SUV-Loving Public Deems Itself Unpatriotic

Americans think fuel efficiency is patriotic, poll finds

According to a new poll released yesterday, fuel efficiency ranks up there with apple pie, baseball, and hating liberals as emblematic of American patriotism. Some 66 percent of Americans believe it's "patriotic" to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle, as it would aid the U.S. in kicking its addiction to Middle East oil. Even a majority of self-described conservatives agreed, as did two-thirds of NASCAR fans. (One wonders, then, why these folks aren't actually buying fuel-efficient cars. But who are we to niggle?) Also, the poll found, 89 percent of Americans concur that government action is important to achieve 40-mile-per-gallon efficiency standards. Which means the feds need to get cracking, since standards now languish at just 27.5 mpg for cars and a paltry 20.7 mpg for trucks. And needless to say, sloth on this matter leaves your patriotism seriously in question.