McCain goes Fusion

Finally, some good news out of Washington.

I am very pleased to hear he didn't announce an order for the Volt, but that he was actually taking delivery of a real hybrid vehicle.

 

Unfortunately he had to buy a US-made car. Can you see a US Senator buying an import hybrid?

 

Interesting combo of thoughts, here. So he bought a U.S.-made car (made in Mexico) . . . as a political statement (supporting NAFTA? immigration reform? higher border fences, except for Fords?). Hmm.

 

He probably thought it was nuclear fusion powered, and was making a pro-nuke statement ound:

 

Ha ha - that would be funny if Sen. McCain had an average American IQ, or even came across as uneducated (like Bush is known for appearing to be not too bright). He's actually quite educated and experienced, especially when it comes to energy and anything technical. He was a line officer in the U.S. Navy for well over 20 years, the navy of a large percentage warships utilizing nuclear fission, not fusion. All line officers are fed a steady and heavy dose of education in science and engineering, no matter what their undergrad major was.

You are right, though - McCain is very pro-nuclear power. But that has nothing to do with his purchase of a Ford Fusion.

 

Good for him - I'd also say it was also a good publicity move for Ford too.

 

CAPT John S. McCain, USN (Ret.) would not have studied nuclear propulsion as an aviator. Not in greater depth than the average fortune cookie, anyway. I know he flew off of Enterprise for a while, but that doesn't mean he ever saw the engineering spaces. Not to mock the good senator (especially since I'm a Navy line officer myself), but any man who calls Sarah Palin "the nation's foremost expert on energy" has somewhat dubious credentials in this area.

That said, I'm happy he's buying a hybrid. He painted himself as quite the reactionary during the campaign, practically making a press conference out of the sending of his first email and all that. I'm glad that he has chosen to embrace change. He gets three maverick points.

Bravo Zulu, Senator.

 

I never said he studied nuclear propulsion. I said that all line officers get a heavy dose of science and engineering throughout their careers.

I beg to differ about "not in greater depth than the average fortune cookie." Every student at USNA, even if they major in English or History, is required to take three semesters of Naval Engineering, 2 semesters of Physics, 2 semesters of Chemistry, 2 semesters of Electrical Engineering, 3 semesters of Naval Science, and 4 semesters of calculus. In the Naval Engineering and Naval Science courses they learn about all different types of aircraft engines and naval propulsion, including nuclear.

I work with aviators and SWOs, and they all understand the very basics of nuclear power. Some of them can even draw a basic system schematic. Your "average Joe" does not understand the basics of nuclear power, nor does he understand the difference between fission and fusion.

 

That was a gaff that I'm sure he regrets saying. All politicians make them now and then, some more than others, like GW Bush and Joe Biden. There are moments when every politician stretches the truth in order to bolster his/her argument or to say something that he thinks the audience wants to hear.

Or sometimes a "talkative" politician's brain gets ahead of his mouth, resulting in key words being skipped. Perhaps he meant to say that Gov. Palin had her own staff energy advisor who happens to be an expert on energy. And then the truth was stretched in order for the mouth to keep up with the brain. I witness this all the time just among casual conversations with people, not just politicians.

 

Knowing how he managed his run for the presidency, I wouldn't put it past him. I mean he is a real nice guy and did wonders for the State of AZ and the Senate Committees he served on, but seemed to go mindless during the debates.

 

Hey, awesome. I voted for the other guy, BUT I am really pleased with McCain for his choice. Now, if he would just sell some of his energy sucking homes.

 

Verizon?


.

 

I had an iPhone, then stood in line for the iPhone 3g. Last christmas my friend showed me the data transfer speeds on his Verizon phone, and after about my one thousandth dropped call from "the network with the fewest dropped calls" I went ahead and switched to Verizon. That and my entire ownership the only time I saw 3g networks were at airports in a few major cities.