Edwards: Give Up SUVs August 29, 2007
Posted by Michael in Politics.trackback
Edwards has decided to fight global warming be asking me to sacrifice my Explorer.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards told a labor group Tuesday that he would ask Americans to make a big sacrifice: their sport utility vehicles.
“I think Americans are actually willing to sacrifice,” Edwards said during a forum held by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. “One of the things they should be asked to do is drive more fuel efficient vehicles.”
The former North Carolina senator was asked specifically if he would tell them to give up their SUVS, he said, “Yes.”
The Breck Girl sure has me figured wrong. I’m not willing to sacrifice anything because of global warming, and if Edwards asks me to give up my SUV I will invite him to kiss my ass.
I bet you’re wondering how this hypocrite can make such preposterous statements when he lives in an enormous mansion that consumes massive amounts of energy. How big was that mansion anyway?
Edwards was asked during his appearance how he explained the contradiction of asking Americans to sacrifice while he’s living in a 28,000-square-foot mansion.
Dang, that is a huge frickin’ house. Let’s see if Edwards gives us a straight answer to that question.
He said he came from nothing, worked hard all his life, has always supported workers and fought big corporations as a lawyer.
“I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life,” he said to loud cheers. “My entire life has been about the same cause, which is making sure wherever you come from, whatever your family is, whatever the color of your skin, you get a real chance to do something great in this country.”
Huh. If you work hard and fight big corporations, you can warm the planet as much as you want with a huge house. But if you work hard for a big corporation, I guess you don’t deserve a big car.
Edwards is just too deep for me to understand.
Edwards: Let’s give up SUVs – John Edwards News – MSNBC.com
UDPDATE courtesy of Wickedpinto — an aerial picture of the Edwards home, apparently shortly after completion judging from the lack of landscaping. SUVs are circled in red.
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Innocent Bystanders 
You over there! Put down that chicken wing, fatty! Don’t you know that you fat Americans consume more than your share of the Earth’s resources?
Does this asshole really think that his “no apologies” response is going to fly?
I have more tolerance for Miss South Carolina Teen’s recent response than this jerk!
This guy makes us look like creeps.
From Business Week April 2, 2007:
Former Senator John Edwards just bought a 2007 Ford Escape gas-electric hybrid, and he has a Chrysler Pacifica and GMC Sierra at his North Carolina home. A spokesperson says Edwards and staff make sure all campaign rentals are American and “union made.” (The Pacifica is actually made in Canada and Chrysler is German-owned.)
Hypocrite?
WRONG. He’s shallower than a rain puddle.
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I have done with my life.
Infuriating.
I support workers. One in particular–myself.
Idiot.
The amount of aerosol this dickhead uses is enough to cause a hole the size of Michael Moore’s ass in the ozone. If he wants to “conserve”, I suggest he begin by shaving his fugly head.
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I have done with my life.
The audacity that this man possesses makes me laugh. If you wrote a book about presidential politics and you introduced this character into it you would immediately remove him because of the implausability of it all. I’ll bet the dead babies make him talk crazy like this.
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life.
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life.
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life.
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life — or eaten!
I have no apologies whatsoever for what I’ve done with my life — and I did not inhale and I did not enjoy it — and I did not have sex with that woman.
Bill Clinton edit?
“I have no apologies whatsoever for who I’ve done in my life.”
“I have no apologies whatsoever for what i’ve done with my life”.
Oh wait, yes i do.
And i found Jesus.
And if i ever get my job and millions of dollars back, i’m celebrating by going to PetSmart and getting a sweet little puppy.
And then kill him.
Note: Rich people cannot ask people to make sacrifices. Because they are rich, and we are not, and so they are dicks.
Kay.
Note: Rich people *can* ask people to make sacrifices if they are willing to make them also. If they aren’t willing then they are dicks.
Kay.
Actually, troll has a slight point. I’m tired of the new wave of politics in which people are not allowed to have opinions unless they have some sort of moral authority related to that opinion. Not talking about Edwards specifically (I think he’s a shallow girly-man), but must it really be verboten for a rich person who has never been poor to have opinions about the poor?
(I tend to fall into this trap myself, I must admit…)
I suppose we could argue that we’re only turning liberal logic against them, as they’re the ones who frequently insist that Moral Authority is required in order to have an opinion, and therefore by their own rules, Edwards is twelve different kinds of hypocrite; so we’re pointing out their hypocrisy when we discuss the disconnect between Edwards’s words and actions. That’s pretty much how I feel, since I don’t care if he wants a 29k square foot house. Hell, it’s his money. Go for it, I say. I just think it’s hilarious that his supporters don’t have a problem with it.
On the other hand, Edwards is definitely being hypocritical here. He’s not merely advocating for the environment. He’s lecturing us on what we should do for Mother Gaia, while he evidently intends to do nothing himself. But Edwards is a liberal. Perhaps he’s incapable of doing good deeds unless the government compels him. That would certainly explain a lot about liberal political philosophy.
Being tired of the “new wave of politics” in which people are not allowed to have opinions unless they have some sort of moral authority is a bullshit argument intended to shut down the opposing voice, when the opposing voice has no valid argument.
Pay no fuckin attention to it.
Um, not sure why the hostility, but I was being honest, not trying to shut down opposing voices.
Edwards goes green
By having a GIGUNDUMONGUOUS home attached to a tacky barn via a bunch of trailer looking connections.
Now listen, I came up with my multi-homestead plan based on double wides, I haven’t implemented it yet, but I intend to one day. Buy a shitload of land in a bunch of beutiful places, and just have a doublewide filling the land.
Here’s a guy with a bad expression of xanadu, attached to an even worse expression of dorothy’s kansas, via a bunch of add on’s that are more white trashy than the most white trashy white trash could ever concieve.
And he still has at least 6 SUV’s.
hostility? to you? from me?
you totally misunderstood me.
what am I doing in this language?
I was just saying people play that “moral authority card” to shut up your thoughts and opinion, that’s all. because they can’t deal with the argument.
honestly, I could no more have hostility to you than I could a beagle.
ok, that’s a bad example.
I can’t wait for the “those aren’t MY SUV’s!!! Those are my employee’s SUV’s.”
You know what kinda car MY employee’s drive? They don’t, cuz I don’t fucking have any, nor do most of us. Though I think Julio is cruising around in the good lady michael’s escalade while mike’s at work, but thats beside the point?
oh ok, I see what I did. my bad.
*foot in mouth*
it was the “being tired” lead in and I changed thoughts.
And notice how much land he had cut back.
make that seven SUV’s.
NNE of the blck object, which is an SUV in the westernmost portion of the image, as weel as the White vehickle NE of the eastmost object in the image. Thats Seven SUV’s, and really,
That fucking house is PURE white trash tacky.
*smacks forehead*
I’m severely sleep-deprived. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Good news: I just found out I AM going to get the job I want (a position that precious few 24-year-olds hold [though I will actually be 25 by then], I might add) in December, contingent on my writing a report about everything I’ve been doing on this rotation. I fear we’re talking dissertation length, and thus I really do need to get started now, but it’s totally worth it. My evil plan to show my supervisor just how badly she needs me by temporarily moving to another department worked like a charm! Mwa ha ha ha! Mwaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaa!!!
um, I think I better go to bed.
AWESOME MRS. PEEL!!!
You need a reference?
*pee’s on tree*
Major congrats, Mrs. Peel, on the position acquisition. Write that dissertation, Girl!
Wickedpinto — ditto everything you said about the tacky white trash mansion. Geez! Now that we can see the photo that place looks awful. My momma told me years ago that no amount of money could rectify bad taste and that photo is livin’ proof of bad taste.
And btw WP — I drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder (birthday gift from Mr. Michael) and Julio doesn’t have a set of keys. Nobody but me drives “Mitzi.” Beautiful Dover Pearl White with a Black rag top and custom dark Gray leather interior. She’s cute — and I love to drive her along the winding river roads and country roads around here. Its not the Texas Hill Country — but it’l do.
Hey Mrs. Michael, Mr. LS drives an Eclipse too. It’s a fun car, especially when we put the top down at night.
But we can’t have leather seats in Vegas, youch! Hunka hunka burnin’ tail…
Lipstick,
Your are right — these cars are fun (and sexy)! One of my girlfriends is considering it for her new car. Convertibles are great around here — I drive with the top down about 7-8 months of the year. A cute guy (probably in his twenties) in an Eclipse like mine waved and honked at me yesterday. I waved back. I felt like we were in the same club or something.
About the “youch” in Vegas… I keep an old towel in the trunk for times when the seat gets too hot. That fry-pan feeling from the leather seat doesn’t last long. The leather sure is easier to keep clean. And I have my straw hats, feed caps, and SPF to wear for protection.
Wow, Dave. I can’t believe you’d turn on Mrs. Peel like that. You… you monster.
Anyhow, Mrs. Peel has an excellent point.
But still, Edwards is running for president, and the fact that he’s a shameless (not to mention stupid) hypocrite really ought to factor into our decision-making in 2008.
By the way, it occurs to me that leftist environmentalists ought to thank us for trying to shame another America into action; we did the same to some rich guy named Al Gore who was living a very eco-hostile lifestyle, and in response he made his mansion a tiny bit more energy efficient. Score another one for the forces of shame and derision!
I like the Eclipse. Or am I thinking of the Solstice? No, I’m thinking of the Solstice. (yes, chick car. I’m a chick.) Which one is the Eclipse?
Anyway, ’69 Corvette Stingray is still the best car. I told the boy on our first date that that was my dream car, and he said, “Most girls wouldn’t say that,” and I smiled and informed him, “I’m not most girls.”
Ok, I just looked at the picture, and you are totally right, WP. White trash. I guess he likes it, though.
By the way, I can’t believe I just now noticed this:
Edwards has decided to fight global warming be asking me to sacrifice my Explorer.
Tut-tut, Michael. Tut-tut indeed.
Do you think John Edwards will be getting any farm subsidies? For not growing things and taking land out of production, thereby raising food prices for the poor.
“My entire life has been about the same cause, which is making sure wherever you come from, whatever your family is, whatever the color of your skin, you get a real chance to do something great in this country.”
Except founding a company which employs lots of people and generates wealth within the economy. That’s a no-no.
Not to detract from a fascinating SUV v. Edward debate but I have found a video that will highlight how easily Sen. Craigs’ predictament could happen to any one of you…so take heed! Check out
I don’t know how to post it up for you so maybe if Michael could do the honors!?
Except founding a company which employs lots of people and generates wealth within the economy. That’s a no-no.
Found them? Nooo.
Sue the shit out of them.
Its not the Texas Hill Country — but it’l do.
Mrs. Michael,
I do live in the Texas Hill Country, and I bought and drive a ’78 MGB convertible. 1) Because I have always wanted another MG and 2) Driving the roads with the top down around here is just too much scenery and fun not to enjoy it in a car like that.
The Midget?
A friend had one in college. Those little things were so cool. You had to like to tinker though, they needed a lot of love.
Well, just a hug and a bj now and then.
I like midgets
Heh heh.
Speaking of midgets . . .
I was in my car at a stop light when I was rear ended, pushing me into the rear bumper of the car ahead of me. As I was getting out, I noticed the driver of the car in front was a dwarf, as were his passengers. He crossed his arms and said, “I am NOT happy!”
I replied, “Well, which one ARE you then?”
That’s how the fight started.
#42 Mr. Min — When Mr. Michael and I lived near the Texas Hill country, I didn’t own my convertible but we sure enjoyed that area on the motorcycle.
I still have pictures in my mind of how beautiful that country is!
Dang! I miss it!
Here’s my biggest problem with the article. In the lead paragraph, we have “he would ask Americans to make a big sacrifice: their sport utility vehicles.”
Two paragraphs later, “The former North Carolina senator was asked specifically if he would tell them to give up their SUVS, he said, ‘Yes.'”
There’s a world of difference between the government asking us to do something, and the government telling us to do something. The former I don’t mind. Not only is Edwards perfectly free to live in the largest mansion in his county, he is also perfectly free to be an eggregious hypocrite about it. Fine. Whatever. He can hector me about environmentalism all the live-long day, and I can simply ignore him. It’s when he wants to use federal power to force compliance at the barrel of a gun that I have a serious problem.
We retired the mom mobile a few years ago for a Camry (I still drive a half ton pickup) when the kids grew up – just didn’t need it anymore. But if you told me I had to get rid of it I’d tell you to kiss my ass.
If I liked you I would be nice about it.
Mrs. Geezer drives a 3/4 ton F-250. I sometimes wish it was a diesel just for the towing power.
Until I notice the price of diesel fuel.
I drive a little Subaru with a Moon
UnitRoof.I love it.
drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder (birthday gift from Mr. Michael)
Isn’t “spyder” a glamour name, that is only given to certain cars for limited release? In the 80’s it was the tiny little fiat that was the spyder, and I think toyota (cuz my sister has one) had an mr2 limited release that was labeled “spyder.”
Aside from that, how nice of mr. michael to get you a barbie car.
I thought “Spyder” was a classic Porsche model, could be wrong about that.
I know James Dean was killed in one. There’s an old Eagle’s tribute that ends with the lyric “Little James Dean, up on the screen, wonderin who he might be. Along came a Spyder, picked up a rider, took him down the road to eternity”…
I felt like we were in the same club or something.
You both like men?
(didn’t go with the most crude aspect of this joke, because you are a lady)
though it would have been more funny.
Here are some photos of the Mitsubishi Spyder:
http://www.allautoreviews.com/auto_reviews/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-spyder.htm
When Mr. LS and I were dating he let me drive it for the first time. He started “counseling” me about not being nervous of the standard transmission, etc.
Me: (cockily) “Yeah, yeah, hand over the keys.”
Him: (muttering) “mmmumf, I hope you stall it”
Later he said “Wow, you drove it like you stole it!”
And he never worried about me driving his car again.
My sissie’s MR2 needed something done to it, oil change maybe, I don’t know so my brother asked me if I could take care of that while I was housesitting (my brother is my actual brother, my “sissie” is my brothers wife) so I said sure, cuz it’s a sporty car.
Driving that friggen thing was TORTURE! First, It’s like driving anti-stealth on gaydar, with alarms going up in the pants of every gay man, even though they are being given a ghost track. Second, cuz I’m more than 6′ tall, and that car is built for people between 5′ and 5’2″ tall, Even with the top down, my eyes are above the windshield.
Man, that sucked, but it had some very real get up and go.
I taught two of my sisters and my oldest daughter how to drive a car with a manual transmission.
It’s a lot easier if you’re heavily medicated.
learned to drive on an automatic, my bro-taught me a manual, and it took me a few weeks to get the feel for it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I like luxury cars, I wouldn’t drive anything but a manual.
Unrelated. . . . . or is it?
compos mentis powered porta potty
argh!! Link ain’t sticking. click the porta potty one [Asst. Site Adminstrator – Fished it out of the chum bucket for you.]
I learned to drive a stick in a ’68 VW Beetle. Good car to learn in.
I have to say that 3/4 of the cars that I have owned were sticks and I like being able to conrtrol the transmission. The only time I hated it was when I had to travel 25 miles of stop and go freeway. The clutch leg get mighty tired after that long of inching along.
I do have to say my MGB is fun to drive along these roads, but my favorite manual tranny car was my BMW M-III, speed shift that bugger and you could fly!
I learned to drive a stick in a ’68 VW Beetle. Good car to learn in.
I have to say that 3/4 of the cars that I have owned were sticks and I like being able to control the transmission. The only time I hated it was when I had to travel 25 miles of stop and go freeway. The clutch leg get mighty tired after that long of inching along.
I do have to say my MGB is fun to drive along these roads, but my favorite manual tranny car was my BMW M-III, speed shift that bugger and you could fly!
WP, I don’t like driving the Spyder either. I’m just too cramped in there. Mrs. Michael has the V-6 engine, however, so that thing can get up and go pretty quick.
If they were built for adults, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it, other than the gaydar thing, though that could be an advantage, just say you are a pentecostal, and are waiting until you get married, and you get free drinks. But the size of the car was horrendous, I had more leg room goofing on my neighbors kids battery powered toy car than I did in that friggen MR2.
When your hands are at 11 and 1, because your knee’s are at 9 and 3, you shouldn’t be driving that friggen car, and that car shouldn’t be sold this side of lilliput.
I really liked the tranny on it though. The clutch was tight, and even if you couldn’t drive a stick, it would have been able to slide into gear all smooth, unless you just dumped it, in which case you shouldn’t be driving any car, let alone a manual.
Another thing about me and manuals. My dad’s a truck driver, I don’t use the clutch in acceleration, unless I’m passing, and rarely in deceleration, unless I’m “double down”/”dropping gears” to put less stress on my breaks.
I I think I used the term “double clutch” in front of my dad, and he went into a tirade (it’s a bit of a family trait) and told me it was called “dropping gears.” It applies up as well as down I guess.
I really liked the tranny on it though.
I like trannies too!
The clutch was tight
Oooooooh, talk to me big boy!
CURSE YOU WISER!!! (was that wiser?)
When my wife started back working again after the kids were in school, she decided she needed a new car. Who was I to argue? She was making good money. This was in ’97 and she got a GS-T Spyder convertable. It was just a 4-banger but the T in GS-T stood for turbo and when the turbo kicked in, that sucker would go. I took it out on a long flat piece of west Texas highway one summer afternoon to see just how fast it would go. It probably took about a 30 seconds to get from 0 to 125 and then another minute to get from 125 to 135. So I’m cruising along at 135, on edge a little, from going that fast and being that close to the ground, when all of a sudden I get hit by one of those famous west Texas gusts of wind. I know that car probably didn’t move laterally more than an inch or so, but it felt like it moved a foot. I went from 135 back down to 60 in about 5 seconds.
In ’00 my wife was going up to the panhandle to see her parents. She vaporized a deer at about 75mph. Luckily she was in my F250 instead of her Spyder and no one got hurt or killed. That was enough to convince her to sell it though. That and the fact that my dad always questioned her as to why she owned “a fuckin’ jap zero”. He’s from that generation that still haven’t forgiven the japs.
She vaporized a deer at about 75mph.
We were first on the scene at an accident involving an Elk and a car.
I’ll try to find it on my moronblog.
Well, that was easy:
Elk vs Car
I got a story about vaporizing a deer. It’s not my story, but I think it’s pretty hilarious.
I willl save it for a while.
#61-62
Mr.Min — I also learned how to drive a stick with a 1968 VW Bug. I loved that car and have enjoyed driving stick ever since.
My old man did an engine rebuild on his friends bug, I don’t remmeber the year, but it’s older than ’68.
As a 16 year old kid, this was my job. “only one more mount, hold the engine right there.”
Now the “hold the engine,” thing was enough to realize that I was about to get hurt, but the “hold the engine right there” guaranteed significant pain.
The tip of my middle finger explodes in a spray of blood, and my father says “I told you to hold the engine!”
I wanted too, but when dad gets ornery, he stays ornery until he tastes blood, but what I wanted to say was “Hold the FUCKING ENGINE!?! THE FUCKING ENGINE!!!”
He apologized later, and no, he wasn’t actually expecting me to hold the about 200lb block, he was hoping that the leverage would make it easier for me to hold it in place. It wasn’t.
I loved that car and have enjoyed driving stick ever since.
How the heck do you hold your Big Gulp, talk on the cellphone, put on makup and floss while you’re driving?
^ All things I have heard people do, not necessarily stuff that *I* do.