I've had a few pundit types ask me what the deal is with the kerfuffle over the tire gauge. What's the attack here on Obama? That pumping your tires is elitist? That it's unbefitting a commander in chief to recommend auto maintenance?
Apparently Republican attacks have become so baroque that they are now impossible for anyone outside the Republican base to decode. So here's my take on it.
The short answer is that there's a much bigger fight getting started here.
It's an article of faith among greens that "there is no silver bullet -- what we need is silver buckshot." In other words, we're not going to be able to simply replace the big, highly concentrated, brute-force industrial energy system that fossils built. We're going to have to produce, distribute, and use energy in a much smarter way, and that means doing thousands of little things (like, in the area of transportation, inflating our tires, carpooling, moving to a four-day work week, telecommuting, offering a crusher credit, pay-as-you-drive car insurance, etc.). These things will buffer our shift to a system with new sources (clean electricity) and new techniques (plug-in hybrids, public transit, and transit-oriented development).
Problem is, the public doesn't really get that. They are instinctively suspicious of the lots-of-little-things demand-side approach, and instinctively attracted to the big, macho, stick-your-derrick-in-it supply-side approach.
Obama is the first political figure since Carter to understand the energy efficiency and conservation approach and actually try to present it to the American people. Republicans want to nip it in the bud -- that's why they are so aggressively jumping on the tire gauge thing. They want to make it seem like a small and silly response to a very big problem. But all the things we need to do will seem small and silly in isolation; it's the portfolio approach that will work. If the truth about efficiency gets out -- how much cheaper it is than new oil, how many more jobs it creates, how much more it does for the domestic economy -- Republicans are well and truly screwed.
This is the key energy battle of the next few years, and this is the first shot fired. Good for Obama for standing up to it.
(See also Michael Grunwald.)
Not all green jobs are created equal
U.S.-Russia climate and energy efficiency cooperation: A neglected challenge
Comments View as Flat
GreyFlcn Posted 2:47 pm
05 Aug 2008
Well the other reason
Filling your tires saves you 3% on fuel costs.
Offshore Drilling in the OCS/ANWR saves you 1% on fuel costs.
_
This concept is a direct attack on the superficial policies that McCain puts forward, because even though small, it is orders of magnitude more effective than McCain's policies.
They NEED to discredit that. Since the DRILL argument is essentially the only sticking argument McCain seems to have on transportation.
Without that, McCain really doesn't have anything left besides the equivalent of turning Coal into Gasoline. Which is a rather flimsy argument if it's given much press.
-David Ahlport
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Gar Lipow Posted 3:21 pm
05 Aug 2008
Its par for the course for our right wing media
But you can know something is standard practice and still react to it. The Republicans giggling at tire gauges - no surprise. The media going along with it - no surprise either, but for some reason it pisses me off. I guess there is some part of me that still thinks reporters are supposed to be more than wholly owned giggling subsidiaries of the Republican attack machine.
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wiscidea Posted 9:38 pm
05 Aug 2008
I clearly don't understand modern conervatives.
This incident just makes me want to ask, Exactly what does it mean to be a conservative? Why isn't maintaining tire pressure and otherwise caring for your automobile a conservative value? Why would someone actually look down their nose at spending less (3%) on gasoline, making their tires last longer, and making their vehicle safer? When did it become a conservative value to waste money?!
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justlou Posted 9:48 pm
05 Aug 2008
Symbolic of the Power Sources
The Republican increase-the-supply side of the coin is very symbolic of their top down, oligarchical worldview. Channel the bucks to the top and we will distribute the power to you.
The Democratic reduce-the-demand side of the coin is symbolic of a bottom up, democratic worldview. Keep the bucks at home and in your pocket, use less and be your own power broker.
Republicans are good about preaching about responsibility but their dominance ironically depends on our continuing irresponsibility and dependence on their hegemony of power and lording of the wealth. The tire gauge fiasco represents their desperation in seeing their dominant worldview crumbling along with the infrastructure that their power sources have built.
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John former Marine Posted 10:06 pm
05 Aug 2008
Wisc,
Modern conservatives love Jesus and the Republican Party. That's all I've been able to figure out.
Il faut cultiver notre jardin.
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justlou Posted 10:38 pm
05 Aug 2008
John
So should we dump jesus and support our local shamans?
Please, please, please, that was just a joke and not intended to hijack this thread. But it does address a question about the hierarchy of authority which does affect about every sphere of our lives and has some relevance here.
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GreyFlcn Posted 10:40 pm
05 Aug 2008
Lou
The point to be made that the Goldwater concept of a Republican is NOT what current Republicans are today.
http://greyfalcon.net/doonsbury.png
-David Ahlport
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KenG Posted 10:52 pm
05 Aug 2008
Not that complicated
I think you are over analyzing this, David. Conservatives don't believe there are that many underinflated tires out there. This seems like one more item in a long line of "You're all too stupid to take care of yourself, we'll have to tell you how to do it/take care of you." The "nanny state" if you will.
It didn't surprise me that a Washington DC check of tires found a lot of underinflation, but I don't know that that is representative.
Confirming our worst fears, as soon as this came up, several posts in this blog suggested establishing the "inflation police" to go out and check and inflate everyones tires. My perspective is that you had better keep your damn hands off my valve stems.
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justlou Posted 11:07 pm
05 Aug 2008
David -- Some Goldwater Quotes
Source of quotes: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barry_Goldwater
If I recall correctly, the "extremism in the defense of liberty" phrase was crafted by Goldwater's speechwriter, Karl Hess. Interestingly, Hess had a following among some lefty radicals during the 70s.
Although I would find many of Goldwater's policies repugnant it would be hard for me to disagree with the core principles expressed by him in these quotes. There is a convergence here that has relevance to our discussion on this thread.
Thanks, David, for bringing Goldwater to our attention. Yes, figments indeed. That was a good cartoon.
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Russ Posted 11:38 pm
05 Aug 2008
I've always wondered...
...why in 2001 Cheney sneered at conservation as a "personal virtue".
It always seemed to me that to pay lip service to conservation as the right way to tackle environmental problems (while hoping/assuming people wouldn't actually do much of it) would dovetail nicely with the right-wing mantra that "voluntary" "market" solutions are the answer to everything. That's what I would have told him if I were one of his mercenary thugs.
Nor would this have to seem inconsistent with drill-and-burn. Rather, you could represent reasonable energy policy as being a confluence from both supply and demand sides, top-down and bottom-up, conservation and drilling. (Of course all the while putting all the real effort and resources into the top-down extraction assault, while the talk of conservation would be just talk, no action.)
Oh well, like David said, it's difficult to understand Republicans these days.
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frankbi Posted 11:57 pm
05 Aug 2008
Not about Big Government, but lack of mega-gizmos
"Conservatives don't believe there are that many underinflated tires out there. [...] It didn't surprise me that a Washington DC check of tires found a lot of underinflation [...]"
lolwut--...?
I'm now starting to think that what's at the heart of the Republican proposals is that it doesn't involve big fat mega-gizmos the size of New Jersey which can show those filthy Russkies/Arabs/Chinese that We Have Testicles. The minute that the proposed global warming `mitigation' solutions involve Death Star-like projects, the conservatives' dislike for Big Government will magically vanish.
By the way, please sign this petition to urge Coleman et al. to go ahead and sue Al Gore and Hansen!
-- bi, International Journal of Inactivism
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Steven T Posted 12:31 am
06 Aug 2008
In a sense it isn't about tires at all
The Republicans are partly playing on the nanny state meme, and partly playing to the notion that there will always be enough to go around -- no need to change our behavior. Modern conservatives don't conserve -- their ideology is centered around addictive consumption. Anything that challenges that fantasy must be stamped out.
Another factor: Now that a Rovian crew has taken over key positions in the McCain campaign, these guys are trying to quickly and dramatically trying change the race's dynamic. Remember that a few weeks ago Obama was looking like he was about to put away the whole election.
A big part of what's going on is harassment. If it wasn't a tire gauge it would have been something else equally irrelevant. Doesn't really matter what as long as it is simple and visual. Recall LBJ calling one of his opponents a practitioner of beastiality so the poor guy would have to disavow the practice. Same principle.
The Republicans quite understandably may wonder whether Obama's campaign will hit back hard enough to regain its momentum. Actually, I wonder that too. Indeed, getting Democrats to question Obama's fortitude is a big added bonus, because that might reduce Democratic enthusiasm -- and thus fundraising and voter turnout.
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wiscidea Posted 1:12 am
06 Aug 2008
Obama's fortitude
"The Republicans quite understandably may wonder whether Obama's campaign will hit back hard enough to regain its momentum. Actually, I wonder that too. Indeed, getting Democrats to question Obama's fortitude is a big added bonus, because that might reduce Democratic enthusiasm -- and thus fundraising and voter turnout."
I'm not exactly one of Obama's strongest supporters, but I must admire his ability to calmly and rationally respond to the sort of crap Republican's are throwing at him. He eloquently defends his remarks rather than try to wiggle out of the situation. This stands in sharp contrast to several previous Democratic candidates for President and will, I think, ensure he wins in November. I'm starting to like the guy and look forward to voting for him.
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Jon Rynn Posted 1:23 am
06 Aug 2008
A 70s lefty radical who followed Karl Hess
Grey, I loved the book "Neighborhood Power: The new localim" in the 1970s, co-authored by Karl Hess and -- yes, the biofuel supporter -- David Morris. Great book, it talks about neighborhoods and by extension communities in general and how they can be self-reliant, that is, not be dependent on multinational corporations (another favorite topic among 1970s radical types). Morris also wrote "Self-reliant cities", another good one.
As for McCain, if you follow his logic, I suppose his supporters should be driving around with floppy tires that barely miss dinging up the wheel. The tire gauge counteroffensive was a way to distract attention from Obama pointing out that drilling won't do much, which was the original point of the inflated tires argument in the first place
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Dan Riehl Posted 1:51 am
06 Aug 2008
General Comment
First time commenter, I hope this isn't inappropriate. I won't make it elsewhere. I took exception to your handling of a brief story with regard the position of car makers on new NHTSA standards and responded on my blog. I don't believe they have "backed off" of anything, as far as their position. And I visited several of your links and couldn't find the documentation upon which you seemed to base your claim.
If this is bad form here, I understand it may be deleted, but I'll leave a link in case Grist wanted to respond.
Thank you. And if this is not a good practice, I won't repeat it. It isn't my intention to simply troll the site. Thank you for allowing me to comment.
http://thefastreport.com/2008/08/grist-misses-the-gist-mi ...
Dan Riehl
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moehrlei Posted 2:01 am
06 Aug 2008
Remember 7th Grade?
I think this is right out of middle school. Ridicule the smart kid to make him unpopular.
No individual raindrop ever considers itself responsible for the flood.
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wiscidea Posted 2:20 am
06 Aug 2008
irony
It is ironic that Republicans identify themselves as the "adults" who are "responsible" and do whatever is necessary to protect their families.
Yet, they whine when someone simply suggests they check their tire pressure to save a little money.
But Daaaaaaad, I don't waaaaaannnnnt to check my tire pressure. I want NEW tires and I want them NOW! I'm going to hold my breath if you try to make me check my tire pressure. I'm going to go let air OUT of my tires! Hah!
Republicans... GROW UP. Otherwise, we're going to need that damned nanny state you keep going on about!
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archigeek Posted 2:41 am
06 Aug 2008
Sweater...
Hmm, I don't know. I think this may be just another way the criminals in the Grand Oil Party want to hang an albatross around Mr. Obama's neck. Much like they did with Jimmy Carter's sweater and Dukakis's tank helmet...and of course Mr. Clinton's stain. The GOP is about as subtle as a truncheon-wielding Pinkerton. But...they, admittedly, have BIG brass ones. The Dems are a bunch of snivelling cowards who couldn't stand up to a gust of wind.
The mellotron is your friend.
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Dan Riehl Posted 2:49 am
06 Aug 2008
The Tire Gauge
Well, yeah, it's a silly attack when you take it apart. But then, most of America watched American Idol. Bottom line - it plays.
While the pundits dissect it, enough of America is dismissing Barry O as clueless and silly because of it. Argue the merits if you want, but ... it's in the game!
What do you want from voters, an attention span?
Dan Riehl
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Jason D Scorse Posted 4:46 am
06 Aug 2008
We all know the answer to this...
the modern GOP (not true conservatives) are shills for big business and nothing more- it's really that simple. If a solution doesn't mean enriching the rich they don't like it. But Obama is hitting back hard. This clip is simply great.
+http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/8/5/17190/39536
Donate to his campaign and other Democrats if you want real change; otherwise, we're going to get little more than more nukes and drilling and tax cuts for the rich...and a couple more wars.
We need to focus on the root causes of problems. www.voicesofreason.info.
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WWAGD?! Posted 9:43 am
06 Aug 2008
Discipline
Obama has been compared to Jimmy Carter...and it couldn't be truer. The last two years of Carter were economic and political misery, culminating with the 'displine speech'. Carter would orate about some pressing need...then stop for the answer and intone: 'discipline'.
The thing is, the 'public' doesn't want to hear that. We all feel as if doing our jobs is effort enough. We get up, drive to work, work hard, come home and either crash on the soft, go out with friends and drink away the pain, or switch from work to working with kids for soccer, playtime, movies, help with homework.
In other words, the public says, this is the bargain. We don't have time for discipline, that's why we pay you politicians the big bucks. YOU'RE supposed to fix or solve it. If you're telling us to do something, then, you, Obama, are fired!
The real answer that will allow us to keep 99.9 percent of our infrastructure is hydrogen. Just let the system take care of it is probably the best answer in this case. We don't need "visionary" billionaires, or kooky Greens, or "Moonbeam" politicos...all we need to do is let the bureaucrats work their magic, and cut the pipes from liquid (oil) to gas (hydrogen).
Problems solve.
Go back your homes.
There's nothing for you here.
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