John McCain and his campaign have been ribbing Barack Obama for his statement last week that if Americans made sure their tires were properly inflated it could save as much oil as would be found in offshore areas. The McCain team went so far as to hand out tire gauges at the Democratic candidates's events. Obama jabbed back yesterday, and now McCain in conceding the accuracy of his rival's statement.
"And could I mention that Sen. Obama a couple of days ago said that we ought to all inflate our tires, and I don't disagree with that," McCain said last night in a "tele-town hall meeting" with Pennsylvania voters. "The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it."
Indeed, according to government figures, keeping your tires properly inflated gives you a 3 percent fuel economy benefit. Getting regular tune-ups gives you a 4 percent fuel economy benefit. Replacing your air filters can save up to 10 percent, and using the right grade of motor oil can save you up to 2 percent. Meanwhile, energy experts estimate that the U.S. only holds a total of 3 percent of the world's oil supply. So even if we drilled in every hole, we couldn't find nearly as much oil as could be saved via efficiency.
Below is a bonus video of McCain in April promoting energy conservation, including advice to "turn out the lights five minutes earlier." It's unclear whether he advocates sitting in the dark for a while or simply going to sleep earlier.
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Comments View as Flat
GreyFlcn Posted 1:12 pm
06 Aug 2008
Republicans don't
Republicans don't acknowledge the concept of Efficiency.
It's either use a service, or don't use a service.
Nothing in between.
-David Ahlport
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amazingdrx Posted 3:22 pm
06 Aug 2008
Pridefull ignorance
Neeehaaaaww! As Colbert said tonight, commenting on Obama's observation that the good folk like mcbush, are actually proud of their ignorance. They glory in it.
Why? Because they know it bothers us so much. The key is insteasd of getting mad, you have to go all Colbert on 'em.
Duuuhbya is dumb as a stump and proud. All the dumbasses voted for him to get revenge on the rest of the world, hehey.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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Ron Steenblik Posted 10:46 pm
06 Aug 2008
Sheesh
The earlier fun that the McCain campaign had over the tire gauges was stupid. But it takes courage for a politician to acknowledge a mistake. Let's at least give McCain credit for bringin an end this silliness.
While on the topic of energy efficiency, I know that reducing the speed limit is a political non-starter. But couldn't one or both of the presidential candidates suggest that one thing that people could do starting today is simply abide by the legal speed limits we already have? (I mean how could any politician get up and argue with that?)
Recently I drove a rental car to and from north-eastern WV and Washington, DC, sticking to the speed limit of 55 MPH. Just about everybody else was passing me, driving at 60-70 MPH, and getting at least 5% poorer fuel economy as a consequence.
These are only my personal opinions.
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Steven T Posted 11:12 pm
06 Aug 2008
Um, no
It takes courage to acknowledge a mistake? That wasn't a mistake. That was an intentional Rovian strategy to harass the Obama campaign. They pulled back only when it looked like the tactic had started to backfire on them.
Rove and Co. don't do truth. It's all about winning at any cost. Call that cynical, but that's the basic political reality of today's Republican party.
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Ron Steenblik Posted 11:18 pm
06 Aug 2008
OK, let me rephrase that
Let's at least give McCain (and only McCain, not his handlers) for acknowledging that Obama was right to begin with.
By the way, what do you think of "Save money and gasoline: stick to the legal speed limit" idea?
These are only my personal opinions.
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amazingdrx Posted 11:28 pm
06 Aug 2008
Sorry Ron
Can't give Mcbush "credit" for yet another flip flop. He still implied that Obama's only strategy on energy policy was tire inflation, in his flip flop statement.
How many flip flops is this on his continual weak attempts at swiftboating Obama?
Did you like his entry of the prospective first lady, his wife, in that "beauty pangeant" at the biker rally? Big pimpin'! That's a real tailhook, fighter pilot 'tude towards women.
Wait for yet another flip flop.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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amazingdrx Posted 11:43 pm
06 Aug 2008
McCain's lame tailhook excuses
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/navy/ails/m ...
How does this match up with his offering of his wife up to the biker rally particpants?
This is no joke. McCain opposes reproductive rights for women, maybe it's because the attitude he is covering up is similar to the tailhook and biker rally crowd? Women are viewed as objects of exploitation, instead of sentient human beings.
By the way, the Hilton family was successfully sued by two of the women assaulted in the tailhook crime. Because the event took place at a Hilton hotel. Oh the irony.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E6DA12 ...
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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Ron Steenblik Posted 1:23 am
07 Aug 2008
Here's Slate's take on the gauge rage
Excerpt from "Tire Joke", by Christopher Beam:
These are only my personal opinions.
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Jason D Scorse Posted 3:28 am
07 Aug 2008
McCain still mocking Obama on this...
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/m ...
because as Obama rightly pointed out modern Republicans take pride in ignorance. It's pathetic.
Calling all real conservatives and real Republicans- haven't you had enough of this? Time for change. You know what to do.
We need to focus on the root causes of problems. www.voicesofreason.info.
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Steven T Posted 1:15 pm
07 Aug 2008
Still no
Ron, with all due respect, if you distinguish McCain from his handlers you haven't been paying close attention. Virtually everything that comes out of McCain's mouth is scripted to the nth degree. It's not like McCain is a captive mouthpiece -- as the candidate he is the decider, is he not?
At any rate, the way McCain reraised the issue in a highly inaccurate and unfair way should tell you everything you need to know about his sense of decency and ethics. McCain knows that the only way he wins is to completely demolish Obama's character. That's exactly what he's doing. And it is going to get much, much worse by election day. The swiftboating of Kerry in 2004 will look like a picnic.
When folks make excuses for McCain that merely enables his passive-aggressive behavior.
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