BROWSE CAR REVIEWS BY:
MAKE
MODEL
Click on a car body type for search results.
 |
 |
| SUVs (two rows) | SUVs (three rows) |
 |
 |
| Crossover | Minivans |
 |
 |
| Sedan | Hybrids |
 |
 |
| Wagons/Hatchbacks | Just for Fun |
Are Presidential Candidates as Green as They Say?
Dec 17 2007 by Courtney Messenbaugh
12/17/2007
Auto Politics as Usual
It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time for Americans to think about who this country’s next president should be. Presidential contenders from both sides of the aisle have been preening, primping and preying on primary voters for the past year, and the competition is getting hot, hot, hot. One thing that’s always clear is that politicians will do anything to get your vote.
Case in point: There seems to be a suspiciously high number of hybrid vehicles being “driven” by the candidates. My theory is that because global warming and America’s fuel addiction have become very a la mode recently (you can thank Al Gore and his Oscar and Nobel Peace Prize wins and his friendship with Leo DiCaprio and other Hollywood hotties for that), several candidates are trying to show us how green they are by telling us that their official campaign cars are hybrids.
Earlier this year, the Associated Press queried the candidates about what cars they drive. The story went like this: Hillary Clinton tools around in a Ford Escape Hybrid (when the Secret Service allows her out of its armored cavalcade, of course); John Edwards claims an Escape Hybrid, a Chrysler Pacifica and a GMC truck; and Barack Obama drives a Chrysler 300C (hmmm … more on this later). As for the Republicans, Mitt Romney has an Escape Hybrid and a Mustang convertible; John McCain rolls in a Cadillac CTS; Mike Huckabee drives a Chevy Tahoe and a Chevy Silverado (big and bigger, or dumb and dumber, given the popularity of the whole green lifestyle thing); and Rudy Giuliani confidently ”doesn’t drive, he navigates.” At least he’s honest.
Let’s revisit Sen. Obama’s Chrysler 300C. I know he’s cool and hangs out with Oprah in his down time (I might even vote for him), but he made a boo-boo here. You see, he apparently spoke to the Detroit Economic Club just before he told the AP about his own set of wheels and was vehemently critical of the Detroit automakers for their production of gas-guzzlers and their resistance to new, stricter fuel economy regulations. Well, that put him in a bit of a pickle since he was cruising around with a Hemi V-8 engine. People started branding him with a scarlet H, for “Hypocrite.” Oops. He promptly got himself a Ford Escape Hybrid and can now continue on his merry way criticizing the Detroit peeps. Thank goodness car dealers take campaign checks!
Seriously, though, do you honestly think the good senator is the only guy or gal in this race who didn’t promptly change cars to “highlight” how green he or she is? I’m guessing he’s just the only one who had the misfortune to get caught. Really, it’s not that bad of an offense. The poor guy probably just liked his 300C and felt like a mac daddy driving it around, and I can’t disagree with his notion that automakers should strive for better fuel economy.
And seriously, could the Escape Hybrid get any more popular with the candidates? I think it might even be more popular than some of the candidates themselves.
Speaking of those guys at the back of the pack, let’s take a look at their wheels, too. After all, if you can’t laugh at the losers, who can you laugh at? (Oops, did I just write that out loud?)
Sen. Joe Biden has a 1967 Corvette, which his father gave him as a gift — not too shabby. Sen. Chris Dodd reports he has an Escape Hybrid, just like the rest. Frankly, it’s getting old. Dennis Kucinich has a compact Ford Focus. Finally, my hometown hero (he’s from Colorado), the infamous Tom Tancredo apparently tools around in a Toyota Prius, a Cadillac, a Mercedes-Benz and a Buick. Huh? Tom, we all know you think highly of yourself, but is your ego really big enough to fill four cars?
After all of this, I haven’t made up my mind. Shocking, isn’t it? Despite my snarkiness, I think most of these guys and gal are pretty darn qualified. However, I also think that trying to buy votes via an image created by the car you drive (or have someone else drive you around in) is a bunch of hooey.
User Comments
“However, I also think that trying to buy votes via an image created by the car you drive (or have someone else drive you around in) is a bunch of hooey.”
Then what is the point of this article ??
Just having a little fun with the candidates’ political theater, that’s the point.
I wonder why no candidate just comes out and admits that they will be tooling around in Chevy Suburbans and the $1,000,000 Cadillac DTS Limo given to the President, all of which get bad gas mileage (especially with the extra 2000lbs of armor on the DTS) if they win the Presidentcy.
But no one really is going to criticise the President or any of the candidates for rolling in those vehicles: THEY actually can use them. When you are driving everywhere constantly with 4 campaign aids, a driver, and two Secret Service officers when on campaign, we understand if you use a Suburban (and indeed, that option might be more efficient that using two Escape Hybrids).
We won’t critique that (only the campaign snipers from other camps will boast about it), its the soccer moms with 1 kid who drive Excursions and Suburbans to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk, or the macho guys who own a truck just because it looks “manly” that we critique. When statistically speaking they’d be safer in smaller cars and definitely doing better for the enviroment and economy in more efficient cars, they are arrogant enough to buy a look at me vehicle.
A Presidential Candidate using a high-capacity utility vehicle? Makes sense. A farmer or construction worker driving a truck? Makes sense. A suburban parent with two kids driving a Tahoe? Why? Wouldn’t you of spent less money on a Charger or Avalon, and spend less on gas and maintence later? And on insurance? Minus the Hemi Charger, both those cars are much better in all the aforemented departments!
I wonder does it make a difference that Joe Biden has taken the amtrack and commutes 3 or so hours each day from Delaware to and from D.C since he has been in the Senate. And that significantly lowers the driving he does. That has to count too, right?