Tire Pressure, test it yourself.

Aikido is a martial art where you use your opponent's strength and power against him.
It involves outwitting and outmaneuvering a clumsier opponent.

Here's more of McCain'a Aikido


Basically, Obama said that McCain's idea of increasing drilling would do no more good than inflating your tires.
Not only does Obama's idea fall apart when you work the math...
(Oh that pesky enemy to idealistic noble ideas.)

But McCain decided to call Obama's bluff.

He's encouraging voters to do just what Obama said, keep your tires inflated, see how much help it really is.

Empirical data is another one of those pesky enemies to soaring ideas.

For many of the most inept political ideas (both the left and right) such satire and testing are great ways to deflate poorly thought out ideas.

The Response from the Obama camp is particularly amusing.

And while the McCain team is busy amusing themselves, the fact is that the idea they're attacking is supported by, among others, top McCain surrogate Joe Lieberman, conference call host Mike Rogers, Governors Charlie Crist and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Department of Energy, and NASCAR—all of whom have urged Americans to help save energy by minding tire pressure," says spokesman Hari Sevugan in an email. "But hey, who ever let the facts—or supporters' positions—get in the way of a political attack? Aboard the Low Road Express, that's no problem at all.

But this is odd. Why are they worried about this? Presuming the tire gauges are functional why wouldn't people who got them... use them, like both McCain and Obama are telling them too?

If they work and work great... well doesn't that prove Obama right? Wouldn't McCain have egg on his face then? Isn't that about "the facts" too?

You'd think a less... reactionary response would go something like this:
"While we are saddened that the McCain campaign has dediced to mock our ideas at least this gives the American people the opportunity to mind their tire pressure and see that we were right all along."


And here's some perspective that can get lost in the "tire gauge".

It's not merely that Obama's energy policy consists of recommending the minute and mundane, but that he does so while rejecting solutions that could have a dramatic impact on energy production, oil production, and gas prices. He's either not familiar enough with the issue, or way too careless in asserting the benefits of his policies. That's the message voters need to come away with, not just, "Ha, ha! Look, a tire gauge!"

Obama did not just advocate inflation for conservation. No he had grander goals for it.

There are things you can do individually, though, to save energy. Making sure your tires are properly inflated — simple thing. But we could save all the oil that they’re talking about getting off drilling — if everybody was just inflating their tires? And getting regular tune-ups? You’d actually save just as much!

That's right... he said that our oil needs can be met by proper maintenance.

This is the part that has to be emphasized. Obama's statement shows a total lack of understanding the magnitude of the problems we face when compared to the solutions he proposes.