How do you get a Republican to buy a hybrid?

The new Honda Insight is supposed to be the "hybrid for everyone," but does that include Republicans? A new Wall Street Journal article runs down the well-known tale of how, mostly, the people who drive hybrids are on the left side of American politics (remember this?). From there, Democratic political consultant Mark Penn asks his big question: "Where Are the Republican Hybrid Buyers?" From the article:

But if we really want to expand the number of [hybrid] buyers, we should develop new arguments that appeal to the Republicans who have been holding back. To look at it another way, every hybrid car reduces not just greenhouse gases but reduces our dependence on foreign oil -- especially the new plug-in hybrids under development. And that means that buying a hybrid is not just good for the environment, but good for our energy independence and national security.

It's not like there's no precedent for this line of thought. Former CIA head James Woolsey, a neoconservative Democrat and an adviser to John McCain in the last presidential electrion, has long touted the national security value of fuel efficient vehicles. But, the standard rightwing line on green issues isn't very helpful - a newly released Repubilcan memo describing their talking points on climate change wants to reframe the debate into one over a "national energy tax," for example. What do you think, is Penn on to something here?

[Source: WSJ]