Autoblog

Participant claims Fox News Denver rigged marijuana driving test results

George Kennedy — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, TV/Movies

In May of this year, KDVR, Fox News 31 of Denver, Colorado aired a segment in which it tested the effects of marijuana on drivers. At the time of the story, Colorado lawmakers narrowly voted down a law that would have made it illegal to drive with more than five nanograms per milliliter of the drug in your system. So, to determine the effects of driving under the influence of marijuana, the local Fox affiliate gathered up several volunteers, with ages ranging from early-20's to mid-60's, and asked them to hop into a driving simulator after smoking pot. Once participant was not convinced of the news station's objectivity.

Max Montrose was one of the younger volunteers, and he was skeptical about the study, so he brought a hidden camera with him. Following the experiment, he posted a video to YouTube last week, cutting in clips of the new story with his own footage of the test. In one hidden camera clip, Montrose gets a camera operator to admit that the test isn't really that applicable, as well as other volunteers pointing out that the simulator was designed for the CDL test, designed for large semi trucks. He also contends that another vehicle in the simulator acted erratically and crashed into him in the course of his test.

The whole video seemed very damning on its surface, but KDVR has shot back, providing context to many of the issues raised by Montrose. The station explains that the test was conducted by a third party, and though the test was in a CDL facility, the simulator was set for a four-door SUV, a vehicle that would have been familiar for many drivers. Furthermore, the station interviewed a phlebotomist, who stated that effects are different from person to person, and several volunteers passed the test even though under the influence.

The KDVR response basically states that Montrose may have had biased motives from the start of the study, which is a claim that Montrose makes of the privately owned Fox affiliate. The original news report is not very damning for marijuana users, meanwhile Montrose even admits that he "would never advocate in a million years anyone to drive intoxicated on anything for any reason." So, no real conclusions are drawn in the matter, but just like the phlebotomist said of marijuana, this news story apparently affects each individual differently. See the now-viral video for yourself by scrolling below, and draw your own conclusions.

Continue reading Participant claims Fox News Denver rigged marijuana driving test results

Participant claims Fox News Denver rigged marijuana driving test results originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Lutz: Hey right-wingers, stop attacking Chevy Volt

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

In the wake of last week's bruising hearing on Capitol Hill about the safety of the Chevrolet Volt (which itself followed an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that concluded plug-in vehicles do not "pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles") former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has written a column for Forbes that strikes back against the media (especially conservatives) who are attacking the car he thought would be one of his most important legacies.

Politicians and members of the media on the right, from Mitt Romney to Neil Cavuto, have talked smack about the Volt, and Lutz says this "has attracted my attention and ire." In typical Lutz fashion, he doesn't mince words, writing:

The Oscar for totally irresponsible journalism has to go to The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News, with, as its key guest, Lou Dobbs. Amid much jocular yukking, the Volt was depicted as a typical federal failure. ... Boiled down to the subtext, Dobbs' message was this: "All Volts catch fire, and therefore all Volts have been recalled." That simply isn't the case. ...

To top it off, these two media pros lamented the fact that the same government that had forced GM to produce the Volt was now extending $7,500 tax credits towards its purchase, thus squandering even more of "our taxpayer" dollars on this failed Socialist-collectivist flop. Truth? The $7,500 tax credit was enacted under the Bush administration!

Don't let Lutz's words make you think he's taking a left/liberal stance. He's still a self-declared "conservative Republican" who hates that right-wing talking heads are spiraling downward into this sort of "deliberate misstatement of facts." They "have managed to make me embarrassed to describe myself as a conservative," he writes, adding, "Let's leave the 'invention of facts' to the left-wing climate-change alarmists." There - that should offend pretty much everyone who's not in the dead political center.

Bob Lutz: Hey right-wingers, stop attacking Chevy Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Customer in controversial Ford bailout slam ad responds to critics on YouTube

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford

We only know him as Chris, but his words are reverberating around the automotive and business sectors at the moment. He's the star of an unscripted Ford ad that puts real customers in front of not-so-real reporters. Chris was asked why buying American was important to him, and his response centers on the fact that Ford did not take bailout money unlike General Motors and Chrysler.

Chris has decided to post a video of his own to address some of his critics and to try to set the record straight. The Ford fan responds to criticism that this ad was staged, and also explains why he chose to buy his F-150. In addition, Chris also watched and recorded a Fox News segment, and that clip has talking heads Megyn Kelly, Mike Tobin and Steve Moore offering up their take on the Ford spot. Click past the jump to see the original ad, Chris' response and the opinion of Fox News.

Continue reading Customer in controversial Ford bailout slam ad responds to critics on YouTube

Customer in controversial Ford bailout slam ad responds to critics on YouTube originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fox News refuses ad denouncing nation's dependence on foreign oil [w/video]

Eric Loveday — Mon, 10 May 2010 10:59:00 EST

VoteVets ad on U.S. foreign oil dependence - click above to watch the video after the jump

While it is generally understood that America's dependence on foreign oil negatively impacts the country in many ways, both the citizenry and the media differ in how they choose to deal with the topic. Case in point: VoteVets, a group of veterans who are working to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, produced a commercial outlining some of the brutal realities that our addiction to crude creates. The commercial aired on CNN and MSNBC, but according to TreeHugger, the folks at Fox News have rejected the commercial because it is "too confusing."

After viewing the 30-second clip available after the jump, we have trouble seeing where the spot is confusing. The premise is quite simple: Our nation's dependency on foreign oil benefits numerous hostile regimes and can even lead to war. So, if the commercial isn't "too confusing," then why did Fox News refuse to air it? TreeHugger suggests many possible reasons, but one stands out: Saudi prince Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns a seven-percent stake in News Corp., which owns Fox, so even suggesting that the U.S. should eliminate its dependence on foreign oil would appear to be a conflict of interest for the network.

As expected, VoteVets was none too pleased about Fox's decision - the organization's senior advisor Richard Smith responded with:

There's nothing confusing about the link between oil and terrorist funding, and even the most dyed-in-the-wool neocons agree on that point. The only confusing thing here is why FOX News would reject an ad that calls on Congress to defund our enemies by finding new sources of energy.

Now, we're interested in what you think. Is Fox News right to reject the commercial? Did they step over the line here? Is the commercial really "too confusing"? Watch the commercial after the jump and then let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Hat tip to Andy!

[Source: TreeHugger]

Continue reading Fox News refuses ad denouncing nation's dependence on foreign oil [w/video]

Fox News refuses ad denouncing nation's dependence on foreign oil [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 May 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Lansing Mayor takes out frustration on TV reporter

John Neff — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Videos

Click above to watch video after the jump

The dire situation in which the U.S. auto industry finds itself has created a lot of national discussion, but for many the consequences are much more personal. It's one thing to see a panel of experts discuss the ramifications of bailing out an ailing auto industry on a cable news shows, but as we see in this video after the jump, it's something altogether different when you're the mayor of a town caught in the crossfire. Virg Bernero is the mayor of Lansing, MI and it's quite apparent that he's not content to let pundits shape the discussion about who needs to sacrifice more to save the auto industry. The Fox News anchor conducting the interview can't do much in the face of Bernero's indictment of what he sees as the double standard between the working man and Wall St. Sure, it's funny to watch a news man get manhandled like that, but it's also satisfying to see a mayor under siege refuse to back down. Follow the jump to see for yourself. Thanks for the tip, everyone!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Lansing Mayor takes out frustration on TV reporter

VIDEO: Lansing Mayor takes out frustration on TV reporter originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fox News' Geraldo Rivera goes 'nucular' on GM, Ford

Chris Paukert — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc., Daimler, Ford, GM

None other than Geraldo 'Take-Him-Or-Leave-Him' Rivera whipped out a Dubya-style haymaker on General Motors and Ford Wednesday, calling the automakers' present fiscal and public-relations gulag the result of 'whining' management and too many 'crap' cars. Not exactly the prose of florid journalist, or even as carefully measured as George Bush's call for domestics to build more 'relevant' products, Rivera unloads:

Among the lowest rated vehicles on the Consumer Reports list are the once mighty, now tired, Ford Taurus, the homely Pontiac Grand Prix, and the dreadful Chevy Equinox. And unless you live in Kabul or Baghdad, isn't the Hummer the ugliest, dumbest vehicle on the road today?

Rivera gives DaimlerChrysler a 'pass,' a move one might expect given his admission that he owns a 300.

We're not exactly sure what qualifies Mr. Rivera to comment with authority on such issues, and as such, what weight (if any) our readers give to his latest rant is a purely individual thing. Feel free to leave a 'haymaker' or 'kudos' of your own in the comments.

[Sources: GeraldoAtLarge.com and Dave Clegg]

(Tip-top, Jennifer W!)

Fox News' Geraldo Rivera goes 'nucular' on GM, Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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