Republicans to Mock Obama With Tire Gauges

[LibraryLady]

Republicans to Mock Obama With Tire Gauges

McCain supporters in Michigan will distribute tire gauges at Obama’s energy speech in Lansing.

The RNC will also deliver gauges reading “Obama’s energy plan” to Washington newsrooms.

An allusion to Obama’s call last week for drivers to keep their tires inflated.

I love it!!

[linda22003]

I have never been able to figure out how to use tire gauges. I stick it on the tire and I let about half the air out of it. So I just let the dealership check it.

[Le Geisha]

Oh, the immaturity of our nation.

[LibraryLady]

I have never been able to figure out how to use tire gauges. I stick it on the tire and I let about half the air out of it. So I just let the dealership check it.

My car has a readout that tells you if you have a low tire, need wiper fluid, oil pressure. If it didn't I'd probably be a goner.:(

[Molon Labe]

Oh, the immaturity of our nation.

You say...
Statements like this from Presidential candidates are the real stupidity....
You don't talk down to people with a teachable moment about tire pressure as a cure for energy crises.
He has no clue how to solve any problem this country has.
We are getting what we deserve.

[LibraryLady]

T

he stunned silence with which the crowd greets this howler suggests that most Americans have a more practical understanding of energy consumption than Obama.

Just for fun, I did the math. Properly inflating your tires can improve gas mileage by 3%. Of course, many people already keep their tires properly inflated, and many more are at least close to being properly inflated. Let's be generous and assume that one-half of the total possible savings would be realized if we all inflated our tires properly; that's a net gain of 1.5% fuel efficiency.

Americans drive approximately 2,880 billion miles per year. If we average 24 mpg, we use around 120 billion gallons of gasoline in our vehicles. If, through perfect tire inflation, we improved our collective fuel efficiency by 1.5%, that would be 1.8 billion gallons. A barrel of oil produces around 20 gallons of gasoline, so the total savings available through tire inflation is approximately 90,000,000 barrels of oil annually.

How does this stack up against "all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling?"

ANWR: 10 billion barrels
Outer Continental Shelf: 18 billion barrels (estimated; the actual total is undoubtedly much higher, since exploration has been banned)
Oil shale: 1 trillion barrels

So, on the above assumptions, it would take only 11,308 years of proper tire inflation to equal "all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling."

Obama is a curious case. He gives the impression of being an intelligent guy, but through his unscripted comments we have learned that he knows little about history, science or mathematics. He also seems rather shockingly short on common sense, as this most recent gaffe illustrates.

I just watched his birthday speech. He is frighteningly naive as her his lemmings.

[linda22003]

My car has a readout that tells you if you have a low tire, need wiper fluid, oil pressure. If it didn't I'd probably be a goner.:(

I have that feature too, but I have to feed him dinner every night. :p

[Elspeth]

I have that feature too, but I have to feed him dinner every night. :p

But he's a great guy!

PS. I actually need a tire gauge. I lost my old one and think I threw it out accidentally when I cleaned out the car the last time.