We got my column up on line finally, but I was tied up in meetings and such most of the day, so I’m just now getting around to posting the link.
I haven’t posted it as a separate post on the blog, with links, because it repeats so much from the original post upon which it was based. There are some new bits, of course, plus the "Vote for Pedro" allusion in the headline of the print version (how many readers do you suppose got that?). If you want links to anything that’s in the column version, let me know. Otherwise, you can wait for such extra features for when the DVD comes out.
Meanwhile, I got a lot of feedback today from Rotary from people saying they wanted to join my party. Really; they said that. Of course, if the contributions don’t start flooding in pretty quickly, I’m going to suspect that some of them were just being polite.
Seriously, though, the face-to-face feedback I’ve received on my "extreme" proposals has been unusually positive. You know what this tells me? That if an elected leader — or someone aspiring to be an elected leader, would have the guts to step out and push for all these "politically impossible" solutions, the people just might respect that person enough to follow. But until somebody asks them to sacrifice, within the context of a coherent, no-fooling-around strategy for energy independence, they’re not gonna.
Finally, I would have had this up a little earlier, but Typepad was down for a while this afternoon. I would apologize to my loyal patrons for any inconvenience, but it strikes me that I’m not getting a dime out of this and y’all sure aren’t paying for it, so quitcher griping.
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The Energy Party will be the same as the Unparty. Nothing happened. Nothing will happen. It’s a cutesy little game you play with your blog and that’s ok. The blog is a game as well. Most people realize that.
Getting the people “to follow” is not a solution. Getting the people “TO PUSH” is. And, they ain’t gonna do it. DUMBS and REPUGS rule supreme. Until they are gone, NOTHING HAPPENS!
Good article on energy in Sunday’s rag. Great ideas. None realistic, though.
I’m leaning hard towards Obama. McCain has fallen out of favor with his transparent shift to kiss conservative butt (which apparently isn’t working with many of them). Atleast he’s still more of a straight shooter than most. Which takes me back to Obama. Here’s someone willing (relative to other politicians) to take an unpolished and honest stance.
No wonder he’s generating so much ENERGY!
Actually, Spencer, it was ALL realistic. Any of those those could be done and should be done, by a serious nation.
But we have lowest-common-denominator politics. Politicians compete to see who will promise the electorate the greatest benefit, and the least inconvenience. That’s not leadership; it’s an expression of the willingness to follow anyone and everyone, with no reference point of one’s own.
What we need is for someone to say to the electorate, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Then we need to see that someone elected. Anyone who is elected on such a platform can enact ALL of the proposals I describe. THAT would be a leader with a serious mandate, one that no one can frustrate.
And yes, we have to push. But someone has to provide the focus, to articulate what it is that we are pushing. That someone can come from anywhere. But a coalition has to coalesce, and form be given to the impulse.
I think the impulses are out there, waiting for a message with which to resonate.
Brad,
I dare you to present your “tax SUV’s at double the sales price” and the “55 mph limit” hardliner attitude to the auto dealers who buy so much advertising space with The State. Let’s see the courage of your convictions.
In fact, why not go make the case to your publisher and board of directors that The State should not accept advertising for SUV’s? Wouldn’t that small step perhaps cut down on the number of SUV’s sold? If this is a war, then we all need to make sacrifices. I’m sure your job won’t be lost if the ad revenues for The State are cut.. maybe some lowly janitor or copy editor might be a casualty of this energy battle, but hey, war is hell, right?
C’mon, Brad, let’s see some leadership.
Also waiting for Brad to list the makes/models of the cars he and his family members drive… I would assume they are all hybrids and/or 4 cylinder compact cars.
I’ve got three drivers in my family and three vehicles. Wife- VW van (6 cylinder), Son – VW Passat (4 cylinder, only drives 100 miles a week), and I drive a 7 year old Saturn. We drive the Saturn whenever possible to save on gas… My theromstat is set on 65 in the winter and 78 in the summer…
Here’s a car for Brad:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-02-06-smart-car-usat_x.htm
C’mon newsguy!!
When we gonna get to some substantive stuff, like Sens. Jackson and Lourie protecting our babies from the dangers of parents who smoke, (as opposed to the ones who abort, or don’t stay home and raise them, or who don’t care how they end up, as long as they can keep “gettin’ their groove on”?).
Of course, I realze it’s all George Bush’s fault.
When can we start the real discussions here?
The one where liberal policies over the past 4 decades have enslaved two entire (not to mention) future generations, all for the sake of political power.
Or the one about how the greatest generation has produced the laziest generation, which, in turn, is producing the weakest, ‘me-first’ generation.
(How’s that nintendo and Microsoft gonna help when the Jihadists come?)
Oh, and I hear the Breck-girl is coming to Charleston. Hot damn!
We’ve got stuff to discuss. Wasting bandwidth on the topic of greenhouse gases and CO2 emmissions is the folly of little men.
You won’t beat big oil in the US. Ain’t gonna happen.
Gotta go. I have to drive Mary Rosh to “his” VA volunteer assignment.
The Breck-girl Trajan? Is that the same person that appeared in the 1960s TV ads? Could you post a picture?
I’m thinking of this one:
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/b/6/edwards_breckgirls.jpg
Trajan, I must say, even though I’m a huge fan of John Edwards, that was hilarious.
Yes, I agree that in and of themselves your “ideas” are realistic, except possibly for the huge gas tax. But, the IMPLEMENTATION of the ideas is NOT realistic, for the reasons you mentioned and the reasons I mentioned. The politicians in POWER are the problem and until they are removed from POWER, no changes such as those suggested will EVER be implemented.
BTW, the huge gas tax is Charles Krauthammer’s idea isn’t it?