McCain Screws The Pooch

If you "tire" of McCain's continuous string of nonsense, and feel obligated to learn the truth, I must "pressure" you to read this post (although only you can "gauge" its significance).

SUMMARY: Obama suggested that inflating one's tires more would be a good way for them to save gas. This is backed up by numerous scientific studies. However, McCain criticized Obama's suggestion. Then, a few days later, he conceded that it was a good tip. Then, the next day, he criticized it again.

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At a rally last Thursday in Ohio, Obama mentioned that one way for consumers to improve their mileage would be to make sure their tires were properly inflated. The McCain camp jumped all over this remark, criticizing it for being an insignificant measure and implying that tire inflation constituted the majority of Obama's energy policy. At a campaign stop yesterday, McCain said:

“We need to offshore drill for oil and natural gas. We need to drill here and we need to drill now...We’re not going to achieve energy independence by inflating our tires.”

Furthering the attack, McCain had his campaign staff hand out tire gauges with the words "Obama's Energy Policy" on them to members of the press. It's amusing (and sad) that this is probably one of the classier attacks McCain has waged within the last week or so.

Anyway, there are a few problems with this attack. First off, Obama was right - inflating your tires does increase your mileage. According to a study from the University of Pennsylvania (aptly titled "Energy Conservation From Systematic Tire Pressure Regulation"):

The study indicates that substantial benefits would accrue if car care facilities systematically offered complimentary tire pressure checks with oil changes including: (i) increased safety by decreasing all crashes and saving more than 100 lives per year, (ii) reduced petroleum consumption by over a billion gallons/year, which would (iia) provide over $4 billion in economic savings for US consumers that could in part be recouped in retail/auto-care facilities, (iib) reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 13.5 million tons and automobile pollution...

Time Magazine ran an article confirming that this is true:

The Bush Administration estimates that expanded offshore drilling could increase oil production by 200,000 bbl. per day by 2030. We use about 20 million bbl. per day, so that would meet about 1% of our demand two decades from now. Meanwhile, efficiency experts say that keeping tires inflated can improve gas mileage 3%, and regular maintenance can add another 4%. Many drivers already follow their advice, but if everyone did, we could immediately reduce demand several percentage points. In other words: Obama is right.

Second off, McCain and his campaign are clearly attempting to imply that Obama's suggestion constituted the bulk of his energy policy, which simply isn't true. It was an offhand response to a question asked about what individuals could do to improve their situation - it had nothing to do with Obama's energy policy; it was meant only as a helpful tip.

So I suppose that it's only reasonable that McCain backtracked, and admitted that Obama's suggestion was a good one. At a town hall meeting today in Pennsylvania, he remarked:

“Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it."

Good! McCain realized the error in his ways, and attempted to clear it up. Surely he won't go back on his word the very next day while speaking to voters in Ohio. Oh, wait a second...

"He's claiming putting air in your tires is the equivalent of new offshore drilling," McCain said. "That's not an energy plan, my friends -- that's a public service announcement."

So, let's recap.

1. Obama correctly states that inflating your tires is a good way to save on gas.
2. McCain criticizes Obama for saying this, despite the fact that, by the Bush Administration's own estimates, Obama's offhand suggestion would save more money than than the entirety of McCain's offshore drilling plans.
3. McCain has his campaign hand out satirical tire gauges with the phrase "Obama's Energy Plan" printed on them.
4. McCain then admits that Obama's idea was pretty good.
4. McCain then criticizes Obama again for his suggestion the day after conceding that it was valid.

Now's probably a good time for me to point out that, while I try to use an objective tone in writing this blog (in order for it to maintain its credibility), that's getting kind of difficult.

Is McCain completely oblivious to how irresponsible he's been acting? Is he even aware of what's going on? Does he bother looking into the facts behind his positions before stating them? Does he even think about what he's about to say before speaking? I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I don't think that McCain is necessarily a bad person, but he is coming off as more and more senile by the week.

FactCheck.org has brought to light some inaccuracies in McCain's recent attack ad. In it, McCain tackles the issue of offshore drilling:

Announcer: Gas prices - $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America. No to independence from foreign oil.

Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?

Chant: Obama, Obama

(image of Barack Obama is displayed on screen)

Announcer: One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets.

The implication here is that lifting the current moratorium on offshore drilling would lower gas prices, and those, like Obama, who've voted against offshore drilling are partially responsible for the recent spike in gas prices.

The problem is that none of this is true. The Energy Information Administration estimates that, were we to lift the moratorium on new offshore drilling, we wouldn't see an increase in the output of crude oil until 2030.

The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017.

So, the implication that Obama (or any senator who voted against offshore drilling) is to blame for high gas prices betrays a complete lack of understanding on McCain's part on how oil production works.

Furthermore, in a speech earlier this month, McCain contradicted the point his ad attempted to make:

"Let me give you a little bit of straight talk on energy. 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."

Obama, of course, was elected to his first term as a senator in 2004.