Jefferson must be spinning in his grave, to see what shame his Republican party now embraces as acceptable behavior.

    I wonder if they’ll set up a card table in the corner of the convention, so Dan Quayle can hand out these tire gauges?

  • “…all agree that routine tire maintenance actually help fuel efficiency, just as Obama said.”

    Actually Obama said we’d get as much oil savings from having properly inflated tires as we’d gain from offshore drilling.

    Gas is up WAY more than the 3% savings you’d get at the pumps, especially when you consider that only 1 out of 3 cars has an underinflated tire. The specs you quote assume all 4 tires are equally underinflated by a certain PSI and that all vehicles have underinflated tires.

    Ignorance is Bliss…

    McCain ’08
    Clinton ’12

  • There is no such URL as http://www.barackobama.com/issues

    There can’t be.

    I’m told a dozen times a day that Obama has no issues, refuses to give specifics, that he’s an empty suit, that all he can do is give good speech.

    They can’t all be liars, can they?

    So logically, such an URL cannot exist.

  • Wow! I wonder how much they charge for instructions? For instance: this pays for itself in months.If we get oil from off shore drilling in ten years you will have saved about $250/car while you wait for John McCain’s plan to kick in. Change you air filter yearly and you can save nearly a $1000/car while you wait.

    Tune-ups will save enough for a downpayment on your next car, add that to Obama’s $7000 rebate for buying a hybrid you won’t need to worry if McCain’s plan ever kicks in.

    BTW, the nice thing about Obama’s plan, stolen from the government website http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/drive.shtml , is that the oldest, most inefficient cars benefit the most.

  • @21 expand on your argument please. Or is that the best ya got?

    @28 Any self-proclaimed Clinton supporter who would vote for McCain is not a supporter of Clinton’s policies and values and is a fool.

    It is possible to support a candidate, as I do Obama, while being critical of his behavior. There is an interview with Senator Schumer at Huff Post in which he says all political attacks should be responded to with equal force within 24 hours. Clearly Obama, like Kerry in 2004, is not doing that. More time calling McCain on his lies, and less time spent on the accouterments of power is what’s needed here. Get off your ass Obama and FIGHT!

  • If you Obama supporters don’t think the Republicans can get some serious mileage out of O-Force One you don’t know shit about politics.

    We ridicule them for their tire gauge shtick, but the GOP knows how to fight-and they know how stupid Americans are. And they know how to appeal to racism.

  • Truth to tell, I’m feeling a bit childish and giggly myself. So I think I’ll follow up on CB’s excellent comparison, go to the next McCain gathering and start handing out bottles of sunscreen. With “McCain’s Healthcare Plan” stuck on them. And not Coppertone, eiither. Oh, no. I’m sure WalMart has a generic/house brand — and cheaper — product.

    IVAR, @19,

    I’m sure I’d seen a rebuttal of that story somewhere — TPM, maybe? Apparently, Obama’s plane is no different than what Bush, Gore and Kerry had used for their campaigns. McCain’s plane maybe a tad smaller but I figure that’s Cindy’s sly little way of paying him back for calling her c**t in public; if she’s a c**t, then he’s a *little* dick…

  • The actual quote from Thomas Gray is ” Where ignorance is bliss , tis folly to be wise .”

  • McCain is giving away a gauge for donating $25.00?

    So, does the oil industry get like, 80,000 tire gauges?

  • obama made a ridiculous comment about tire inflation making up for high oil prices

    Better trolls, please!

  • I’m telling you all right now — tire gauges are the Swift Boat equivalent of 2008. Attack your opponents strength with patently false claims so absurd that it is demeaning to even take the seriously — then watch as the idiots in the media rehash the point to death until it becomes a fact. Remember, the Swift Boat ads were premised on George W. Bush, a near-draft dodger who had to search for a single sheet of paper showing he had a dental screening in Alabama to prove that he even showed up to his National Guard duty in lieu of being drafted, accusing John F. Kerry, a decorated war hero with a Silver Star for gallantry, and Purple Heart for being wounded in battle of being a coward. It was so preposterous, so appalling, so DUMB, that Kerry couldn’t even lower himself to react to it. Three weeks later, the NYT was publishing maps of the Mekong Delta illustrating Kerry’s movements, etc. Ridiculous to sublime in no time flat.

    In this case, the tire gauge idea is so stupid and false that it is almost impossible to counter. Repeating over and over again that Obama’s energy policy includes a), b), c), d) doesn’t convince anyone; the media replaying these tired parlor tricks in the back of campaign planes solidifies the narrative. “Celebrity,” “tire gauges,” and who knows what else are the Swift Boats of today. If the media doesn’t stop it, McCain wins.

  • I have had a hard time understanding where Obama is coming from. I have researched his background to gain insight into his policies and motivations. The most extensive factual account of Barack Obama is on (http://www.honestjohnwade.com). All the major books written on Obama and McCain are reviewed and the author gives a brief overview of each book, key facts, and his insights on each candidate. Interesting site, the author makes some good points about what motivates Obama, his history, experience, and upbringing.

  • Please, Team Obama, don’t speak in generalities on this. Give specifics including dollars and cents that will be saved over the next seven years before — at the earliest — new drilling will start to produce oil. Give out your own gauges, with a list of other savings — see tomj above.

  • …Except that it’s not too stupid to work. Never underestimate how stupid the general American public can be… especially when the want to be convinced of something (i.e. Obama the Muslim). I remember thinking the same thing about the John Kerry flip-flops and the Purple Heat Band-Aids. “Who on earth would take something that silly and ridiculous seriously?” The American public is really stupid and if you repeat something enough times it’ll catch on. You give people way too much credit. Hang out with some of the beloved “regular folks” and it’s quite shocking how uninformed and proud of it most are.

  • ReallyFedUp @ 39:

    In this case, the tire gauge idea is so stupid and false that it is almost impossible to counter.

    Right. Don’t counter it. Embrace it. Don’t dignify it with a response — undignify it. Make it a joke. Senator Obama should get ahold of one of these as soon as possible. At his next speech, detour a bit, take out the gauge, and say,

    My opponent is handing out these gauges saying that they are the total of my energy policy. Now, I know you know better. I know Senator McCain knows better, and I wish he would talk straight to the American people. But I’m not mad. I’m not upset. In fact I applaud him — handing out this tire gauge is the first thing Senator McCain has done in his 26 years in Washington to address the issue of high gas prices and American energy dependency.

  • Obama recently, this week, stated that we should be completely independent of oil in our lifetime, I think he should be a leader and lead the way by finishing out his campaign without any reliance on oil.

  • While walking on the treadmill at the gym this afternoon, there were two tv’s I could see/read pretty easily (of course one always has to correct the teleprompters’ mistakes). One was set to CNN and the other to Faux. Mara Liasson on Faux actually called McCain out on this tire gauge stunt and made some good points. Wow. Fred Barnes was, of course, stupid. Stupid.

    As others on this blog today (as I did yesterday) have said, there are far too many likely R voters who are into their cars/trucks/NASCAR etc. to recognize the stupid lies of the McCain camp.

  • #43: My opponent is handing out these gauges saying that they are the total of my energy policy. Now, I know you know better. I know Senator McCain knows better, and I wish he would talk straight to the American people. But I’m not mad. I’m not upset. In fact I applaud him — handing out this tire gauge is the first thing Senator McCain has done in his 26 years in Washington to address the issue of high gas prices and American energy dependency.
    ~~~
    Brilliant!

  • nonvoter @ 24 said: …anyone taking an unbiased perspective can clearly see…

    Obviously you are not one of those people capable of unbiased thinking.

    As your name implies you’re probably mad at your own party’s choice, and pretend to be and ‘independent’ or declare you’re not going to vote.

    In that case: get out of the way. People who do not vote, do not have the right to complain. Get active, do something, educate yourself, become informed.

    PS: The way you talk, it seems that your information comes from Fox or Rush. Hint: Spend a few more days reading The Carpetbagger Report, and follow the links offered. You’ll find that you’ve been bamboozled for all those years.

    Welcome to the real world. It’s a bitch when the Kool-Aid starts tasting bitter. You’ll get over with, unless you have addiction problems and can’t help yourself.

    As McCain would say: “I’m only having some fun with you” or Lieberman: “Sit back and enjoy it!”

  • Bernard HP Gilroy @ 43 Said:
    …handing out this tire gauge is the first thing Senator McCain has done in his 26 years in Washington to address the issue of high gas prices and American energy dependency…

    Are you sure you’re not a speech writer? I think you should get credit for this one and forward it to the Obama campaign. It would be quite a zinger, and work very nicely with McCain’s claim of experience – yet not having produced anything of major impact.

  • Linkster @ 40 typed in a webaddress, without the link..

    The link is here: John Wade Website

    It looks like a disguised John McCain endorsement.
    Not so subtle invitation for hosting an event in your community for McCain.
    I’m not going to take the time to read his comparisons
    But

    He has a place to vote for either McCain or Obama

    I suggest everybody visits there and votes for Obama. Currently only 16 votes, but Obama is already winning. Let’s give him a landslide on a Republican site.

  • In his book “The Revolution Will not be Televised”, Joe Trippi recalls with horror the appearance of novelty Louisville sluggers with Howard Dean’s name on them.

    It was a symbol of out of control spending that led to Dean leaving the race with his campaign in debt despite having broken fundraising records.

    As lackluster as McCain’s fundraising has been, tire gauges are a far worse display of poor campaign management. I’m beginning to think McCain’s campaign is rife with moles. Can bumbling of this magnitude be accidental?

  • While it’s too early to panic I’m concerned that this is so stupid that it just might work. If people start to believe that Obama’s entire energy policy can be summed up by his recommendation that people should follow basic car maintenance then he *is* going to be in trouble. Obama has started pushing back via a McCain/Bush/Oil company ad but he must not underestimate this kind of attack– he needs to push back HARDER. Also, if this gets much traction then Obama will be at risk of McCain turning even his good ideas into jokes.

    By itself this attack seems stupid and sort of perplexingly abstract. However, if you add that to the “messiah” smear and the “celebrity” attack this could add up to a pretty broad attack. What is Obama’s/DNC’s well-coordinated attack against McCain look like? We really don’t know do we?

    One can hope that Obama can push back AND that McCain’s recent improvement in some dailly tracking polls will lead to McCain getting seriously cocky and overreaching to the point of damanging himself.

  • Obama needs to do what Kerry never learned to do– successfully promote himself AND simultaneously attack McCain’s policies very forcefully.

  • I’ll bet any Dem $1000 that the price of oil will drop to under $75 a barrel and gas will be under $3 a gallon with in two months if Nazi Pelosi would allow a vote. That’s the short term gain of drilling, not trying a wind mill to your car. “ALL OF THE ABOVE” is the only serious solution to our energy problems. Conservation and tire presure is my plan. I need a president who can give me leadership other than facts most car owners already know. That’s the joke. The joke McCain is making is that when
    the Rebublicans are suggesting Drilling, Solar, Wind, Coal, Nuclear, Conservation the Dem’s have policies like this. This winter it will be “Get a Sweater”

  • In Grunwald’s article in Time he suggested one way to save energy was cut off the phone charger when not in use. While he’s spouting off fact as he sees them he’s no scientist a phone charger is not using power when not charging. I get tired of biased reporting masqueraded as fact.

  • McCain is back to the oldest trick in his parties play book. Poke fun at the least important part of a plan. I guess he would have said that D-Day would have failed because we were counting spoons. (it was in the plan that the forces would need so many spare spoon on shore )

    What he and his party have forgotten is that while you need the big plan (which he has never Said that Obama other suggestions would not work) it never hurts to look after the little things. Until you have reach your goal every inch counts. Ask anyone trying to reach a gaol and they will tell you the same thing.

    So who is he to say that saving appox 3% of the billions of gallons of fuel used in this county would not HELP.

  • This tire guage thing shows how out of touch the repubs are, they don’t have a clue about how people are suffering with gas prices and that small things like keeping tires properly inflated could save a little. They were quick to get on the temporary gas tax holiday, which was a gimmic, and would cost jobs. These people are so shallow they all need to be thrown out.

  • actually, don c, most phone chargers will in fact have some “phantom” or “vampire” drain even when not connected to a phone because most have an LED or some other indicator of when there is current – i.e. when you have a proper connection with the jack.

    Gruenwald 1, don c 0

  • ReallyFedUp said:

    “I’m telling you all right now — tire gauges are the Swift Boat equivalent of 2008.”

    The same thought immediately occurred to me.
    The Republicans have a real knack for dreaming up this kind of nonsense and trivializing important subject matter.These stunts deflect nicely from their own culpability.

  • I inflated my tires and my rubber doll. If we inflated our tires AND drilled for more oil we could save even more money.NObumma is such a genius. I have a tingle running down my leg. Gosh

  • a properly inflated Tires not Only saves Gas it also saves Lives, the Mc Cain campain has nothing Good to Offer, they Spend 99% of their time Criticizing Sen. Obama the American Public can See through them now , we need substance not Idle Gossip ,by the Likes of Rush Limgaugh, Sean Hanity , and the Other Clowns who only Care about themselves and dont give a Hoot about the Nation one should be Loyal to a Cause when it Helps your neighbors as Well.

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