Normally, owning a Prius would be a political asset, a convenient way to display environmental awareness. Indeed, McCain told The New York Times last year that he bought his daughter a Prius as a way to personally address global warming (although he thought it was called a “Peer-uss”).
But now, with Michigan considered a key battleground state, McCain is waffling on the Prius purchase. “Actually, I think she bought it,” McCain said after a Detroit newscaster asked him why he would choose a Japanese hybrid over an American alternative. That was not a good enough answer for UAW president Ron Gettelfinger, who said McCain’s Prius flip-flop raised a “credibility issue” and questioned McCain’s “level of support.”
The beleaguered American auto industry has already been enjoying a moment in the political spotlight. Both presidential candidates have pledged their support for direct government loans to GM, Ford, and Chrysler, and Congress may approve an aid package within the next few months.
Does it matter to you if McCain bought a foreign car or is this just an overblown controversy? Let us know what you think.
Source: Detroit Free Press