Autoblog

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]

The stupendous amounts of money being spent on the presidential race have got supporters of non-front-running candidates coming up with novel ways to keep up the fight. Aficionados of Republican candidate Ron Paul have created Ron Paul Racing, a web site gathering pledges to brand a NASCAR car during this year's Daytona 500.

This line says it all: "RonPaulRacing.com will reach millions of new supporters as the RON PAUL car shoots down the front straight at 200 MPH screaming 'FREEDOM.'" The site isn't accepting donations now, merely pledges for donations. As of this writing they've collected more than $10,000, but they're looking for more, "all the way to the millions."

The site is apparently in talks with teams about branding. The '08 car belongs to Aric Almirola, but we imagine that's simply a placeholder and they don't really plan on working with the guy who ended last season with an average finishing spot of 34.5. That wouldn't send the right message, would it? If you're so inclined, head over to Ron Paul Racing and let them know you're a fan of freedom. Oh, and the site's musical accompaniment is Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55." If nothing else, we support that (where legal, of course). Thanks for the tip, scanner scott!

[Source: Ron Paul Racing]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the government's point-man and watchdog when it comes to automotive safety issues. Due to its teams of scientists and researchers, it is also the government's detective and repository of knowledge regarding such matters. And now, thanks to its recently elected leader, none of those scientists are able to comment on-the-record about any knowledge they might have.

Nicole R. Nason was appointed last year by the current administration. Her policy is that reporters can get information from NHTSA workers, but they can only get it on background, which means they can't name the source. Reporters often shy away from that kind of restriction. If reporters want an attributable source, they can interview Ms. Nason. Case closed. This is a policy also held by the Federal Railroad Administration, but issues with locomotives don't affect the masses anywhere near as much as issues with seat belts and crumple zones. For the NHTSA to adopt such a policy is, at best, odd.

According to Nason's chief of staff, the agency went to the central mouthpiece model because they were "finding a lot of stuff did not need to be on the record." We can only wonder about the incendiary quotes they found so titillating that they needed to muzzle the workers. If this policy were put to a crash test, it would get one star.

[Source: The New York Times]

When FoMoCo was looking to reshape its image in March 2005, it hired a top political strategist to help it turn things around. But after only 18 months on the job, Josh Gottheimer is on his way out the door.

Gottheimer instituted the "180 degrees in 180 days" campaign to rejuvenate Ford, teaming up with his former political associate (and new boss) Mark Penn to pinpoint messages with which American customers would identify; images such as Innovation, Safety and American Heritage. Gottheimer urged Ford to move ahead with hybrid development, and, among other image-building initiatives, was behind the presentation of the special Mercury Mariner Hybrid to his former boss, President Clinton.

Gottheimer has been a senior Democratic Party operative for nearly a decade, despite his young age. He was a speechwriter and advisor in the Clinton White House, worked for former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark (coolest title ever) in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, then joined Sen. John Kerry's campaign for the White House (who could evidently still use him), and is tipped to be a key player in Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign if and when she announces her candidacy for president.

With Detroit making news by asking for funds from the federal government, Gottheimer has a unique vantage point straddling the two spheres: He insists that what American automakers are looking for from Washington is not a bail-out but crucial R&D funds that would help insure that MoTown jobs don't get sent overseas. Detroit can only hope that Gottheimer takes that message with him if and when he finds himself back in the national policymaking ring. As for the rest of us, we can only hope he keeps Hillary from reducing the speed limits again.

[Source: Detroit News Auto Insider]