Campaign '80
Which message will resonate with voters?
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- Jimmy Carter |
- Ronald Reagan |
Responding to a question about America's reliance on fuel from OPEC nations, President Carter said "We have an opportunity to use American technology and know-how to develop our own alternate, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, freeing us from reliance on foreign oil. This is sound policy, not just for America, but for Planet Earth".
Republican challenger Ronald Reagan said "Mr Carter is missing one very important point. That is, if American is to continue to prosper in the 1980s and beyond, we must join together and kill the bastards. Kill them! Kill them!"
From The Onion's "Our Dumb Century," as republished here.
All the pundits -- right, left, center -- agree that Barack Obama needs to re-energize his campaign, so of course that way that he's doing that is by strolling out to say "Let's Talk Better Mileage," while Hillary Clinton and John McCain, each in their own unique ways, are saying "Kill the Bastards!" -- sometimes literally.
Here's where sound policy is bad politics:
GRAHAM, N.C. (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday criticized Barack Obama for opposing the concept of suspending the gas tax during the peak summer driving months, a plan both she and Republican John McCain have endorsed.
The idea to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day was first proposed by McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, as a way to ease the economic burden for consumers during the summer.
Obama does not support the "gas tax holiday" and has said the average motorist would not benefit significantly from such a suspension; by some estimates, the federal government would lose about $10 billion in revenue.
"My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes giving consumers a break," Clinton said, campaigning in North Carolina. "I understand the American people need some relief."
Is that message going to strike a chord with voters furious at paying close to $4 a gallon now? You bet! By sticjing to his message of a new kind of politics, Obama is about to get slaughtered here by the old kind. But is the gas tax holiday a good idea? No.
The typical motorist might save $25 in gas tax during a summer, but have worse roads to drive on as a consequence. Dropping the tax would encourage more use of foreign oil and create more greenhouse gas emissions. Only in an election year could anyone suggest it's a good idea.
Of course, McCain is pushing this scheme on the road to his nomination in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where they know a little something about the cost of neglecting roads and bridges. But by then, he'll probably be prepping for his debates with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, where they can argue which one will kill more of the bastards.
I wonder what kind of gas tax "holiday" President McCain will propose in his 2012 re-election campaign. Hmmm. But by then, he'll probably be prepping for his debates with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton OK. It's all etched in stone, now. McCain vs. Hillary in the national, with McCain winning. Why so pessimistic, Will? The American people may come through.— Talking point sleuth
Comment removed.- Isn't McCain the one who said that economics aren't that interesting to him? And Clinton's stealing his idea?— SteveMG
- Once again we see how Hillary represents the politics of the past. Anyone who has played SimCity knows the disastrous consequences of cutting road funding....— Politburo
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- TPS Looks like you guys had a good time yesterday. Sorry I had to go back to work and missed all the fun. Posted by CB Hey Will, could you tell us who posted that comment?— Talking point sleuth
- I know Sen. Obama likes to think he's above all this pandering, but at some point he's going to have to go on the offensive on some of this stupidity. I mean, seriously, cutting the gas tax will cause thousands of lost jobs, deplete funding for our already-crumbling infrastructure, and even further line the coffers of the oil companies. This is good, responsible fiscal policy? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Obama bowled a 37 and has black friends. What the **** was I thinking?— tightlines
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- Great point tightlines, I'm not impressed with how Obama is handling this. He previously spoke in honest terms with people, regardless if it was what they wanted to hear, he's now starting to pander. The windfall profit penalty commerical was a prime example. From my understanding, the oil comp profit amrgins are in line with other industries. Punishing them doesn't make sense. We need smart alternatives to get off foreign oil. Tell us the truth, we can handle it.— RG
- Concrete roads do generally last longer, but they are more expensive and more time-consuming to put in place. While asphalt does come from oil, it is really more of a by-product. It's pretty much what's leftover after all the lighter fractions are removed for gas, fuel/lubricating oils, etc. Concrete is not a direct petroleum derivative like asphalt, but its manufacture does require large amounts of energy, as limestone and other materials must be crushed, mixed, heated to 1500 degC, then ground again. The heating step releases massive amounts of CO2. For every 1 lb of cement, about 0.8 lb of CO2 is released, on average. When asphalt roads are repaved, the road material is frequently recycled on-site. Concrete can be recycled, but it is a more involved process as rebar and other debris must be removed. As with many issues, it is a complex situation and the choice between asphalt and concrete should be done on a project-specific basis.— Politburo
- Politburo, that was very informative and completely uncalled for.— SteveMG
- "Of course, McCain is pushing this scheme on the road to his nomination in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where they know a little something about the cost of neglecting roads and bridges" Hey, why use state and local funds for bridges when there are pro-sports stadiums that are desperately needed?— db_cooper
- "The typical motorist might save $25 in gas tax during a summer, but have worse roads to drive on as a consequence. Dropping the tax would encourage more use of foreign oil and create more greenhouse gas emissions. Only in an election year could anyone suggest it's a good idea." - which is why the Pandering Panda and the Panderer in a Pantsuit are all over it. This is truly the politics of the past and if America's citizens want a better future, they need to reject and denounce it. Each American gets about $25 back and according to the Pandering Panda, he'll simply take the $10B from general revenues (which means either cutting something else or raising other taxes or just doing what the GOP has done best for the past ten years - blow up the deficit and increase the debt). The Pantsuit Panderer would put some sort of tax on "windfall profits." Well, the last "windfall profits" tax brought in about 20% of projections and some feel hurt domestic production. Again - the politics of the past.— E.Plebnista
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
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