April 7, 2011

"Obama seems stunned that someone might actually *need* a larger vehicle rather than using it as a status symbol."

Obama said "You may have a big family, but it probably isn’t that big."

Maybe the unspoken message is: Having more kids than will fit in a small car is a decision that high gas prices effectively disincentivize.

158 comments:

Trooper York said...

Well being a black dude he just assumes that all the childern are with their seperate baby momma's.

They wouldn't all ride in the same car.

That's what dollar vans are for.

Trooper York said...

If Shawn Kemp were awake he would say that is racist.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scott M said...

When children are in car seats, you can fit two children in a sedan. You might be able to squeeze three car seats into a smaller SUV but not comfortably.

Exactly. Forget it if you want to bring any stuff along with you as well. I've got four. One is from my first marriage and he's omgbig. Taking him, my wife, and three small one's in carseats requires more than a sedan.

I compromised and got a Ford Freestyle. Basically a crossover wagon/suv and the damned thing is awesome. Never thought I'd like a Ford, but there you go.

Wince said...

Just because the entire Obama administraction can fit in a tiny "clown car" doesn't mean that it will work for the rest of the nation!

Anonymous said...

I thought the speed at which he pivoted to car salesman was impressive.

AllenS said...

Fuck off, obama.

Hoosier Daddy said...

There is no reason anyone should have more than two children. Replacement rates are sufficient and growth is attainable by allowing unfettered immigration.

Obama is perfectly correct in this.

Lisa said...

I have two boys. I have a station wagon with no third row. If I were to have another child while my oldest was still young enough to require a carseat or booster, I would have to replace my car because there aren't enough latch systems to put a third car seat in.

Obama is really an idiot.

the wolf said...

This is what passes for "leadership" in the political class these days. Pathetic.

Trooper York said...

I think the President should stick to important things like honoring great Americans like Al Sharpton.

He should leave packing up the car to the Griswolds.

traditionalguy said...

His eyes are on that prize: a depopulated nature preserve that no longer is a threat to his Kenyan Muslims. The Constitution is so old and faded anyway. Obama's new one will only allow Presidents who prove that they were natural born in Mombasa.

Wince said...

woops, administraction?

= Distraction by the administration?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Tune in tomorrow when President Obama tells his rich donors to downsize their mansions and move into communes.

Original Mike said...

If he were a Republican, this would be his "Bush (41) meets a grocery scanner moment." But he's not, so it is quietly buried.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DADvocate said...

When I listened the guy apparently said he had 10 kids. I had an aunt and uncle with 12.

Of course, Obama just rolls right past that with his let them eat cake attitude and suggests buying a new car. If you can't afford gas, how are you going to afford a new car? Clueless.

BTW - in the video did it look like Obama's butt is getting bigger? Is he beginning to take after Michelle?

Trooper York said...

I know he is getting tired of the bad press Holder is getting. Maybe he can get C Vernon Mason to be attorney general. I think he got his ticket back.

Or is he saving him for the next Supreme Court slot?

Col Mustard said...

Strange for a guy whose everyday ride is a 747.

AllenS said...

"I have a tee time in an hour. Is the Marine helicopter ready to go? I hate being late."

chickelit said...

I suspect that this is all driven by St. Steven Chu's agenda.

More later.

TMink said...

He thinks he knows so much that he does not even need to listen.

Yikes!

Trey

Clyde said...

I'm flashing back to riding in the back seat of a '65 Galaxie 500 XL that didn't even have SEAT BELTS in the back, for heaven's sake. I never wore a helmet when riding my bike, either, and would have been laughed out of the neighborhood if I had. Now we have government-mandated booster-seats until the kid is old enough to come off his parents' health insurance at age 26. I don't know how I even survived my childhood.

Hoosier Daddy said...

If you can't afford gas, how are you going to afford a new car? Clueless.

Dude should have thought of that before creating a couple of basketball teams.

I mean seriously.

coketown said...

We could substitute "car" with "high speed trains" and the argument would readily work against him.

- You probably have a large family of citizens who would use trains, but it isn't that large.
- You see trains as a status symbol. Europe and Asia have nice high speed rail systems, and you feel inferior because America doesn't.
- I remember what it was like to ride trains.

traditionalguy said...

As the oil price goes up while the dollar devalues, then large vehicles will indeed become status symbols. Obama is giving us the advice given to a woman being raped: just lie back and enjoy it.

hawkeyedjb said...

Why are all you commenters thinking this has something to do with you? You seem to cling to the silly idea that your vehicle ought to be your decision.

Quaint. So 20th century.

Synova said...

I used to "double-belt" my older two... who weren't *technically* both out of "car seat" sizes. Probably would have got me arrested.

It really is the car seats and seat belt rules that made everyone need a big car. Can't just sit on laps anymore. It's safer and I'm not particularly complaining, mind you, but it's the law and we have to have a vehicle large enough for all the car seats and each person to be belted *and* the groceries.

That is, if you want to take only one vehicle instead of two just to get someplace.

Not to mention, though I'm about to, the incredible and rather blithe assumption that people can just go out and buy another car in this economy. What's a car payment when your name is Obama?

Mark O said...

You really need to watch the video of Obama talking about gas prices. Not only is he disparaging of the questioner, he evidences no understanding of the economics of the rise of oil prices. In fact, he begins to lecture about how demand, principally US demand, caused the fluctuation of gas prices in the last 3 years. Then, oddly, he notes that the price of oil is a "world wide" price influenced by events anywhere in the world. Then, as if he was not even paying attention, he says that demand in the US has pushed up the price of oil. He would fail a high school economics exam. At the end, he tells a guy to think about trading in his car because of high prices. I suppose he doesn't realize that someone has to buy it.

Henry said...

Hoosier Daddy wrote: There is no reason anyone should have more than two children.

No reason? Only the one that can never be quantified.

And with my three, I'll point out that all the best station wagons are imports and there is no domestic equivalent of the 3-row, small-wheel-base Mazda 5.

I think trade is good, but I'd like someone to ask Obama about that.

CatherineM said...

Does Obama need to live in that McMansion in Chicago?

If his daughter's friends join them, they would have to go in a separate car if everyone is buckled in...wouldn't that be MORE gas.

I love how he thinks SUVs get 7 miles a gallon or something too. He says that often enough.

Unknown said...

Gallup says Little Zero's approval has dropped among blacks and Hispanics. I can imagine this won't help.

Apparently, we're all bitter clingers now.

Alex said...

Another red-meat Obama-bashing post as a sop to Althouse hillbillies.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alex said...

Gallup says Little Zero's approval has dropped among blacks and Hispanics.

Nonsense. Come Nov 2012 he has the black by 95% and Hispanics by 85%.

DADvocate said...

Dude should have thought of that before creating a couple of basketball teams.

Racist kid hater. Are you one of those guys who planted the AIDS virus to wipe out blacks?

Paddy O said...

Actual poor people are really a bother to a rhetoric of helping poor people. The rhetoric wants to be about managing society. The poor people just want to not be poor. These are mutually exclusive goals.

Synova said...

It seems usual for people with lots of kids to have a number of them that aren't theirs.

And for every family that needs a full sized van you've got someone else who needs the cargo space or towing power for their self-employment.

And then there's the rest of us who buy groceries that have to be brought in a truck that has to have fuel as well.

Not taking a suggestion seriously that high fuel prices make it hard on people does make one immediately think of how much it cost Obama just to travel to wherever he was an how much that *didn't* come out of his own pocket.

Real American said...

How about the federal government just set up a Department that tells each American how many children we can have and what kind of car we can drive (if we're allowed). We need a Lemon Law for presidents.

LilyBart said...

Barack Obama constantly displays his contempt for the average American.

MayBee said...

Has Obama never car pooled with the other soccer moms?

Joaquin said...

What Obama did was tell every rancher, plumber, carpenter, painter, caterer, delivery-man, landscaper, roofer, electrician, tow-trucker, contractor or everyone that needs to use a truck or van for your business and SUV owners to go F*CK yourself.

Simon said...

And this from the chap who wanted empathy in his judicial nominees. Is he really unable to put himself in the place of people outside of his own experience?

TWM said...

"Another red-meat Obama-bashing post as a sop to Althouse hillbillies."

It's not Ann who is serving up the red meat, it's that moron, Barry.

Alex said...

TWM - you sir have NO respect for the office of the Presidency.

Triangle Man said...

If his daughter's friends join them, they would have to go in a separate car if everyone is buckled in...wouldn't that be MORE gas.

Exactly! Even if you "only" have two kids, if you want to bring one friend along, you're looking at something more than a compact. I think the smallest you could manage is a Mazda 5 and you wouldn't be bringing much stuff with you even then.

In Madison you see a lot of Priuses, but you see far more minivans.

Bart DePalma said...

Simple physics dictates that smaller, more fuel efficient cars provide less room to transport families and property, will provide less performance and are more dangerous during accidents.

Of course. Mr. Obama's crusade to place America in poorly performing and dangerous Chevy Volts made by nationalized government companies does not apply to The One himself. The executive order mandating the government buy green cars does not apply to the President or his Administration leadership.

Some pigs are more equal than others after all.

Triangle Man said...

By the way, isn't this tone-deafness sort of a presidential right of passage? It goes with looking 10 years older than you did two years ago.

DADvocate said...

What Obama did was tell every rancher, plumber, carpenter, painter, caterer, delivery-man, landscaper, roofer, electrician, tow-trucker, contractor or everyone that needs to use a truck or van for your business and SUV owners to go F*CK yourself.

I have a friend who is a large animal veterinarian. Up until recently, he drove large pick up trucks and SUVs for his practice. I asked why he didn't get a smaller 4 or 6 cylinder pick up which would be cheaper and get better gas mileage. To get a tax deduction on the vehicle for business, the vehicle had to weigh at least 5,000 lbs. Hopefully, tax regs have changed, but the feds have done more than their share of screwing things up.

DADvocate said...

you sir have NO respect for the office of the Presidency.

There's a difference between respecting the office and the person in it. Right now the person in the office is disrespecting it.

reader_iam said...

President Obama doesn't believe in carpools!

Who knew?!?

Hagar said...

Henry,
Mazda is a Ford subsidiary.

MayBee said...

FWIW, before Obama ran for President he had a GMC Envoy SUV and a Chrysler 300 w/a V8 hemi.

When he ran for POTUS out, he bought a Ford hybrid. And a large campaign jet.
Now, of course, he has a fleet of limos, SUVs, and airplanes. But he needs those.

Phil 314 said...

The snark is heavy today.

Mitch H. said...

My brother-in-law's brother has eight kids. When they showed up to Thanksgiving Dinner in a single station wagon, I about plotzed. I pictured horror-story notices about the whole family killed in Boston's stereotypically awful traffic. I understand they finally got a second car or van or something like that, but yes, some families won't fit in a small car, and don't have parking for multiple cars.

BTW, the brother's a doctor.

Tank said...

The Zero longs for the good old days of our youth when we would put the top down on a full size convertable Chevy and pile 10-12 people in no sweat. Also, no seatbelts. Also, no problem if you had an open Bud in your hand. Also, cost about $3.50 to fill er up.

I guess life is better now?

Actually, this IS exactly what he and his "just a guy in the neighborhood type" friends want - high high high energy prices forcing us to live a diminished life - yeah, Dem chickens come home to roooooost.

Phil 314 said...

PS Is a political blog that has already seen its best days said to have

Jumped the snark?

Original Mike said...

I bet Obama's never owned a car. It wouldn't surprise me.

Joaquin said...

DADvocate - Excuse me but a tax deduction is that last thing on the mind of a businessman that needs specific vehicles.
One of the companies I own is a supplier of lighting and lighting equipment. I have 5 Chevy Express 3500 vans for deliveries. I didn't buy them for the tax break. I bought them because of their size/capacity.
I would like my IDIOT, CHILDLIKE, CAMPAIGNER IN CHIEF to tell me what my alternatives are.

reader_iam said...

In a lot of places, kids aren't supposed to ride in the front passenger seat until they're something like 4'9", something like over 95 pounds, and something like age 12 or 13. And in enough places, kids are supposed to be in some sort of booster seats into elementary school.

Sorta cuts down on the real estate, doesn't it?

Hoosier Daddy said...

Racist kid hater. Are you one of those guys who planted the AIDS virus to wipe out blacks?

Well that was uncalled for. I was merely stating that when one decides to have ten children, worrying about the cost of gas per gallon shouldn't be a consideration. Feeding, clothing and education are going to be taking a bigger chunk out of his wallet than filling up his Tahoe.

Trooper York said...

"I would like my IDIOT, CHILDLIKE, CAMPAIGNER IN CHIEF to tell me what my alternatives are."

Native bearer's like in one of those Jungle Jim movies.

It's a stimulus project.

Original Mike said...

"I would like my IDIOT, CHILDLIKE, CAMPAIGNER IN CHIEF to tell me what my alternatives are."

Get into a different line of work. Problem solved.

Trooper York said...

If Johnny Weismuller was awake he would say that is racist.

Trooper York said...

Plus if you outlaw big pickup trucks where are the Mexicans gonna ride when you pick them up at HOme Depot?

Hoosier Daddy said...

Ok I'm done commenting like one of the usual Althouse liberals. I just wanted to see what it was like to toss out Alpha/Jeremyesque snark but in a more well written style.

Now I need to take a shower. As you were.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I bet Obama's never owned a car. It wouldn't surprise me.

Don't you have to have a good working social security number to get a car loan?

I'm just saying.

Trooper York said...

If the wise Latina was awake she would say that is racist.

And a hate crime.

Lindsey Graham would denouce it.

Harry Reid will call for hearings.

Luckily they are still sleeping.

Hoosier Daddy said...

In a lot of places, kids aren't supposed to ride in the front passenger seat until they're something like 4'9", something like over 95 pounds, and something like age 12 or 13.

How about a specially designed roof carrier you can put them in? Or just tie them to the roof like Kevin Costner did to that kid in A Perfect World.

Improvise, overcome, adapt. That's how we became the great nation we are today.

MayBee said...

What do you all think of the way Obama laughs when the guy says he has 10 kids?

Anonymous said...

Listen to his remarks and see how clueless he is.

Triangle Man said...

How about a specially designed roof carrier you can put them in? Or just tie them to the roof like Kevin Costner did to that kid in A Perfect World.


That's what the trunk is for, right?

Anonymous said...

Another red-meat Obama-bashing post as a sop to Althouse hillbillies.


Yeah, it's so unfair and hurtful to quote Barry's own words. Racists!

garage mahal said...

And with my three, I'll point out that all the best station wagons are imports

If you put just a little effort in you can find amazing deals on used Volvo or BMW touring vehicles. People tend to take care of them that owned them. With BMW owners, fanatically more than not. A 528 touring I owned started a descent into an auction sickness that ultimately neede3d an intervention. From the wife.

ricpic said...

Obam' jus' obsoive duh voild, it duh MAN done duh doity!

SteveR said...

For someone who has very little experience in common with most Americans, he has an awful lot of advice for us. Because in nearly every way my experience trumps his, its easy to ignore him.

Trooper York said...

"its easy to ignore him."

But it's not easy to ignore him. He is on TV all the time!

He's on more than the fuckin' Sham Wow guy!

Hoosier Daddy said...

Seriously are any of you actually surprised by his comments? This is the same guy who said we cant keep our thermostats at 70 degrees and then openly brags he keeps the White House so warm in the winter you can grow orchids.

The only thing that surprises me is that he still has an army of supporters who think he dreamy.

pst314 said...

"I bet Obama's never owned a car. It wouldn't surprise me."

He has owned a car. Remember that stupid comment he made during the campaign about insurance companies?

Soon after college, Obama bought a used car and got the mandatory liability policy required by the State of Illinois.

When his car got damaged in an accident he called the insurance company wanting them to pay for the repairs. They laughed and told him no way: His policy covered only liability, not damage.

This rankled the silly man-boy, who thought that everything in life should be free.

And so he used the incident during the election to paint insurance companies as bad guys, while in reality he was the greedy little snot wanting to get something for nothing. (Which is a pretty good description of his supporters, too.)

Salamandyr said...

Our President is a prick.

Unknown said...

Yeah, when the man said he had 10 kids, Obama just smirked at him.

When will these people wake up? He doesn't like us.

Anonymous said...

No one in Morningside Heights, Cambridge, or Hyde Park has 10 children.

Therefore, neither should you.

[You can see it on his face--who are these people? He's the alien-in-chief. It proves that campaigning is not the way to get to know real Americans.]

Original Mike said...

"He's on more than the fuckin' Sham Wow guy!"

They aren't the same guy?

LordSomber said...

I can't respect the man for the simple fact that he's never had a real job.

Original Mike said...

I'm trying to forget that episode, pst314. They had me in a straight jacket for a week after that utterance.

MayBee said...

Yes. He had a GM Envoy SUV and a Chrysler 300 v8 hemi.
He now has a Ford hybrid SUV in his garage in Chicago, a purchase made during his campaign after he had gotten called out on having gas guzzlers.

Salamandyr said...

Oh hey, Simon's back!

flicka47 said...

pst314, Original Mike.

Forget the birth certificate, I want to see this guy's cognitive abilities test results!

I'm betting it's closer to 80 than 100...

wv: chape...yeah my forehead is chapped from all the facepalms he's causing...

dix said...

So increasing oil production is not a short term solution but electric cars is. Okay, hotshot

Michael said...

He owned a Chrysler Hemi? He is every bit as stupid as he sounds.

galdosiana said...

I just have to say: I'm really getting sick of the media constantly allowing Obama to get away with crap like this. I know it's been said a gagillion times, but seriously, a Republican president who chided people and came up with stuff like this would be absolutely ridiculed. This kind of stuff would be all over the news 24/7 and would make its way back during re-election season.

And to top it all off, I've still got people here in Madison telling me how intelligent Obama is, and how he's such a fantastic president. Lucky for us!! I wonder if the woman who thought Obama would pay her mortgage and gas money will now write to him and ask him to pay for her new car. Because he's that awesome.

chickelit said...

Phil 3:14 said...
The snark is heavy today.

Swim like a snark or die.

Hoosier Daddy said...

So increasing oil production is not a short term solution but electric cars is.

Well since our electricity is powered by and large by domestic coal, this should be good news for Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

I wonder if he knows that.

Henry said...

In a lot of places, kids aren't supposed to ride in the front passenger seat until they're something like 4'9", something like over 95 pounds, and something like age 12 or 13. And in enough places, kids are supposed to be in some sort of booster seats into elementary school.

I've done some research on this in Rhode Island. The age and weight cutoff is "age eight (8) years old, less than fifty-seven (57) inches (4 feet, 9 inches) tall and weighing less that 80 lbs.".

Some of the local police departments issue more specific recommendations for infants and toddlers. The city of North Providence has a nice printable matrix.

Most interesting are the exceptions about when a child can ride in the front seat. If the only seat available is the passenger front seat with an airbag, it goes to the oldest child. That's the law.

Triangle Man said...

Swim like a snark or die.

The snark is strong with this one.

Scott M said...

If the only seat available is the passenger front seat with an airbag, it goes to the oldest child. That's the law.

And you can only hit your wife if you do it on the steps of city hall. It's the law.

And you can't shoot whales from a moving vehicle. It's the law.

I love that game...

Unknown said...

Hoosier Daddy: You are a moron sir. No more than 2 children huh? Why don't you talk to the illegal Mexicans that are all over here. They seem to pop 'em out at a rather alarming rate. But from your current and previous posts I would say that that's probably just fine w/you. F*ckin' pinko scum.

reader_iam said...

Now, of course, a good chunk of the reason **why** those age, height and weight reqs exist for the passenger seat has to do with airbags, which became ubiquitous. They're helpful for taller and bigger people, but can pose risks for those shorter, smaller ones, even those at 5'1-3 etc.

Of course, we don't give a shit about the latter once they're over 12 or 13.

Signed,

If Not For The Age Allowance, I'd Barely Be Allowed To Sit In The Passenter Seat Even Now

(a.k.a. Shorty)

Donald Sensing said...

I don't care. Obama is awesome.

This will now be my reflex, all-purpose answer to every criticism of the president.

Scott M said...

But from your current and previous posts I would say that that's probably just fine w/you. F*ckin' pinko scum.

Hysterical. You're not paying close enough attention, Gregg. You might want to lay off the completely off-base insults until you understand sarcasm more intimately.

CJinPA said...

Gotta say, I prefer Obama's approach to Bill Clinton's. They both believe the same things, but Obama is either to arrogant or clueless to care about how it sounds. Or has more nerve.

I like hearing his smirking contempt for the unenlightened. I prefer it to the code of other liberal politicians. He's just saying, and proposing, what they all think.

Good. Get it out in the open. We've been debating around the edges over whether the U.S. should become a European socialist democracy. Now, we're inching closer to a head on debate. Bring it on. I think my side wins.

hombre said...

Listen to his remarks and see how clueless he is. (12:57)

Follow Browndog's link. Obama's comments about worldwide demand and oil reserves are stupefying.

"His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere."
- Mark Twain in Eruption

reader_iam said...

See? Even the thought of an airbag activating squishes my "g" into a "t"!

; )

Jeanne Patterson said...

Yeah, when the man said he had 10 kids, Obama just smirked at him.

And Oblahblah says with a shit-eating grin, "10 kids you say?" And even though Oblahblah tells the guy he should think about getting a hybrid van he's really thinking that Pennsylvania is worse than he thought, that it's not only filled with bitter clingers but with idiots don't even know how to abort.

Dustin said...

Didn't Obama have that Jeep Grand Cherokee?

I recall the guy who bought it complaining it reeks of Obama's chain smoking.

that Jeep gets awful gas mileage, compared to most family vans.

I guess Obama figures if you want a gas guzzler, you need to be a Harvard grad earning $300k from Chicago graft, like Michelle Obama was.

MadisonMan said...

$3.759 today. I've driven a lot this week. To Milwaukee and back, and to Minneapolis and back. I have to go back to Milwaukee on Saturday. Then I'm done driving for a while. Filling up 3 times in a week is very very unusual for me, and I don't like to do it.

(44 mpg in a small car)

Michael K said...

And nobody mentioned "Let them eat cake." Marie Antoinette was just as clueless as Obama. She thought that if you ran out of bread...

traditionalguy said...

When the oil price was rising in 1980, the story was that domesitic drilling was useless because it would take 5 to 10 years to come on line. Then that was the story in 1985, and 1990, and 1995, and 2000, and 2005 and lo and behold again today. That is at least an aggravated plagiarism charge.

Chennaul said...

Wait...

I think he just lost the Catholic vote.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)



I don’t see what the problem is, can’t this guy get some kind of Stimulus Grant to help pay for the extra cost? Why doesn’t he switch to the Volt, it doesn’t even USE gasoline? Anyway, we all have to have “skin in the game”…we can’t just keep driving our SUV’s and expect the World to thank us…Sheeesh what a racist this guy was, for even asking, can’t the POTUS even finish a waffle?

Dustin said...

"
(44 mpg in a small car)"

that's great, and indeed, buying a used compact car is the most effective and green choice for a lot of people.

It is, however, extremely stupid if you need to move ten kids, or even their grocery needs.

Obama hates the working man who needs to support his large family, and a lot of his supporters think their yuppie small car is a legitimate rebuttal to their freedom of choice.

Obama's on the record wanting increased oil prices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M1WlV7vafk

Screw him.

New York said...

Hoosier Daddy wrote: There is no reason anyone should have more than two children. Replacement rates are sufficient and growth is attainable by allowing unfettered immigration.

Obama is perfectly correct in this.


What if people had children for reasons other than funding baby boomer retirements?

What should the govt do to people who have a third kid? Sterilization? or is sensitivity training enough?

Anonymous said...

OT:

Prosser Back In Lead

"The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Winnebago County has revised its vote totals in a manner that nets Justice David Prosser 244 additional votes, which would give him a 40-vote lead statewide."

Scott M said...

What should the govt do to people who have a third kid?

Send the little bastard to Battle School while turning a blind eye while his psychopathic older brother and, somewhat less psychopathic, older sister take over the world's networks.

Dustin said...

"There is no reason anyone should have more than two children. Replacement rates are sufficient and growth is attainable by allowing unfettered immigration."

The reason is that people love having kids, and want a fulfilling life that reflects their values.

Sure, if you are a dictator, solely concerned with the needs of the government, there is no reason to have more than 2 kids.

On the other hand, how in the hell are we going to pay for boomer retirement entitlements without a HUGE workforce? So maybe Obama's wrong in too ways.

Anyway, I love it when liberals expose how illiberal they are about our bodies and our choices about our parenthood.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


Send the little bastard to Battle School while turning a blind eye while his psychopathic older brother and, somewhat less psychopathic, older sister take over the world's networks.
Ender’s family?

Some people say you’ll need lotsa kids to fight off the Zombies when the CEZA arrives…others argue lotsa of children will be useful to run the farm after the Civilization Ending EMP Attack (CEEMPA)…

Personally isay have as many as you can “afford”..and by afford I mean YOU pay for, not pay for via a xsfer payment from those with fewer children. But if you can afford 10, have 10.

chickelit said...

POTUS sounds clueless because he's just the errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.

The man behind the President's policy is St. Steven Chu, who compared Americans to ‘Teenage Kids’ When It Comes to Energy.

Chu's AGW-driven agenda is freely available online. Start here. Whether you believe AGW real or not, the results we see are part of the plan to counter it.

Chennaul said...

Yikes look at this-the Liberals are reporting this wrong on the other thread-so I'm off to get this more accurate report posted down there-but posting it here first.

I was on the ground in Okaloosa County Florida 2000-it became apparent that the media was reporting our numbers to the Democrats first...

Why who knows?

Anyways the liberals are reporting this as the county "finding" votes but it is actually the Associated Press that misreported it.

************

The latest vote count in the state Supreme Court race in Winnebago County indicates incumbent David Prosser is leading Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in votes.

A tally compiled by The Associated Press Wednesday and used by news organizations statewide, including the Journal Sentinel, indicated Kloppenburg was leading the race by 204 votes. Figures on Winnebago County's website are now different from those collected by the AP.

Winnebago County's numbers say Prosser received 20,701 votes to Kloppenburg's 18,887. The AP has 19,991 for Prosser to Kloppenburg's 18,421.

The new numbers would give Prosser 244 more votes, or a 40 vote llead statewide.

An editor at the AP said the news service became aware of the discrepancy in the past hour. The AP last checked figures with Winnebago County at 10:14 a.m. Wednesday, according to the AP. The county adjusted its figures at 2:27 p.m

jsonline.com

Chennaul said...

Shorter

Prosser is now ahead by +40 votes the AP misreported till now.

prairie wind said...

Maybee said, What do you all think of the way Obama laughs when the guy says he has 10 kids?


I think the same thing I think when I hear him talk about Libya, about pizza, about bitter clingers, about policemen making stupid mistakes, about Japan's earthquake and tsunami, about the weather... I think, "Who the hell voted for this asshole?"

I also think that his exchange with Joe the Plumber told us everything we needed to know about him...and that was before the election.

chickelit said...

After catching up on Wiki, try googling Chu's histrionic editorials published in Science magazine, America's premier research journal. Some of them may be behind paywalls though.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


"Who the hell voted for this asshole?"
He did very well with the blonde and quite pretty law professor demographic I understand…..and the fact that his opponent was a cranky, bitter, base-despising and based-despised old man, certainly helped…..

Dustin said...

Yeah, let's not pretend John Mccain was the choice for non asshole votes.

We had a douche and a turd as options.

Obama was on record favoring high gas prices and wealth redistribution, and Mccain wasn't, but it's sad those were the choices America got.

Dewave said...

They should be subsidizing people who have more kids. Afterall, we're going to need them to pay all those high taxes to keep social security and medicare afloat when we retire.

Henry said...

ScottM wrote: Send the little bastard to Battle School...

That cracked me up. While my first would like to take over the world my third is more likely destined for clown school than battle school. (He's brilliant AND he has empathy!) Right.

Henry said...

They should be subsidizing people who have more kids.

They do. Rather ludicrously.

Scott M said...

(He's brilliant AND he has empathy!) Right.

Yes, but does he have a best friend named "Bean"?

Dewave said...

TWM - you sir have NO respect for the office of the Presidency.

Apparently, neither does Obama.

Mom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
prairie wind said...

Is there a list somewhere of the really stupid things Obama has said? I mean things that make you wonder if he graduated from high school. Things like his explanation of car insurance and now this, his suggestion that if you can't afford the gas, you should buy a new car.

Yesterday, when I heard him say that business don't like uncertainty, I wondered what conversation he must have overheard, to pick up that droplet of wisdom.

As for McCain being a bad choice for president, yes, he was not a good choice. However, he LIKES America and that was a huge point in his favor.

The only good thing Obama has EVER done is to encourage the growth of the Tea Party movement.

Alex said...

I'm back from the sewers of Huffington Post. I need decontamination STAT.

Rialby said...

Was the person who said he had a big car the same guy who said he had 10 guys and was that the same guy who asked the original question?

Not that it really matters, just curious?

Given that they were in NY, I'm shocked he didn't tell the guy to stop driving all together and get on the bush with the rest of the proles.

Btw, also love that he likes to pretend he has the Southern background of most urban blacks when he lapses into his "black dialect". Wonder if they taught that at Punahou.

Anonymous said...

Speaking from experience:

1)Mid sized sedan with decent gas mileage + wife + 2 kids = TIGHT fit and not much room if we're packing bags for a trip

2) 3 kids + wife + me = minivan (or as i prefer to call it, "sportsvan", since i drive like mario andretti

Rialby said...

guys = kids

Sofa King said...

A big car with 4 or 5 people in it is far more efficient than MadisonMan's Prius or whatever with an occupancy of 1.

Food for thought.

Anonymous said...

Obumbles ran for president of the Harvard Law Review and he wound up as president of the United States. How the hell did that happen?

I was more disappointed in 1992 that the American people (well, a plurality) elected draft dodger Bill Clinton over war hero George H.W. Bush. Haven't quite recovered from that.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

$3.759 today

$4.19 for regular $4.39 for diesel.

We have 3 pickup trucks for the business. One for hauling the backhoe. One utility body truck. One general driver for job estimates. Also a 'boom' truck with equipment for pulling large pumps from deep wells.

We fill each truck, except the boom truck, at least once a week...sometimes twice if the jobs are a farther distance away. Filling each truck costs approximately $40.00 to fill the top half of the tank (we never let them get below half full).

And that is just the business vehicles. I haven't even detailed our person transportation costs.

This means we are spending $120 to $200 a WEEK on gasoline. These costs have to be passed onto the customers. Our costs of delivery of equipment (tanks, pumps etc) are also going up due to fuel costs.

Just how in the LIVING FUCK is it going to benefit us to 'trade in' our vehicles for some Green Weenie Mobile that doesn't have the HP to pull a Red Rider Wagon uphill?

Obama lives in a fairy tale land and so do all of his supporters.

There are no, zero, nada, zip, doo squat, NO alternative methods of transportation for the majority of the population that doesn't live in an urbanized area.

To keep raising the cost of gasoline in the hopes that we can all be forced into electric clown cars is doing nothing more than making life ever more painful for the middle class and the working man.

I drove 35 miles today to go to the closest 'local' grocery store. The cost of a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread today was $10.00!! I have no idea how a family with children can make it today.

Fuck Obama and fuck the camel he rode in on.

SukieTawdry said...

rdkraus said...The Zero longs for the good old days of our youth when we would put the top down on a full size convertable Chevy and pile 10-12 people in no sweat. Also, no seatbelts.

In high school, I drove my mother's car(s). Junior year it was a nine-passenger Ford Country Squire (no seatbelts in that either). Boy, could you stuff some teenagers in that baby. Senior year, she got a '65 Mustang. Sweet.

Why do liberals persist in thinking they can end America's love affair with the automobile? Ain't gonna happen.

Steven said...

But it's not easy to ignore him. He is on TV all the time!

Wait, what? We've got a president who's constantly on transvestites and . . .

. . . oh, wait, you meant that 20th century contraption replaced by Internet-connected computers. You guys still using that, do you hang out with the CB hobbyists?

Nate Whilk said...

One of Insty's readers wrote, "Isn’t Obama’s comment, ‘you might want to think about a trade-in’ just one more piece of evidence that he’s innumerate?... gas would have to go a great deal higher before it makes financial sense to replace the car."

Then again, maybe it's evidence of how much Obama is planning to let gas prices go up.

Big Mike said...

My wife summarized it pretty directly when she asked what sort of idiot thinks you can afford a new car if you can't afford gasoline.

reader_iam said...

I suspect the President's response would be that the amount of money saved in the gas budget would be such that a car payment would be more affordable; in other words, the former would help offset the burden of the latter. Well, maybe so and maybe not, depending on individual situation. If we were in the market for a car right now, we likely would take gas mileage into consideration.

The thing is I AM SCREAMING FROM THE HOUSETOPS ECSTATIC (seriously, though not **literally**) that we do not have any car payments right now, and it would be a profoundly stupid thing were we to take on such an obligation right now.

I know for a fact we're not alone in this.

MarkD said...

Who is going to buy the trade-ins? Cash for clunkers II to cover all the folks who will be upside down on their payments? Government Motors floating more taxpayer money to dealers?

This is industrial class stupidity.

I didn't vote for it.

Anonymous said...

You can see it on his face--who are these people? He's the alien-in-chief.

"Abortions for all! ... Very well, no abortions for anyone! ... Hmm. Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!

We must go forward, not backward! Upward, not forward! And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!

Little Towhee said...

Hoosier Daddy wrote: There is no reason anyone should have more than two children.

The problem isn't the number of children; it's the quality of parents. Two sorry-ass parents pro-creating two children does NOT equal two responsible parents pro-creating children. . . sadly enough, the quality of the population is affected by the quality of parents.

So if you limit responsible people to just two children, your population and culture could be overtaken by sorry-ass parents reproducing more like themselves. Responsible, smart parents should not be limited to quantity of children. They actually do our country a service by having more children.

It's not about sustaining a number or resources ultimately. It's about people's character.

I come from a family with 6 daughters, and I myself have 5 children. Trust me, my husband, his parents, and his sibling consumed WAY MORE food and resources than my whole family did.

Sorry, but you and Obama don't know what you are talking about.

Anonymous said...

Well, if you don't know anything about farmers, ranchers, electricians, field technicians, road crews, plumbers, carpenters, roustabouts-- you know, working people-- you think everyone's good with a Cooper Mini.

Politicians and public figures need limos, SUVs, and private jets, of course. They're different from the rest of us.

wv: nograt; The nograts fail to appreciate the brilliance of Obama, they should be thanking him. It would be easier to be president of China.

Robin said...

This from a man who travels in an immense motorcade that blocks traffic for hours when he visits a town.

Known Unknown said...

I'm thinking of a different kind of trade-in.

reader_iam said...

If ever evidence were to be needed that the Althouse readership is in at least a 3rd wave, but more likely somewhere between late 3rd wave and early 5th wave, it can be found in this very thread and at least one other over the last couple of days (sorry, haven't read them all: honestly, couldn't due to IRL stuff):

See the reaction to hoosierdaddy's posts.

Those reactions demonstrate a clear lack of historical (dare I say institutional knowledge?) in action and motion. A few others have already tried to point out what Hoosier's doing and to imply what I'm trying to explicate; the fact that there haven't been more underscores, rather than undercuts, the point.
---
For the record, regardless of whether, whenever or however I've agreed with hoosierdaddy or not, he's been one of the most remarkably consistent folks in terms of his positions (substance, for those who insist on that catchphrase, or even the keyword) over, now, a whole number of years on this blog.

He finally decides to play as he's seen so many do before and he's supposed to been seen as someone who, for example, thinks government ought to be involved in discouraging people from making such personal decisions as, for example, how many kids to have?!!

Laughing my ass off ...

even though I actually don't think this is particularly funny.

----

/saying even the scant 15%-20% of all of what I think about all of that.

kimsch said...

We have a Yukon that seats eight. The Little Guy (10) is still in a booster because he's under 80 pounds (54) and I think he's also under the height parameter as well.

With three kids we need the extra seating if we want to go somewhere with Grandma and not take two vehicles.

We can also make Sam's and Costco runs without putting large packages of toilet paper or paper towels on a child's lap in order to get it home like we did in our old Toyota Corolla Tercel.

We can go camping with our Yukon, packing up the back with tents, coolers, equipment, etc., or we can pull a camper trailer. Couldn't do that well with the Toyota either.

wv: phytiv

reader_iam said...

""Obama seems stunned that someone might actually *need* a larger vehicle rather than using it as a status symbol.""

I've finally figured out what bothers me so damn much about that.

I know plenty of people who opt for the larger vehicle over having multiple ones. They've sacrificed to buy it; they've sacrificed in terms of what owning just one vehicle means in terms of daily lifestyle.

To be clear: This is not my situation (we are not a one-vehicle family, though we are a very low daily-use-of-vehicles one).

But those among the various homeschooling groups with which I'm involved who have made that choice--

have made a very principled one.

They often have larger families (in today's terms, even just four--especially if the kids are close in age and under, say 8-10). The father (or whichever main breadwinner, gender's not really the thing) often takes a bus, bikes or is dropped off either at the place of the work or the commuting-place-to-which point (shades of my grandparents era!!!!!!).

This is not--REPEAT, is not--an extraordinary occurrence. To the contrary, I've seen that situation replicated to undeniable degree over many years.

So, tell me again why it's such a horrible choice to have a larger vehicle based on the requirements of one's life.

More to the point, tell me why that's worse than, say, a profile in which a 4-member family has 3-5 (or even 2-3) so-called environmentally more correct vehicles?

Please be precise and exact while you're at it.

Renee said...

Hoosier Daddy :"There is no reason anyone should have more than two children. Replacement rates are sufficient and growth is attainable by allowing unfettered immigration.
Obama is perfectly correct in this."


As someone who has four children, I only wish you could realize how painfully hurtful that statement is. Children are not 'replacements', they're human beings, unique and individual. Each one of them, not just the first two! They have every right to exist, and to be treated equally without discrimination.

I live in a medium size city in Massachusetts, most things are walkable. We don't consume much, and we recycle, our trash never going over the allotted trash bin.

I do need a mini van, but I don't commute. I don't sit in traffic. With four children, trips to the market/store are well planned and efficient.

Do you think I take a plane often?

Everything I really need is within the city, and in the summer near the beach or White Mountains.

The only problem is my husband's commute, out in a suburban office park, which has nothing to do with family size.

Scott M said...

Hopefully for the last time, Hoosier's comment was SARCASM. If I'm wrong about that, God please strike me down now.

reader_iam said...

Me too, Scott M., me too!

PEOPLE, IT WAS SARCASM.

reader_iam said...

"Ok I'm done commenting like one of the usual Althouse liberals. I just wanted to see what it was like to toss out Alpha/Jeremyesque snark but in a more well written style.

Now I need to take a shower. As you were.
4/7/11 12:50 PM
-- Hoosier Daddy

Henry said...

It was such dry sarcasm that I wondered, for a moment, that maybe Althouse had inadvertently hit upon the one issue where Hoosier Daddy was totally balmy. I actually have a great friend who would agree with those sentiments (in a funny, iconoclastic, no-offense-meant kind of way). I don't let it bother me. And since this remark was from Hoosier Daddy I kept my response mild.

geoffrobinson said...

I remember driving back from the sonogram, after finding out I was to have twins while already having a 10 month old at home. After the shock wore off, I realized our SUV (purchased with two kids in mind) would have to be traded in for a mini-van.

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