The One

by hilzoy

Very, very quick note: I am absolutely no judge of these things, but I think this new McCain video truly jumps the shark:

It has been reported for a while (though alas I can't find it now) that the McCain campaign refers to Obama as 'the One', with contempt. I don't think that putting your most contemptuous, peevish impulses out there for all the world to see is a winning strategy, myself.

Comments

[Jeff]

putting environmental concerns aside for a moment

Isn't that like saying, "Putting aside the fact that gregory peck was a fine actor, why would anyone watch one of his movies?" (I just saw a fine documentary of vignettes on Peck made by his daughter, so the analogy sprung to mind.)

I really wish Obama had addressed CAFE standards. For years, Detroit whined about raising the standards. Now they're advertising all their cars that get over 35 mpg. Let's push, and keep pushing, them to phase out their truck and SUV ads and aggressively seel the cars we need now.

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Obama's "presidential seal" is something that begs to be ridiculed

Why? There's been plenty of fake seals (there was one on McCane's site, IIRC). So what was so bad about Obama's?

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Does anyone here want to make the argument that the oil companies have not learned anything or improved technology in those four decades?

So how many ships did the oil companies convert to double-hulled after the Exxon-Valdez? They sure haven't learned anything or improved technology in shipping oil. Why would we think they've done so in pumping it?

[hilzoy]

Jeff: "I really wish Obama had addressed CAFE standards."

Ask and ye shall receive. From his speech today:

"You won't hear me say this too often, but I couldn't agree more with the explanation that Senator McCain offered a few weeks ago. He said, "Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been thirty years in the making, and was caused by the failure of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country."

What Senator McCain neglected to mention was that during those thirty years, he was in Washington for twenty-six of them. And in all that time, he did little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He voted against increased fuel efficiency standards and opposed legislation that included tax credits for more efficient cars. He voted against renewable sources of energy. Against clean biofuels. Against solar power. Against wind power. Against an energy bill that - while far from perfect - represented the largest investment in renewable sources of energy in the history of this country. So when Senator McCain talks about the failure of politicians in Washington to do anything about our energy crisis, it's important to remember that he's been a part of that failure. Now, after years of inaction, and in the face of public frustration over rising gas prices, the only energy proposal he's really promoting is more offshore drilling - a position he recently adopted that has become the centerpiece of his plan, and one that will not make a real dent in current gas prices or meet the long-term challenge of energy independence."

Later in the same speech:

"We can do this. When I arrived in Washington, I reached across the aisle to come up with a plan to raise the mileage standards in our cars for the first time in thirty years - a plan that won support from Democrats and Republicans who had never supported raising fuel standards before. I also led the bipartisan effort to invest in the technology necessary to build plug-in hybrid cars.

As President, I will accelerate those efforts to meet our urgent need. With technology we have on the shelf today, we will raise our fuel mileage standards four percent every year. (...)"

[Jeff]

When I arrived in Washington, I reached across the aisle to come up with a plan to raise the mileage standards in our cars for the first time in thirty years - a plan that won support from Democrats and Republicans who had never supported raising fuel standards before. I also led the bipartisan effort to invest in the technology necessary to build plug-in hybrid cars.

Yay!!!!

[bedtimeforbonzo]

John Thullen (from Aug. 3) --

Good post as usual.

I don't exactly know what to make of T. Boone Pickens but I know one thing: When he's on TV, I listen to what he has to say.

He's putting his money where his mouth is, and I like that.

And it seems to me like he's raising the level of discussion.

Another thing: T. Boone speaks plain language and makes more sense than either John McCain or Barack Obama (or at least sounds more authoritative).

Also, getting ready for work today, I just heard him on MSNBC advocating offshore drilling -- he says everthing has to be on the table and part of the solution.

(P.S. Fellow bloggers, if you are near Hershey Park, and have a young one -- mine is 9 -- take them. We just spent the past two days and had a blast, really bonded, too. At age 45, I am glad I went now because I don't think I can have handle all those rollercoasters much longer.)

[Jeff]

I am glad I went now because I don't think I can have handle all those rollercoasters much longer.

That's why they make Advil and Aleve. I came into a love of 'coasters late, but now I like most, although I'm reluctant to do the standing ones (and the "Tower Drops" trigger my vertigo just thinking about them). I love the "shooting start" ones (like "Speed: The Ride" in Vegas) -- no clanketty clanketty clank to the top; you start by shooting from 0 to 35 mph in 2 seconds).

Don't deny your coaster love for a bit of back pain. It's totally worth it!

[bedtimeforbonzo]

Jeff:

lol at your first sentence

[bedtimeforbonzo]

Sorry that this is so OT . . .

But . . .

When you're 9-year-old son tells you late in the day after another thrilling rollercoaster ride (this one called "Great Bear," our favorite) w/ genuine excitement in his voice -- "Dad, this is the best day ever! -- well, I can't think of anything better than that.

You just get a lump in your throat.

And: My son is quite independent and more "macho" than his father. But several times Sunday and Monday while we were walking he'd reach for my hand while we were headed to the next ride. Cool.

[bedtimeforbonzo]

One final OT item: Readers my age might be amused to know that tie-dyed T-shirts are back in a big way w/ teens and pre-teens -- what goes around comes around, I guess.

And the big thing for boys my 9-year-old's age: personalized dog tags.

[Hogan]

"Dad, this is the best day ever! -- well, I can't think of anything better than that.

Now I'm going to be smiling all day.

[hilzoy]

bedtime: *big wide grins*

[LFC]

Posted by: bedtimeforbonzo | August 02, 2008 at 01:59 PM

And I hate to agree with George Bush on anything -- his AIDS initiative is about the only truly great thing he has done in 8 years -- but, to some extent, he has talked down the price of gas just with the discussion of off-shore drilling.

I disagree with this assessment. Bush didn't "talk down" s***. Every person involved in the industry, both domestically and internationally, understands that his actions and rhetoric were meaningless. (They aren't as gullible as the American people. Their profits depend upon not falling for such bull.)

Wanna' know what the real cause of the crash is? It's the fact that our economy has crumbled so badly that gasoline use dropped by 2 percentage points. When it became obvious that $4/gal was a tipping point, and people were making choices not to use gasoline, it changed the supply/demand equation. It wasn't "psychological", it was a reaction to real data.

Demand down 2% = noticeable impact
Bush's action = zero impact