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| Home Front: Politix |
| 2007-05-12 |
| Sen. Barack Obama talks a good game. If you believe all the media fawning. He also drives a good car, but the two are not entirely compatible. The Democratic presidential contender was in Detroit on Monday, oozing charisma and environmental awareness as he chided local automakers for building too many big vehicles and not enough fuel-efficient hybrids. So his choice to drive a V8 Hemi-powered Chrysler 300C emits a whiff of hypocrisy along with its exhaust fumes. Obama's choice proves once again that fuel economy is seldom the No. 1 factor when Americans buy cars. The 340-horsepower 300C has plenty of room for the lanky senator, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters. It gets 25 miles per gallon on the highway, good for a big sedan, but far short of hybrids and compact cars. His campaign Thursday said it leases a flex-fuel vehicle, and Obama, whose family has just one car, "believes we need to work together to achieve energy independence." So although owning a hybrid is politically correct for presidential aspirants — many report that they do — this week reminds Detroit that campaigning still is sometimes about doing what I say, not what I do. I do compliment him on his taste in cars (I drive the same thing), but he wants to take that choice away from the hoi polloi and restrict it to politicians, entertainers, and currency manipulators. |
| Posted by:Jackal |