Autoblog

Obama a Prius? Palin a Camaro? Politics get revved up

Chris Tutor — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Truck, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Humor

We try to stay out of politics here at Autoblog, but sometimes, events obligate us to jump into the fray. The latest event is a Harvard Business School professor's comparison of the two leading presidential candidates to automobiles.

John Quelch said in an interview with Newsweek that he thinks of Barrack Obama as a new Prius and John McCain as an "old Ford F-150." Politically, those two products carry some weighty social symbolism that, as car guys, we're not all that concerned with.

But we do wonder what Mr. Quelch's comments mean to us. The Prius is generally seen as a visually boring, fiscally-conservative choice with little to no fun factor. On the other hand, an old Ford pickup truck isn't exactly exciting to look at and drinks a lot of gas, but it'll carry a lot more furniture on moving day and is way more fun in the mud than the Toyota. Then, in an interview with AdAge, Mr. Quelch says that by choosing Alaska Governer Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain has put a red Chevy Camaro next to his truck.

Hmm. Palin as a Camaro? Next to McCain's Ford truck? Sounds like a house divided to us.

How about it? Is Obama a hybrid Japanese car? McCain a pickup truck? Should Mr. Quelch have said Palin is a Barracuda?

[Sources: AdAge via Newsweek]

Obama a Prius? Palin a Camaro? Politics get revved up originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama in talks to sponsor NASCAR team

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

Update: Obama's campaign has turned down the offer to sponsor BAM Racing's number 49 car.

In an odd yet intriguing bid to woo potential NASCAR-loving voters in Pennsylvania -- a key battleground state for hopeful presidential candidates -- Barack Obama is currently in talks regarding a possible sponsorship of a NASCAR team. BAM Racing's car number 49 is the vehicle in question, and individual donors to Obama's campaign could get a shot at seeing their very own name plastered on the side of the race car for as little as a $100 contribution. Such a deal! In a move sure to anger some traditional American loyalists, the car, to be driven by Ken Schrader, is a Toyota. We wouldn't expect too many fireworks from the car, though, as the BAM Racing team has only finished in the top ten a total of six times despite starting some 167 races since 2002.

[Source: AFP via Google News]

Obama in talks to sponsor NASCAR team originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wagoner to Obama: Automakers need research money from feds

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Green, GM, Earnings/Financials

After being asked what the next President of the United States could do to help Detroit's automakers, Rick Wagoner, head honcho at General Motors, responded that his company could use an injection of cash for research and development into new, potentially green technology. Also mentioned were additional incentives for consumers to purchase those vehicles once the automakers actually produce them. Neither of these suggestions should be shocking to anybody paying attention to the Detroit 3's recent financial woes. Much of the admittedly meager R&D budget is already being spent on new technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells and electric drive systems, including the extremely important lithium ion battery.

Federal aid in the form consumer incentives would allow automakers to offer eco-friendly vehicles at potentially profitable prices while still being in the target range of many consumers. In the past, tax credits for hybrid vehicles have helped move that technology along when it was in its infancy. This latest meeting hosted by presidential hopeful Barrack Obama once again indicates how important the emerging green-auto sector and health of the Detroit auto industry in general will be in the coming election.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Wagoner to Obama: Automakers need research money from feds originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama critizes McCain's $300m battery prize

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Green

As expected, presidential hopeful John McCain outlined a plan yesterday which would offer a $300 million cash prize to the first company able to build a better automotive battery. The proposal is part of an effort to reduce the nation's petroleum usage, in this case, by furthering the development of electric cars. In what would must be the least shocking news of the day, McCain's rival for the White House, Barack Obama, isn't in favor of the Arizona Senator's plan, calling it a "gimmick" and suggesting that his plan to force automakers into a 50 mile per gallon fleet average by 2027 would be more effective.

One thing is certain: whomever wins the presidential election has plans to make drastic changes to the automotive sector with the express goal of reducing the nation's dependence on oil. What path that may take, though, remains to be seen and will likely depend on which candidate placed in office. It should be rather interesting to watch it all unfold.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Obama critizes McCain's $300m battery prize originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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