Can gas-guzzlers be green? At 16 miles per gallon (mpg), I think not. Regardless, trucks may be the next fad in Massachusetts, according to an article in the Boston Globe. No longer are trucks seen as a workingman’s vehicle. Now they are winning elections.
As residents across the Bay State jumped aboard Scott Brown’s truck campaign, electing him to replace the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate Seat, his truck also gained a following. A 2005 GMC Canyon, the vehicle was the focus of many campaign commercials. According to the Boston Globe, local GMC dealerships have recently seen a surge in interest surrounding the vehicle, and are attributing it to the campaign.
According to the article, of the 36,000+ GMC Canyons burning rubber and gas on U.S. streets, only 609 are in Massachusetts. In fact, while the most popular car nationwide is the rugged Ford F-150, the Bay State’s pick is the Toyota Camry, followed by the Honda Accord. So how and why did this truck gain popularity? How did a gas-guzzling truck, in a state that prefers economical cars, win an election?
It was all about spin.
But before we run to our nearest dealer and buy a truck, let’s pop the hood and take a closer look. Although the truck campaign won votes, what effect will it have on the Massachusetts environment? The Bay State may not be as “blue”, but hopefully it will remain green.
How do you think the “truck campaign” affected the recent election results?
The "rural" vs. "urban" political phenomenon in this country is fascinating, especially when iconic symbols such as the pick-up truck are used to influence voters. It reminds me of other politicians using the "cowboy" image to represent the "American spirit." Being from Montana myself, seeing Obama don a cowboy hat melted a little piece of my heart (teardrop) but I could probably do a slideshow of every U.S. president or presidential candidate using some such "rural" symbol to attract that set of voters. And if you look at the red/blue map for MA in the recent election, you can see the red areas are primarily rural.
ReplyDeleteWhether everyone will run out and buy a GMC pick-up? With gas prices these days, I think consumers will still be looking for good gas mileage!