Obamateurism of the Day
posted at 8:05 am on April 17, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Barack Obama announced his new transportation-stimulus initiatives yesterday, including a renewed emphasis on rail infrastructure. In trying to sell rail service to a nation that has mostly eschewed it, though, Obama tried trotting out the notion that train riders don’t have to worry about security:
What we need, then, is a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st century. A system that reduces travel times and increases mobility. A system that reduces congestion and boosts productivity. A system that reduces destructive emissions and creates jobs.
What we’re talking about is a vision for high-speed rail in America. Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes.
Forget, for the moment, that one still has to get to the train terminal just the same as one gets to the airport, and that one still has to walk across rail terminals just as they do to get to airport gates. Forget, too, that trains are notoriously late, causing delays, even if in Obama’s utopian vision that he alone can get the trains to run on time. “Taking off your shoes” refers to security practices at airports adopted after Richard Reid’s aborted attempt to blow up a plane with explosive shoes. Is Obama seriously arguing that train terminals won’t have to have security against terrorist attack?
Does “Madrid 2004″ ring any bells?
We can certainly enjoy a laugh over the notion that trains are the 21st-century technology Obama has in mind for transportation. Having a President casually dismiss security at rail terminals, especially if he succeeds in getting people on the trains, is another matter entirely.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.
Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!









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I get the impression that national security is not very high on Obambi’s list of priorities.
aikidoka on April 17, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Someone has to say it:
THE TRAINS WILL RUN ON TIME.
Mommypundit on April 17, 2009 at 8:10 AM
Dagny Taggart, your office called.
Sekhmet on April 17, 2009 at 8:10 AM
That was Mussolini’s claim-to-fame too. After the Italians deposed him they were asked why they gave him absolute power in the first place. The response was “he got the trains to run on time.”
crazy_legs on April 17, 2009 at 8:10 AM
One word: Monorail!
flipflop on April 17, 2009 at 8:12 AM
this guy is a visionary
devadevadasa on April 17, 2009 at 8:12 AM
I was looking at the idea for the Midwest hub and trying to figure why anyone would want to ride from Detroit to Toledo to Chicago to Milwaukee to wherever. I grew up in the Midwest and I can understand people wanting to travel to Chicago, but the “hub” idea doesn’t seem very useful.
BigD on April 17, 2009 at 8:14 AM
In recent days Obama also said we should be more like Spain, France and Japan. Amazing. Spain has been moribund for about a few hundred years, France is socialist, and Japan is not so bad, but had that little 10 year recession due to too much government meddling. These are the countries he holds up for us to emulate.
forest on April 17, 2009 at 8:14 AM
It’s the sign of the true lefty. If it’s not America, it must be better.
flipflop on April 17, 2009 at 8:15 AM
to install a hi speed rail system would require building a completely new system.Our current rail couldn’t be efficiently adapted. New right of way would be required. Think of all the eminent domain law suits.
People who want the US to have hi-speed rail usually get their idea from observing the rail system in Europe or Japan. They also make the same mistake in that they overlook the differences of distance.
oldernwiser on April 17, 2009 at 8:16 AM
he said ‘smart’, so I believe it
gatorboy on April 17, 2009 at 8:17 AM
Not to forget India, they also got a problem of man-caused disasters connected to their railway.
the_nile on April 17, 2009 at 8:17 AM
So,the Changes Obama wants,in his grand new mode of transportation,for the future,is to go back to the
rail services dating back to the 1900`s!!!!!!!
Now thats HOPE!(Sarc).
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:18 AM
Awesome.
I think we should expand Amtrak and create a new cabinet level position. No scratch that, needs to be a czar level position – more power.
I always laugh when “smart” these days. I haven’t put my finger on it, it usually goes hand in hand with lib causes. If they say it’s smart, then it must be? If you oppose the plan you are not smart? They seem overly concerned with being smart or stupid, almost like they are overcompensating ;). Smart people don’t usually go around telling everyone how smart they are.
Green technology is smart. Foreign policy that makes our country weak is smart. I guess trains are smart.
reaganaut on April 17, 2009 at 8:19 AM
Ironic song, in a number of ways.
Shy Guy on April 17, 2009 at 8:20 AM
In his mind trains are mass transit and the proper way to move people rather then individuals using cars. Off course the number one target of terror groups has been mass transit hubs from Madrid to Mumbai.
rob verdi on April 17, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Worried about Secruity on trains?
Me thinks Hopey,is unaware of the French Resistence,the
SAS,and American special-ops back World War Two at the
art of blowing up trains and tracks,on the road to
Berlin!!
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:22 AM
There is a big push to get rail here in Madison right now. It’s expected to cost up to a billion dollars (potentially) and move an estimated 1200 people a day.
It’s an often railed against (ha!) topic on the local radio shows.
BadgerHawk on April 17, 2009 at 8:25 AM
Somebody has to say it…. In order to get Obama’s BFF William Ayer’s 25 million conservatives into those re-educations camps Obama is going to need more trains…. And cattle cars…
doriangrey on April 17, 2009 at 8:27 AM
Sorry Ed…I see you did mention the prompt train service. I didn’t mean to take your line…ahhhh….
Anyway, of course Madrid doesn’t rind a bell. Didn’t he forget the train bombing in a “major” speech anyway?
Dunce. But a dangerous marxist one.
Mommypundit on April 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
Those aren’t visions. They’re hallucinations.
backwoods conservative on April 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
The Liberal Ministry of Transportation,
Hopey`s Temple Pillar Train Community
Organizing Division,
all abroard,the ObamaXPress!(Snark).
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
dear God.
Mommypundit on April 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
Japan is not so bad, but had that little 10 year recession due to too much government meddling. These are the countries he holds up for us to emulate.
forest on April 17, 2009 at 8:14 AM
Don’t forget that Japan is dying out from an aging population and extremely low fertility.
I was looking at the idea for the Midwest hub and trying to figure why anyone would want to ride from Detroit to Toledo to Chicago to Milwaukee to wherever. I grew up in the Midwest and I can understand people wanting to travel to Chicago, but the “hub” idea doesn’t seem very useful.
BigD on April 17, 2009 at 8:14 AM
Not only that, but unless these trains are leaving their respective locations at a pretty high frequency, driving from place to place is probably the less time-consuming option when you’re talking distances of that magnitude, although it would be less convenient to drive.
If they’re looking for names for the train system, how about “Boondoggle Express”?
venividivici on April 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
OK, it’s clear to me now . . . we definitely need a “choo choo” Czar.
rplat on April 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
Back in the days of the cold war, the Soviets got a huge laugh when the government broke up AT&T; they revelled in the fact that the “americans” were breaking up the most advanced & comprehensive communications system in the world.
Having traveled in Europe, and understanding the benefits of the rail system… now he wants to build more trains after we have spent the last 25 years turning them into bike trails & jogging paths?
There must be some Soviet humor here somewhere.
singlemalt_18 on April 17, 2009 at 8:29 AM
We do we need to “move people” anyway? Our cars are fine. Thanks!
Mommypundit on April 17, 2009 at 8:29 AM
His promise to make the trains run on time is probably appropriate for him since he so often adopts Mussolini’s chin up in the air pose.
backwoods conservative on April 17, 2009 at 8:30 AM
I tried to figure out some clever way to say this… but I just come back to “He’s an idiot.”
mankai on April 17, 2009 at 8:31 AM
If Mussolini could do it, I’m sure fellow fascist BHo can.
jgapinoy on April 17, 2009 at 8:31 AM
“Imagine”–Obama vs. Lennon
Imagine all the people living for today, without a country, living in peace [wearing shoes], and imagine the world will be as one.
Deconstruction of an Ideal
Obama the usurper plagiarizes every concept and corrupts it in the process in order to promote his own power to abuse us. Schade, his propaganda abuse won’t force him to meet Yoko Ono in court over intellectual property rights. Question remains, is Yoko Ono on board Obama’s train?
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 8:31 AM
Whats old, is new again!
Btw,where the hell is the grand plan,of Obama`s new
America,is there transparency,or does Obama actually
have a plan tucked away in Rahm Manuels office,or
is it hidden in Ayers desk!!!!!!!!!!!!!
or,is Obama winging it on one wing,but no prayer!!ahem.
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Instead of saying,
“Aaaargh! You said it 1st!”
I’ll say,
“Great minds think alike.”
: )
jgapinoy on April 17, 2009 at 8:33 AM
The real reason why the Japanese have a railway system that is admired worldwide for it’s efficiency is due to the fact that it is run by a group of private companies since 1987. Our country should turn over Amtrack and USPS to the private sector. But, it will never happen due to their labor unions.
eigafan on April 17, 2009 at 8:33 AM
OK Mr. Smartypants.
Compared to what? Planes are faster and more mobile. Buses are more mobile. Cars are the most mobile. How is something that runs on fixed and dwindling rail lines more mobile?
Reduces congestion where? Is he talking about interstate transportation? Every major city already has rail lines. Americans love their cars, I can’t wait to see what Barack does to force people out of cars and into trains (because that is the only way that will happen).
A system that reduces destructive emissions and creates jobs.
Destructive… OK, we are never going to progress, are we?
Back to the old creates jobs schtick. Of course, everything The One plans will save the planet and creates jobs (just don’t ask for specifics).
So we’ll create a handful of jobs in pursuit of the liberal Utopia of bubble-bath powered trains that emit rainbows and flowers, while losing more real jobs in the auto industry and the airline industry.
We will cripple our economy and future and the climate will still change.
Smart.
reaganaut on April 17, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Imagine, if there are trains, then he can raise the tax on automobiles and fuel they use, so high that we have no choice but to ride trains. This has the potential to rob us of another freedom somewhat subversively.
mindhacker on April 17, 2009 at 8:36 AM
I was wondering what we were going to do with all that extra money we have nowadays.
BlueCollarAstronaut on April 17, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Ok , so who’s going to buy those GM cars?
the_nile on April 17, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Somebody has to say it…..
doriangry on April 17,2009 at 8:27AM.
doriangry: Your right! While the distractions are going on,
this is how it really did happen!
The wolves were/are busy!!
Your kidding,and I`m joking,but history
lessons should never be forgotten!!!:)
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:41 AM
Who spiked his cocaine? On the other hand, we are all aware of the infatuations that fascists have with trains and why. With that said we should be “smart” to oppose the measure.
larvcom on April 17, 2009 at 8:42 AM
I thought just the same thing! I can’t see the auto companies being in love with this idea. And the UAW sure as hell can’t build a rail system.
On the other hand, high speed rail out of Detroit would make it easier for people to leave the state faster and in groups.
BigD on April 17, 2009 at 8:42 AM
mindhacker, thanks for giving me at least One reason why bambi & Rahm want to do this.
other than just throwing away our money, what is the real reason here? does this garner votes in the midwest?
how does this boondoggle help bambi & michelle’s children?
kelley in virginia on April 17, 2009 at 8:42 AM
Ha! He must have gotten his idiotic talking points from “famed rail enthusiast, Joe Biden”.
Even if security were not an issue, to push mass transit solutions because you “don’t have to take off your shoes” is an incredibly lame argument.
Buy Danish on April 17, 2009 at 8:42 AM
The Chinese.
Tommy_G on April 17, 2009 at 8:42 AM
Nice! Snorted coffee all over my mac. Was just thinking the same thing.
Well, I’m doing my part – carpooling with others to Lexington, MA on Monday at 5:00 am to get to the “Battle of Lexington” reenactment – I need a bit of inspiration. Does that count as smart,efficient transportation?
gopmom on April 17, 2009 at 8:44 AM
Hmmm, “Battle of Lexington” reenactment pretty much disqualifies you…. Unless you and your fellow carpoolies also drive yourselves to the nearest William Ayer’s Memorial Community Re-Education Facility on the way there… ;0
doriangrey on April 17, 2009 at 8:48 AM
In order to be put on a train,will the government supply
new General Motors segways!!(Sarc).
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:50 AM
There are snakes on the M***** F***** train!
rightside on April 17, 2009 at 8:51 AM
And one other leeeetle detail: Japan has massively populous cities that are very close to each other by American standards. I fly all over the country from Dallas, and there are numerous flights a day that I can take. How many trans per day, under Oboingo’s vision of the future, would run from, say, Dallas to Chicago, and how long would it take? If you can’t answer “7 or 8 trains” and “under 4 hours”, I couldn’t see using it.
Oboingo has a late 19th Century view of the world, as is consistent with his general “ignorant peasant” economics.
mr.blacksheep on April 17, 2009 at 8:53 AM
They’ll need some Reardon Metal for this new high speed Comet. Maybe BO should go buy a steel company so he can get the new track built.
Aggie85 on April 17, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Engineer coordinated traffic lights.
Save fuel.
Save time.
Obama as Working Class Hero ?
“It’s something to be; just follow me.”
For all the money spent connecting Dallas to San Antonio, what good does it do if you need to go further north, south, east or west than the rail line goes? As a nation, we must exercise our imagination to envision effective bus lines, though the public transportation gets and wastes tons of tax-funding. How many cities around the nation offer public transportation from airports to inner city or suburbs, for instance?
We have a rail system. We had (have?) Amtrak that cost tons to maintain without producing self sufficiency through ridership.
I have always appreciated the need for our nation’s rail system. But putting it into the goverment’s hands will leave it paid for but never produced. Look at how contracts are signed, money spent, project unfinished, and somehow the taxpayer has to pay more and more than contracted for the job.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 8:55 AM
I like this song, too. Just saying.
genso on April 17, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Um..ah..trains today…and um..ah..duh..duh..
oh ya..um..ah..and cars gone tomorrow..ah..um…..
canopfor on April 17, 2009 at 8:56 AM
ROTFL. What is this, a fairy tale where the village idiot is king?
Dusty on April 17, 2009 at 8:58 AM
Gotta ask: who is behind this brilliant idea?
Is this a global warming/climate change lobby or a rail manufacturing corporation?
Or maybe when the government takes over all of the auto makers – they will be retooled to build the trains.
Exactly. Doofus.
tru2tx on April 17, 2009 at 8:58 AM
And we won’t need fuel or electricity to run these new “green” trains. The libs are gonna put the tracks on a hill.
LibTired on April 17, 2009 at 8:58 AM
Good Morning, dorian.
I’m anticipating receiving my “invitation” to the Reeducation Center any day now, especially considering my CNN interview at the Boston Tea Party. I figure Im on someone’s list.
But when Billy boy referred to the infamous “25 million” he was not talking reeducation, he was talking casualties.
As someone originally from the Mid-West I pretty sure the train initiative won’t fly – we love our cars too much. And the trains out there only run at night. To catch a train from Cleveland to the East coast, there are four a week & you leave at 4 AM, with all trains going to Washington DC. Going west, it’s 12 AM four days a week, with all trains through Chicago. Hmmm, coincidence? (Disclaimer – that was the schedule 4 years ago.)
gopmom on April 17, 2009 at 8:58 AM
YES people will ride the trains…
Once the car companies like GM and Chrysler are out of business.
Gee, I hope they don’t use Reardon Steel for the project. ;)
mechkiller_k on April 17, 2009 at 8:58 AM
So I’ll never be running late on my way to the train station just when I am going to the airport? Can’t wait for that.
ctmom on April 17, 2009 at 8:59 AM
Love the “Atlas” reference.
Maybe we’ll but the steel from China with all the money they keep lending us? Or maybe the Chinese will just send over crews to build it for us – like they did in the century before last.
gopmom on April 17, 2009 at 9:03 AM
The John Galt line may be the best line in the Union but with all the looters and moochers it will fall apart sooner rather than later. It won’t matter how much Rearden Steel you have at your disposal.
theguardianii on April 17, 2009 at 9:03 AM
If you want to kill lots of people on a train, you don’t put a bomb on the plane. You take out a bridge, just before the train gets there.
Not only that, but there are 10′s of thousands of bridges around the US. Take out a few dozen of them, and rail traffic will just about grind to a halt, for months.
MarkTheGreat on April 17, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Sorry, “buy the steel.”
gopmom on April 17, 2009 at 9:04 AM
seems I was a little slow on the Atlas Shrugged reference…darn.
theguardianii on April 17, 2009 at 9:04 AM
There’s nothing overtly wrong with high-speed rail. Its just that it costs oodles of money and requires people to actually, you know, use it. AmTrak’s biggest problems are that they are never on time, and they share rails w/ freight trains that usually have right of way.
There currently is very little to no security when boarding an amtrak train, or a DC metro train. My view is that amtrak at least isn’t much of a target because it would have very little impact on the nation. I am slightly surprised/relieved that major metros haven’t been targeted more.
kerncon on April 17, 2009 at 9:06 AM
I live in Montana, you frigging idiot. How does a massive transit system work when the population is NOT concentrated in one particular area and the population is, in fact, sparse.
By the by, he lived in Chicago. Did he ever ride on the El? I did when I lived there. Remember the gang warfare, the bodies found on the tracks and in the trains, the failures and delays due to crap like that? ahh, yes, mass transit is definitely the way to go!!
mjk on April 17, 2009 at 9:06 AM
If he doesnt think that train will be a large target for terrorists then he is delusional.
umm..er..never mind. He has been delusional since he took office.
becki51758 on April 17, 2009 at 9:06 AM
i dont have to take off my shoes to get on a subway car…why would I have to take off my shoes to get on uberamtrak?
ernesto on April 17, 2009 at 9:08 AM
and there’s the other problem. The government is essentially in charge of GM. The One wants to build mass transit via the trains. He wants everyone to abandon cars and ride the rails, as it were. Therefore, the decrease in demand for GM cars would be driven by the people who tried to save GM from bankruptcy. Wow, SOMEONE didn’t take economics on the way to becoming the smarterest man in the world!1eleventy!!!111!!!!
(why people are buying Toyota and Honda, part 83904710938)
mjk on April 17, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Oh, promises, promises
misslizzi on April 17, 2009 at 9:09 AM
It doesn’t hurt that Japan squeezes a population about half as big as the US’s, into a country about the size of California.
MarkTheGreat on April 17, 2009 at 9:09 AM
I remember there was a plot by Hitler to bomb several railroads and the Horseshoe Curve. At the time the Horseshoe Curve was a major distributer of goods during WW2. I cant remember how they uncovered that plot….maybe by torturing German POW’s. heh
becki51758 on April 17, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Population density is one of the reason why trains make more sense in Europe as well.
MarkTheGreat on April 17, 2009 at 9:10 AM
The problem with Amtrak is it doesn’t own the rails it runs on. They are owned by private freight companies, and those companies constantly cancel Amtrak.
Lest Obama read this and get the idea into his head that he should nationalize those rails, um, no. Trains are an idiotic idea for long-distance travel. Drop it altogether.
Talk about an 18th century mentality.
amkun on April 17, 2009 at 9:11 AM
With all due respect, thats Chicago. NYC’s subways no longer have gang warfare going on. Failures and delays, however, are a fact of life with public transport.
ernesto on April 17, 2009 at 9:11 AM
Sacramento County has failed to build any new freeway for the better part of twenty years because home owners won’t allow them “into my backyard”. How’s is a set of tracks any different in this case? Amtrack’s a joke and broke five years out of six.
Obama’s looking for a program he can attach to his 10 trillion “free” government health and education programs paid for by his energy cap and trade policies that will distribute the wealth more efficiently, while putting a gravestone on capitalism. All this while our Homeland Security labels dissenter’s as extreme right-wing terrorist. Obama’s right about one thing—-some one’s trackless.
Rovin on April 17, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Hell, Obama will buy corrupted quality Chinese steel and contract Mexican firms for the work contracts via Calderón. All of the tax funds will be spent by corrupt government officials involved in the deals; and the project will be slip shod if completed at all.
LIVE AND LEARN
Obama organized the simple reconstruction of Altgeld Gardens public housing for the poor and elderly 5 YEARS AGO, raided the funding for himself and his crony lawyers involved in the scheme, and are still “promising” completion of the apt. building in another 5 years.
Keep Obama’s hands off projects. Keep Obama’s friends far away from public projects!
Here is where Obama should get Mitt Romney into the action. This coordination of efforts demanding quality results within the budget and on time is where Romney would benefit this presidency, by actually benefiting America. Left to his own, Obama curses America with every “blessing” he coerces FROM us. From his campaign, Romney promoted government work projects, so there should be no conflict of interest in Obama appointing Romney with the responsibility. Again, as POTUS, the onus is on Obama to cross those bridges (even though he can’t build them himself).
heh. A Jewish friend with the goal once to become the first female rabbi taught me that a BLESSING is something a person DOES for another, rather than receives from another.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:13 AM
If Obama really wanted to cut congestion and decrease full consumption, he could subsidize the conversion of our cities traffic light system from independant lights to a coordinated system.
But that would encourage people to keep using those evil cars. Using mass transit, it’s much easier to control the masses.
MarkTheGreat on April 17, 2009 at 9:15 AM
I don’t have to remove my shoes to get into my car, either.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:15 AM
I should mention “in America.” Japan pulls it off, but that’s only because Japan is a small country the size of California and the longest bullet train ride is like five hours. Even then, most people only ride for about two hours.
There are better options, like air, for travel in America.
amkun on April 17, 2009 at 9:15 AM
MarkTheGreat on April 17, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Glad to agree.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:17 AM
[tru2tx on April 17, 2009 at 8:58 AM]
Somewhat, but neither, really. It’s the master planners of the local and state government variety that are steeped in zoning code and have office computer with their personal copy of Sim City loaded on it which they play during lunchtime.
Dusty on April 17, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Monorail is to liberals as cargo was to bushmen in Borneo.
TexasJew on April 17, 2009 at 9:19 AM
PHX, AZ engineered timed traffic lights 45 mph before building its first freeway “outside” of town.
SMART is as smart does.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Which is one of the biggest problems with mass transportation. It becomes a single point of failure.
Roads and private automobiles are, on the other hand, massively redundant.
MarkTheGreat on April 17, 2009 at 9:20 AM
Another vision not thought through properly. I suspect 10 or 15 years from now we will be looking at miles and miles of unused track littering our landscape.
sherry on April 17, 2009 at 9:21 AM
But how can you check the tire pressure of a train?
That confused Obama for a while.
TexasJew on April 17, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Will Obama be able to say he “made the trains run on time”? The last person to lay stake to that was Mussolini. Just as with most things with Obama, that wasn’t REALLY true of Il Duce.
Great company our POTUS keeps, eh?
hawksruleva on April 17, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Well, we’re gonna need more trains to get people to the mandatory civil service camps Rahm wanted to set up.
CP on April 17, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Over at “The Corner,” Jerry Taylor offers solid evidence with links to think-tank studies that exposes the folly of Obama’s rail ambitions:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGVlNWY3ODFiYWVmM2ZkNzc2ZGRiMmRmYWE4ODNlZjA=
Richard Nadler offers his own observations as well, having served on a transportation board:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGQ5YmJhYjQ3NmViOWEwZmZhMTU3YTcyZjg5NWI3ZjY=
The bottom line is that high-speed rail is cost ineffective, more ecologically destructive, and insecure.
To cite either Japanese or European models to make his case, Obama ignores the differences in size and scope of those places in contrast to the US. Also, he disregards the point that Europe relies on its highway system over its rail for freight delivery while America does just the opposite. To combine transportation with freight is an invitation to disaster.
This administration compares apples to oranges (always to the detriment of the American model) in order to promote yet another bankrupting scheme of federal intrusion.
Obama needs to be confronted with specific objections and questions about his claims about the superiority of expanding the rail system during press conferences. That, of course, would depend on an informed media to posit those specific points. Obama is comfortable only with glittering generalities and media-mesmerizing sound bites.
onlineanalyst on April 17, 2009 at 9:26 AM
Unless this train runs on tracks of Reardon metal and is run by Dagny Taggart Obama can shove this up his Hopenchange.
Who rides a train anymore?
I know there are a few markets (mostly in the East and Northeast.) There is an Amtrack passenger line here in San Antonio that runs to houston I think. But RAIL? Seriously? Did The Simpsons have it right all along?
Rail is not a viable passenger transportation mode or we would have more of it. Unless it’s shipping goods, what’s the frickin point?
By definition if the damn government has to subsidise it like this, it isn’t viable so don’t waste the money!
catmman on April 17, 2009 at 9:27 AM
What we need, then, is a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st century. A system that reduces travel times and increases mobility.–Obama
Yes, Barry. Your genius is showing..
In fact it’s called the interstate highway system and someone named Dwight Eisenhower proposed it and our nation built it.
Of course, as a veteran, he must have been a right-wing extremist..
TexasJew on April 17, 2009 at 9:31 AM
SWAirlines offers cheap commuter routes already between TX cities, N/S/E/W. Obama means to destroy the airlines.
You are correct in illustrating the geographical success for the Japanese rail. The island is essential N/S and the lines intersect appropriately for metro E/W transfers. The parallel illustration with CA makes the point that if CA didn’t have the metro-rail yet, they should. Obviously, TX land mass sizes with Alaska’s, given opposite climates and terrain, but similar natural resource industries. Like Gov. Palin requested, a small strategically placed commuter airfield can make the difference between well being and hardship given Alaska’s extreme circumstances. Here in the sunbelt, leave it to Austin, TX to completely close the city’s established Mueller Airport, no aircraft no matter how small or infrequent, NADA.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:34 AM
I live in Roanoke, Va, a rail hub for Norfolk Southern. We don’t have passenger rail service, even though I can’t go anywhere in town without crossing a track. It used to really bug me.
But eventually I figured it out. The railroad company WOULD run trains if it could do so at a profit. The problem is, cities are either too close or too far away. Example – I can drive to Richmond in 3 hours, DC in 4. Unless they ran 4-5 trips a day, taking the train would be inconvenient.
For longer trips, I can take a commuter flight that’s a LOT quicker than rail, and pretty affordable to boot.
hawksruleva on April 17, 2009 at 9:34 AM
FROM TEXAS
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Wouldn’t you still need to remove your shoes and all for the train? After all, if you can , sneak explosives onto a plane in your shoes, can’t you sneak one on a train?
Sekhmet on April 17, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Here in the sunbelt, leave it to Austin, TX to completely close the city’s established Mueller Airport, no aircraft no matter how small or infrequent, NADA.
maverick muse on April 17, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Mueller was AWFUL when the jets flew right over Hyde Park and rattled the walls all the time (I had a very old senile neighbor who finally flipped out and actually shot a hole in a 727′s wing – the FBI combed the neighborhood for him), but little Cessnas?
That is just another idiotic attack on the EEEEVIL capitalists with their private planes.
TexasJew on April 17, 2009 at 9:45 AM
On a plane, you could go to the restroom to combine your ingredients. On a crowded subway, you can’t. Now, you could do that on a longer train trip, but there’d probably only be 8 people in your passenger car, and the explosion might not derail the entire train. I wonder if they do more security inspections on cross-country train trips, though?
hawksruleva on April 17, 2009 at 9:46 AM
You know, he is brilliant, just ask a lefty. So if he says trains are the way to go, who are we to question his 47 year old, grew up somewhere else, wisdom?
billypaintbrush on April 17, 2009 at 9:47 AM
There may (or may not) be reductions, but I’d like to see a complete analysis of all costs (including opportunity costs, especially with respect to the job thing) before I buy into this. Trains are polluters, too – even the electric ones require the generation of electricity, which is not always a pretty process.
ManUFan on April 17, 2009 at 9:48 AM
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