What Barack Doesn't Understand About the American Way

Clearly, there's a lot that Barack Obama doesn't understand. For instance, he thinks there might be strategies for weaning the nation from foreign oil that don't involve more profit for American oil companies. He thinks conservation might be part of the answer. To quote Barack's good friend Paris: "As if."

Take his cockamamie suggestion that drivers make sure their tires are properly inflated before they pull out of the gas station. First, those little measuring contraptions are hard to operate; you have to know how the air goes into the tire before you can figure out how much is in there. Second, they cost money. The chrome-plated model on Lowes.com was running $3.29 when I checked today. (I, for one, wouldn't be caught dead with one of those cheesy, non-chrome-plated 99-cent versions.) And how much gas is all the fuss going to save, anyway? The U.S. Department of Energy says keeping your tires properly inflated and your wheels aligned could improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent. First, since when do we trust the government? And second, 3.3 percent doesn't sound like very much to me.

If we're using 20 million barrels a day, then blowing up our tires would save something like 660,000 barrels a day. See what I mean? Not very much. Especially when you consider that drilling offshore could produce 200,000 barrels a day of additional oil (not to mention oil-company profits!) by the year 2030. You do the math.

Next thing you know, the government will be suggesting that we should take our cars in for regular maintenance, too--even though that's only going to improve gas mileage by a measly four percent. It just doesn't make sense to ask hard-working Americans to take care of their cars if they don't want to, when all it's going to save is some 800,000 barrels per day.

As one of President Bush's spokesman once said, ours is a blessed way of life. And if we want to drive on mushy tires, then dammit, we should be able to drive on mushy tires. Oh, and go shopping. That's the American way.

This post originally appeared on vanityfair.com

Comments

[jpaultel]

Dee Dee, I started getting confused with you blog but that cleared a little later. It might just be your sense of humor that is throwing me off. Just about 3.3% of total American oil import (263000 barrels per day) is from Kuwait and another 3.2% (245000 barrels per day) is from Columbia. So, 3.3% is a lot of oil. Everyone recommends good tire inflation including the government, NASCAR, and all State Departments and the US Department of Transportation. Good tire inflation also saves lives. Most importantly, more than 80% of highway blowouts are due to improper tire inflation. I know you are writing your story tongue-in-cheek (a la Obama and Michelle "satire" edition of the New Yorker magazine) but I sure you that the level of enlightenment of the readership of these pages is awfully low. Don't bet against me on this however, you may call me an elitist, if you can't resist. So, what if I am?

[littleolwinemakerme]

Anyone who didn't get DeeDee's satire needs to reach around with both hands, find their ass & then go out and check their tire pressure!

[Cathexis]

Ms Myers: A nice piece of satire, but a little over the top. Hard to believe that any real person could actually swill enough Kool Aid to believe all of that.

At least, I assume it was satire. If youa ctuallu DO believe all of that ... well, perhaps we can take up a collection and get you help. ;-)

[biglover]

It was satire and I am afraid Cathexis that she is not off the mark here. You underestimate the stupidity of a lot of people in this country who only want an excuse not to have to conserve or be inconvenienced.

I think she makes an excellent point in her satire.

[Doofus]

There may instead be a vast right-wing conspiracy to 'inflate' gas
consumption by hornswoggling drivers to underinflate their tires!

Ms Meyers is familiar with such conspiracies, and I see no reason
to believe this is not another one of them.

[magicmary]

Huff po, don't post my last posts which I posted before I finished reading the article and before I realized she was writing satire. At least I hope it was satire. Perhaps that should be left to the likes of John Stewart maybe??

[davidly]

Have you ever noticed that people in cars feel the right to behave as they otherwise wouldn't: honking to announce their synapses are firing? Yet another reason I say, "Oil is for bicycle chains!" By the way, John Stewart was a singer/songwriter who dies earlier this year.

[chumleypotts]

And oil also provides your bicycle with tires, your water bottle, your helmet, your sunglasses, your brake pads, your tire pump, etc., etc., etc...

[magicmary]

If you think 3.3% isn't much ask yourself which you'd rather pay, 6.3% interest on your mortgage or 9.3%? The answer is Duh!

[magicmary]

"First, those little measuring contraptions are hard to operate; you have to know how the air goes into the tire before you can figure out how much is in there. "

Oh fer cryin' out loud, that has got to be the blondest thing I ever read on Huffpo! Waaah! I can't take responsiblity to do my part for global warming.... it's tooooo haaard!!!!

LEARN!!

[LiberalDemIda]

Uh... didn't notice Dee Dee was being sarcastic?

[BCubedReg]

I think this was a brilliant piece of satire by Ms Myers. I think she agrees that this is a good idea. I think you need to keep up with the conversation.

[neenj]

"What Barack Doesn't Understand About the American Way" ?? are freaking kidding me??

if inflating our tires properly saves us 660,000 barrels a day, you are saying that is not worth something, and could go on long on our energy consumption? are you kidding me?

tell me, Ms. Myers (since you are such an expert on what Barack doesn't understand) fill us in what it is that you understand...

[infinity]

neenj: Dee Dee was being sarcastic.

[BCubedReg]

Hello, this is satire. Stay with the conversation.

[biglover]

Please - this was pure satire. And unfortunately she knows of what she speaks. Americans (and I am one) are lazy and spolied (I am not). They are used to an easy life and do not want to have to do anything that inconveniences them.

[wild1a]

Conservation is great but dwelling on it and promoting drilling for more oil distracts from the real issue, replacing oil as our primary source of energy. It isn't that proven alternate sources of energy are dreams of the future. We already have developed them and in other countries not beholden to the oil barons great progress is being made. Wind produced energy in European countries is continually expanding. Denmark exports billions of Euros of energy produced from wind farms. Similarly other countries are expanding their solar energy production. Hot Dry Rock Geothermal energy production, pioneered successfully in this country at Los Alamos is now on the fast track in Australia, with the first electricity generation powered by geothermal can serve 75,00 homes. Nuclear is a finite energy source besides no one being able to figure out how to disposed of used fuel rods. Rather than spending on drilling for oil let us spend on building energy plants powered by proven technologies that exist today and wiil continue to produce energy long after oil becomes to scarce and costly. There is promising technical development in energy production ongoing by research groups. Build on what we have and forget about oil.

[RedSt8r]

So are you guys now saying that you want lower gas prices???

I thought that this was exactly the scenario that the Socialists in Congress have been shooting for for decades... only the Kennedys, Pelosis, and Heinz-Kerrys can afford gas, keeps the riff-raff out of the way of their limos.

Why don't you just spell out your real energy policy:

...everyone that matters takes the MTA - the rest of you rubes gives us all of your earnings, then die.

[johnie2xs]

If the "Project For a New American Century" has a news site taking comments, I suggest you go there. Also, I'd venture to say that the Limo/Millionaire ratio is far tilted to the Repuglican side, doncha' think??

Ba'Bye !!

[RedSt8r]

Yes, but they've created their millions by providing something the market wanted, not by bootlegging illegal liquor or by marrying dead millionaire Republican's wives.

And, the main part, they don't begrudge your existence.

btw, how does me inflating my tires help reduce wasteful gas use in Beltway gridlock? I missed that?

[Doofus]

We're all hypocrites when it comes to gas prices. There was a major
article in a recent Boston Globe about how locals are delighted about
a major highway renovation near Cape Cod that makes it soooo much
easier to drive out to the Cape, in our Prius's of course.

Main thing is to not be devaluing the dollar so much by sending huge amounts
over to you-know-where every year. It's wrecking the economy, you know.

[FirstShirt]

Barack's figures assume we aren't already doing this...and there is no evidence that we aren't already doing this. some of us went through a much worse crisis in the 70's. So where would the additional savings be? One democratic pundit on CNN breathlessly said her daddy said do this when she was learning to drive. Soooooo. Perhaps it is a rather mundane suggestion that is beneath a presidential candidate.

Unless the candidate is so out of touch with the common man that he thinks we are all too stupid and inconsiderate to not already be doing it.

[RButler]

You nailed it. Obama probably thinks he's really made some kind of breakthrough by saying this.

[davidly]

He knows enough to buckle on the off-shore drilling. Sure, buzz words like "limited", "controlled" and "oversight" sound good and cloud the fact that it's still damaging, and not at all beneficial, regardless of the limits and oversight, and hey, we're lookin' to elect the leader of the second most evil party in America!

Belief You Can Change In! '08

[schatsie]

REMEMBER, the oil companies are not paying royalties to the US government or the Indians, so why would you expect the fox to guard the hen house???? limited, controlled, oversight LMAO...

[gwinegarden]

We're using too much oil. Oh, OK, go find more.

The American way.

[biglover]

Yes gwinegarden - you summed it up as did Dee Dee.

[BaltimoreSteve]

The gas stations will up the price of gasoline by 3.3% and give a free air tire pressure check.

[robbep]

Barack is really an elitist! To suggest tht the american people contribute to the solution is arrogant. Who does he think he is? We live in the greatest country in the world and have the best standard of living in the world and we dont have to anything to help our country thru this oil crisis. That is what we have politicians for. It is not our responsibility to solve our energy crisis so asking us to be a part of the solution is something only an elistist wld suggest. Obama is way too uppity for us.

[112985]

you are so correct!! i had thought about voting for him until he came out last night and called the McCain camp irrogant because they said something he did not like!!! I will not vote for him he is elltist!!!!!

[Doofus]

'Clearly, there's a lot that Barack Obama doesn't understand. For instance, he thinks
there might be strategies for weaning the nation from foreign oil that don't involve more
profit for American oil companies. He thinks conservation might be part of the answer.' ...

Clearly, a dangerous assertion. I'm thinking there's not much he doesn't understand.

There may instead be a vast right-wing conspiracy to 'inflate' gas
consumption by hornswoggling drivers to underinflate their tires!