Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy
Video: Quiet, Obama's new TV ad has "Detroit" fuel efficiency joke
I am starting to feel sorry for Detroit. Leading Presidential candidate Barack Obama's new TV ad, titled "Quiet," tells a joke about going to Detroit and calling for a higher fuel efficiency standard. You can watch the video for yourself below the fold. Speaking to an audience, Barack explains he cannot accept sending 800 million dollars a day to hostile nations and in the bargain, melt the ice caps. Barack continues, saying, "I went to Detroit to insist we had to increase fuel efficiency standards. I admit, the room got kinda QUIET" (hence the title of the ad). The audience laughs. We need to tell them the truth they need to hear says Obama, the crowd applauds and the 30-second ad ends.
In August, I was shocked to hear CAFE mentioned in a TV ad at all. A few days ago I wrote about how John McCain went to Detroit and said we should "increase CAFE" and got "no applause." Yesterday, I wrote about a shift in the GOP debate to vehicle energy solutions, which included Sam Brownback saying, "I think one of the key answers is right here in Detroit." Why the sudden interest in Detroit, candidates? Is Detroit-bashing playing to the politics of the primary states or newspaper headlines? Maybe it's the energy bill debate, which includes a new CAFE standard, brewing in Congress?
Whatever the reason, Detroit, the political wind is not blowing your way. I suggest a little bending. Give Hill and Terry a call or something. You are the punch line to a joke in a TV ad. That can't be a good sign.
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2LS7? 12:17PM (10/11/2007)
Yes, we must raise average MPG to at least 35 mpg.
To which Obama says hell yeah and gets back into his 28mpg Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
It'd be one thing of Jerry Brown were talking about raising fuel economy. But Obama needs to either sacrifice with the rest of us or realize that people (including himsef) are not willing to give up what it takes to meet the new fuel economy numbers.
To Detroit, the message couldn't be clearer. Politicans are not afraid to try to force fuel economy standards that most are unwilling to live with.
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tim 1:00PM (10/11/2007)
Another "do what I say, not what I do" democratic-socialist politician.
I'm sick and tired of always voting against hypocritical idiots like Obama instead of voting for somebody who will just leave me alone.
I hear a great sucking sound... where's the damn boarder fence?
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shmuupy 2:51PM (10/11/2007)
you dont see him saying that gas taxes need to go up and people need to drive less, which also needs to happen. but that would mean talking to the people in the room.
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Benson Leung 4:25PM (10/11/2007)
A 28 MPG Mercury Mariner Hybrid still works toward the 35 MPG CAFE requirement because CAFE is an *average* not a *minimum.*
The Escape/Mariner hybrid is an important step to getting to 35 MPG. Among small SUVs, it's still the most fuel efficient. Would it be better if he drove around in a Prius instead? Sure... but the Mariner
The non-hybrid Mariner gets 21 MPG, so that is a substantial improvement.
I don't see how Obama can be painted as a hypocrite here. You guys just have an axe to grind with any of these political personalities. Stop berating them for stupid things and listen to what he has to say, will you?
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mike 5:10PM (10/11/2007)
Well, Detroit's current scheme isn't working as they are LOSING SALES.
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UH2L 5:29PM (10/11/2007)
Detroit is the scapegoat for our environmental ills, but it is part of the backbone of our economy due to its automotive industry and all the associated supporting business throughout the country. O'Bama and everybody else should be careful with what they criticize. Our government should be providing a level playing field for the Big 3 in terms of trade imbalance, health care costs, currency manipulation. Instead politicians blame the Big 3. People who have worked in the industry know that raising fuel economy to 35 mpg so quickly is not easy and may lead to very expensive vehicles that will force people into used cars. O'Bama may have lost my vote for criticizing our industry without fully understanding the situation.
It's not just Detroit's manufacturers that make guzzling vehicles, but European and Japanese ones do too. Many of the German vehicles are wasteful and so are Subarus for example with 4WD that a small minority of their buyers actually need. Who makes the most efficient vehicles in the segments that sell the most? Arguably GM does with its relatively efficient mid-sized sedans and full size trucks. By the way, GM still sells the most mid-sized cars by a large margin. The volume is just separated into different models instead of one like Honda and Toyota. As for lost sales, at least GM is coming back with competitive products, but there are many more competitors than there used to be, and they have cut back on fleet sales, so those factors account for some of it as well.
Atul
http://www.thingsivenoticed.com
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detroit9000 5:40PM (10/11/2007)
Do people in Detroit vote much? What kind of voter sway does the UAW have? Political? Probably. Lobbying, etc. But the UAW as a voter block? Does anyone care?
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GoodCheer 6:25PM (10/11/2007)
I've just had an idea that I think will appeal to both sides of the aisle.
If we want to
a) Reduce carbon emissions (left hand perspective)
b) Reduce dependence of foreign oil (both sides)
How about an import tariff on foreign oil?
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Tim Russell 8:34PM (10/11/2007)
Tax the gas. That will go further to reduce fuel usage by causing people to drive less and choose high MPG vehicles. CAFE does not do this. Europe has a lot of high MPG cars because of high fuel taxes and taxes on engine sizes not because of any kind of CAFE requirement.
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why not the LS2LS7? 12:59AM (10/12/2007)
Benson:
Yes, 28mpg is better than 21mpg. No, 28mpg won't get us to 35mpg.
You can't just go around saying "well, we need to get to 35mpg, and I'm going to do a little, so others have to do more".
In order to get to 35mpg average, people who are more aware of the problem (like Obama) need to do BETTER than 35mpg, in order to bring the average up.
To the others: I completely agree about taxing gas. This is why GM and others are so angry with the politicians and opposing them. The politicians don't want to take the unpopular (but effective) position of taxing gas to reduce fuel use. Instead, they want to make auto manufacturers take all the heat by forcing them to sell people smaller cars when they can afford to gas up bigger ones.
Tax the gas and people will act accordingly.
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St.J 9:15AM (10/12/2007)
Facts will never change human behavior, Emotions change it. Your going to have to get people emotional about saving energy. What makes people emotional? It has to be something that hits every driver and makes them want to be the most fuel saving person on the planet. Until that happens, nothing will change. It's like taking the Big Mac away from a 300 pound 8 year old. He is going to kick and scream and tell you that you are totally wrong.
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GoodCheer 10:54AM (10/12/2007)
It's the political unpalatability of anything that sounds like "Gas Tax" that makes me think my import tariff might be a good back-door approach. It will certainly increase the price of gas at the pump, so will drive vehicle choices from the market end rather than from the regulatory end. It will also decrease oil imports, and act as a back-door subsidy for domestically sources of alternative liquid fuels.
Doesn't that seem like a win-win? And doesn't it seem like it would be a move a politician could make without being booed out of office?
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