I aired up my tires and got a tune up! Now I don't need cheaper gas!

[14mercs]

Brittany Obama's latest bunch of garbage with people in the background shaking their heads in agreement. He actually said that by "keeping tires properly inflated and getting regular tune ups" it would have the same as economic effect as drilling for new oil.

Those followers in the crowd, who were shaking the heads in agreement, probably have never driven a car or had a license. What do 95% of Obama's followers have in common -stupidity.

[DougMD]

THAT single reason is why he should lose the election, because of how idiotic it is. I hope they have that on tape, it would be a PERFECT commercial for McCain, running the video in the background with McCain in the foreground looking back at the video statement of Obama. McCain furrows his brow while turning to the camera and says, "Senator Obama believes that a bandaid will serve as a tourniquet. On the other hand, Ibelieve thehardworking men and women in Americado get tuneups, and do put air in their tires, yet STILL pay twice the amount of money in gas today that they paid two years ago! To decrease price,we must increase supply. Supportdrilling in an environmentally safe manner, andlowering expenses for your familyby voting for me in November.

Fact is, Obama sucked his thumb, stuck it in the wind and knows his bunk ain't being bought, hence the flip flop on the issue.

[Arthur P]

THAT single reason is why he should lose the election, because of how idiotic it is.

Let's examine the comment objectively. Put on your thinking caps and follow along.

There are about 251 million vehicles on the road in the U.S. If only half of them either need a tune up or, at the very least, need to get the tires checked, you are talking about a lot of fuel wasted.

Just think if each of those poorly maintained vehicles is driven just 50 miles a day and you increase gas mileage by only one mile per gallon - say from 19 mpg to 20 - That's 1/10th of a gallon saved per car per day. Multiply that by 125 million cars. That's 12.5 million gallons of gas saved per day. One barrel of oil will make about 19 gallons of gas. That's figures out to 658,000 barrels of oil a day we can save right now, today! If you figure a decent well produces about 2,000 barrels a day, then you've got the equivalent of 329 new wells, right there.

Doesn't seem so idiotic when you think it through. Does it.

[Zeke001]

im guessing if your vehicle is poorly maintained... u aint drivin 50 miles every day. still, good point assuming your math is correct ( i dont wanna figure that out myself)

edit: if he would have said it like that, this topic wouldnt be up. another point is you just said that many cars, you have to add semis... i tink...

[Arthur P]

if he would have said it like that, this topic wouldnt be up.

Yeah, you're probably right.

Unfortunately, I think sometimes Obama forgets that many people either aren't capable of independent thought, or that they just flat won't bother with a little brain exercise. It's SO much easier to make a unreasoned knee jerk reaction than to think something through. He really needs to keep in mind that these kinds of folks need to have every little detail explained to them.

Maybe he should resurrect Ross Perot's pie charts. [8D]

[bergall]

I personally believe it IS idiotic. No so much in substance, but as part of the Obamanation being touted as an energy policy. People need to maintain their cars but you've made lot's of assumptions:
a: you can actually REALIZE 1 extra mile per gallon based on a tune-up and proper tire air pressure.
(should we buy new tires too ? These will DECREASE mileage until they are worn a bit....)
b: You're assuming these cars will go 50 miles a day. I beg to differ on this point too....many cars go
to the supermarket, or the dry cleaners or to work locally...I suppose your figure based on a 50-mile
driving day for 'poorly maintained' cars is inflated. I will assume an average of 10 miles a day, which would
cut your figures of 658000 barrels of gasolene down to 131,600 barrels out of a total U.S. consumption
390 million gallons a day. Stop pissing in the wind.....
c: Tuning up a car can cost anywhere from about $150 to over a thousand bucks, and just because you're
all tuned up and ready to go, does not mean your automobile is going to save anything, it just has the
POTENTIAL to save some gas IF your car's fixable issues are causing mileage to dip. How many times a year are we supposed to spend this money ? The suggestion is one made of ignorance and arrogance.
He could just as easily have said 'Let them eat cake', which is what Pelosi and the demos did last week
when they shut down the House when it became apparent that there was to be a discussion on energy
policy. Yeah...go fill up your tires....

Fact is, the socialists HAVE NO energy policy, unless it is policy to do nothing. No drilling = continued reduced supply = continued speculation regarding oil supply. Anybody considering voting for the dems
this go-round is not grounded in reality.

This country's energy policy should involve LOTS of initiatives; Nuclear energy, bio-fuels, drilling, battery technology, bio fuels, these are all McCain initiatives. The dems have nothing, and that's how many votes
they should get, none.

[Arthur P]

Like I said, some people need every little detail explained to them. Even then, some of 'em won't understand. Others will refuse to understand. And some will just say, "Huh?"

I just put out a little illustration. bergall, to show what Obama is talking about. It wasn't intensely researched nor meant to be absolutely factual. It's called 'hypothetical.' The town I live in is 30-odd miles from Dallas and a great many commuters drive back and forth every day so my illustration is dead on, for my community. Might be different in your neck of the woods.

How about you come up with your own illustration and let me nitpick it to death.

You are correct on one point. That little bit of savings even in my illustration is pissing in the wind. And as I showed, that much daily savings is about what more than 300 wells would produce a day. Oh, and by the way. It seems average production for wells in the U.S. is right at 10 barrels a day. 2,000 barrels a day would be an exceptionally good well. So take that into account when you do your math. (http://www.eia.doe.gov/aer/txt/ptb0502.html)

So, even if we drill instead of simply checking our tires and conserving, how long do you reckon it's going to take to explore, locate and drill anywhere from 300 oil wells to 6,000 wells to make the same difference? How about offshore? How many months does it take to build one offshore platform, much less hundreds? I can tell ya, it ain't happening by Christmas, dude. Congressional recess or no.

Anyone buying into the idea that drilling will be a quick fix, they're being sold a bill of goods. Yeah, we need to drill and produce, but it's not going to be nearly as much help short term as Bush is wanting us to think. We're in a lot deeper doodoo than the Republicans are admitting to, IMO.

[sachiko]

I think maybe Obama should tell his wife to please keep quiet. She seems to have all the smarts of a bowl of oatmeal.


May The Sheep Be With You

[DougMD]

bergall is right on point. Most people's cars are already tuned up properly, and you have to factor in the COST ofa tune up and subtract that cost to American citizens from any savings they might achieve. Also, I agree with bergall that your figures are wrong.

say from 19 mpg to 20 - That's 1/10th of a gallon saved per car per day.

One mile a gallon would equate to1/10th of a gallon IF A CAR GETS ONLY10 MILES PER GALLON, not 20 mpg. That alone drops your savings by one half.

Also, the average car goes about 10k to 12k per year, and with gas prices higher, that figure is likely a good bit lower. Your "just 50 miles per day" translates to 18k and change, which isoff by as much as 80% plus.

I think your assumption that a tuneup will save a mile a gallon may be overstated as well, but my major point is that is Obama's point is telling people to save a dime when exploration could help them save an additional dollar. It also assumes thatthose 50% of cars that need a tune up (overstated in my opinion) willactually go out and get one. On the other hand, big increases in supply from drilling will decrease prices at the pump even when people go back to driving as much as they did before prices rose so much. When gas was $1.50 a gallon, peopledidn'tdecide it was so cheap that they drove 5 times fartherto the point where it drove prices to$4.00 at that time.

How about this, tell people to get a tuneup while we drill as well? Obama's plan isn't some sudden brainchild of a genius telling people what they don't already know, and it won't make a difference in affordability!

[RainmakerIII]

ORIGINAL: Arthur P

Let's examine the comment objectively. Put on your thinking caps and follow along.

There are about 251 million vehicles on the road in the U.S. If only half of them either need a tune up or, at the very least, need to get the tires checked, you are talking about a lot of fuel wasted.

Just think if each of those poorly maintained vehicles is driven just 50 miles a day and you increase gas mileage by only one mile per gallon - say from 19 mpg to 20 - That's 1/10th of a gallon saved per car per day. Multiply that by 125 million cars. That's 12.5 million gallons of gas saved per day. One barrel of oil will make about 19 gallons of gas. That's figures out to 658,000 barrels of oil a day we can save right now, today! If you figure a decent well produces about 2,000 barrels a day, then you've got the equivalent of 329 new wells, right there.

Doesn't seem so idiotic when you think it through. Does it.

I agee with this PostWether or not your assumptive numbers are off alittle doesn't change the fact that it makes sense.