Triangulation

Or how to prove you're even dumber than your opponents

Posted by Adam Browning (Guest Contributor) at 10:43 AM on 07 May 2008

There are a lot of things I miss about Bill Clinton. "Triangulation" is not one of them.

For those unfamiliar with the term, triangulation is the political strategy by which a candidate takes the stupidest ideas of his/her opponent and adopts them as his/her own, thus depriving one's opponent of a monopoly on stupidity and dispelling any misconception that you might be a candidate of substance and principle.

If you remember, after the spectacular rise of the charismatic Bill Clinton, political consultants identified "triangulation" as the key to his victory. A cynical person might say that's because consultants can make more money telling would-be candidates how to triangulate than how to be as charismatic as Bill.

Anyway, that's what I think is behind Hillary's embrace of the gas-tax holiday. Beh.

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4 Comments | Post a Comment

Hillary's gas tax holiday plan makes sense

In general I agree that gas should be expensive, so people will use less of it.

But gas is getting so expensive so fast that it's hurting a lot of people. Even without the tax, the price will encourage people to consume less of it.

And note that Hillary would have the oil companies pay the tax. This is a dramatic departure from McCain's proposal. Hillary was the only one of the candidates to vote against the Bush/Cheney energy (windfall profits to the oil companies) bill. Obama is the candidate who has received the highest donations from oil company executives. This might explain why Obama, after voting three times for a gas tax holiday as an Illinois state official, is suddenly against it when gas is even higher.

The gas tax holiday proposal doesn't change the fact that Hillary's energy and environmental record and her plans for the future are worlds better than those of both her opponents.

by Shel at 1:59 PM on 07 May 2008

Better for the long term...

But gas is getting so expensive so fast that it's hurting a lot of people.

If it didn't become expensive quickly, and rose in price gradually instead, then people would simply adjust to it and there wouldn't be any change in habits.

Likewise, if they stay the same as they are, then people will eventually adjust to it, and whatever changes they've made to their habits will eventually be undone.

The only way to bring about a paradigm shift in theis situation is for prices to rise very much and very rapidly.

Any hurt being brought on now would be increased a thousand fold if we were to continue with the ways things were before the price spikes.

by Tasermons Partner at 11:03 PM on 07 May 2008

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by tiffanylove at 1:07 AM on 08 May 2008

Think it through

"And note that Hillary would have the oil companies pay the tax."

And where, pray tell, do the oil companies get their money from?? Taxing oil companies is an indirect way of taxing the consumer, since the oil companies will adjust the price accordingly to remain profitable. It doesn't matter where the tax is placed - directly on the consumer at the pump or on the oil company - the cost will be paid by those who use the product.

The "gas tax holiday" is a complete joke, it won't save the average driver any noticeable sum, and our national deficit is in bad enough shape as it is with the rebate checks coming out this summer.

by mike365 at 9:23 AM on 08 May 2008

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