Politics and Presidential Candidates
It was 2008, and drivingthenation.com was following the Presidential candidates around the Cobo Arena. All the Republican candidates were there, John McCain with his sidekick, Joe Leiberman, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney with his wife Ann, son Tagg and his wife Jen, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, MI.
We didn’t put the video up in 2008 because it was apparent that McCain was going to be the nominee. But now that Romney is Republican nominee we thought you would like to see him in action.
To McCain’s credit, he held a candid press conference and answered questions from the journalists for a good while, even though Leiberman kept whispering the answers in his ear. Huckabee held an impromptu Q&A for journalists, answering questions on the fly. But no matter who asked, or what the question was, Romney didn’t answer.
Romney’s father was in the auto business and in politics. It’s apparent watching Romney that he knows his way around politics and cars. He artfully dodged the issue when Sue Cischke, Group Vice President – Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company, suggested that maybe the Utility companies should produce the batteries for the plug-in cars.
Romney made sure to note that he had been to Detroit auto shows in the past, with his Dad, just like his son, Tagg, was now. He showed his knowledge of old cars, joking with a Dodge executive about his old Dodge Durango, that Josh owns now, that had 110,000 miles on it. He climbed into the new cars and talked about the new lithium-ion battery being expensive, but light.
Here he is now, Romney, in 2008 at the Detroit auto show.
