Pistonheads' Presidential Primer Part Two

They want your vote, but they drive you crazy. More specifically, passionate posting pistonheads don’t seem well pleased with America’s current crop of presidential aspirants. Part One of this series examined four presidential candidates’ websites to winkle out their auto-related policies on issues ranging from Corporate Average Fuel Economy to E85 to “oil addiction” and, uh, back. Judging from your comments on Hillary, Barack, Rudy and Mitt’s plans, you were about as impressed as pyromaniacs at a swim meet. So, in that spirit of world-weary cynical analysis, let’s have a look at what Fred, Mike, John and Bill have to say about all things automotive.

Fred Thompson is the son of what he calls a “little educated” used car dealer. If that doesn’t raise any alarm bells, Fred’s also an attorney, Red October hunter, fictional prosecutor and former US Senator (for real) from the great state of Tennessee.

An “Issues” page on Thompson’s site includes an “ Energy Security” section. Within, Thompson declares that our “dependence on foreign sources of oil threatens our national security and puts our economic prosperity at risk.” He offers the usual list of tasks required to overcome our “oil addiction:” increase domestic oil supplies, invest in alt. fuels, etc.

In an August press release titled “The Gas Tax,” Senator Thompson mentions the tragic highway bridge collapse in Minneapolis MN and adds: “Whoa now. Let’s hold our horses and think about calls for new [federal] tax increases to fix our infrastructure problems…we can’t let it [the bridge collapse] be used to compound other problems— which is what will happen if we’re scared into raising gas taxes.”

Senator Thompson says local governments, not the feds, should deal with such issues. “Why can’t we leave infrastructure issues to the people closest to where the rubber literally hits the road?” (Geddit?) Policy stands regarding cars, US automakers or specifics on energy issues? No comment.

The former Governor of Arkansas known as Mike Huckabee also has an Issues page. In his “Energy Independence” sub-page, the Gov says “The first thing I will do as President is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term.” Two terms and we’re free! How’s that then?

“We have to explore, we have to conserve, and we have to pursue all avenues of alternative energy: nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, biodiesel, and biomass (ethanol subsidies are go).” Huckabee will “set aside a federal research and development budget” that would be “matched by the private sector” to find new energy such as alternative fuels. And then… “Our free market will sort out what makes the most sense economically and will reward consumer preferences.”

John Edwards is the infamously mansion-dwelling former US Senator from North Carolina. His “ Issues – A New Energy Economy” page sings a familiar tune: “Our generation must be the one that says 'yes' to alternative, renewable fuels and ends forever our dependence on foreign oil.”

Senator Edwards would create a “New Energy Economy Fund” to support R&D, invest in efficient automobile technology and help Americans conserve. He’d also “repeal subsidies to big oil companies and require oil companies to install biofuel pumps at 25 percent of their gas stations.” Senator Edwards would require all new cars sold after 2010 to be ‘flex fuel’ cars.

While in Iowa, Senator Edwards praised “biofuels innovators” and announced he’d “accelerate the use of biofuels on America’s roads and highways…” That’s cause he “believes that everyone should be able to drive the car, truck or SUV of their choice and still enjoy high fuel economy.” To that end, Edwards would raise federal fuel economy standards to 40 mpg by 2016.

Bill Richardson is a former Congressman, US Ambassador to the United Nations (under Bill Clinton) and the current Governor of New Mexico. His Issues / Energy page calls for a “New American Revolution– an energy and climate revolution.” His vision would see oil imports reduced “from around 65 percent to 10 or 15 percent.”

Governor Richardson says “getting the 100 mile per gallon (mpg) car into the marketplace” is key, and hey, why not double current Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards to “50 mpg by 2020?"

While he’s at it, Richardson would also like to see renewable energy resources increase to 50 percent by 2040: “This is aggressive, but necessary as we start using more electricity for automobiles.” To help pay the bills, he’d raise “some revenue from the sales of carbon permits” and “get out the ‘green scissors’ to cut back on wrongly-placed tax subsidies.”

Richardson would like to see the US become “energy independent and combat global warming” because— yes, you guessed it– our “national security and our planet depend on it.” Seems like a theme, or, if you prefer, just another par-for-the-course sop to environmentalists and consumers fearing higher gas prices and foreign entanglements.

Click here to go to Part One

Click here to to to Part Three