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PrintMay 11, 2007
Obama-fueled cynicism
The other day Barack Obama, gave a major policy speech before the Detroit Economic Club, making the case against "the age of oil":
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the country that faced down the tyranny of fascism and communism is now called to challenge the tyranny of oil. For the very resource that has fueled our way of life over the last hundred years now threatens to destroy it if our generation does not act now and act boldly...For the sake of our security, our economy, our jobs and our planet, the age of oil must end in our time.
After pointing a finger at the auto industry, Obama made this remark about individuals:
The rest of us whip ourselves into a frenzy whenever gas prices skyrocket or a crisis like Katrina takes oil off the market, but once the headlines recede, so does our motivation to act.
Given his rhetoric, we can fully expect Obama to be fully motivated to act. Business Week recently profiled the automobiles of choice for various candidates, including Obama:
...Senator Barack Obama drives a Canadian-built Chrysler 300C sedan, which gets 20 mpg, hardly a green choice.
Returning to Obama's comments in Detroit, the Senator laments the lack of progress on reducing our dependence on oil:
Good ideas are crushed under the weight of typical Washington politics.
As "our security, our economy, our jobs and our planet" hang in the balance, we find Obama engaging in what may be the best example of typical Washington politics: "Do as I say, not as I do".
Which translated into Obama-speak could be described as cynical.
