John McCain's proposal to provide prize money for innovations in car batteries is a half-decent idea, though the devil is in the details. Of course, as First Read notes, last week he was talking about opening up the Florida coast to drilling, so file this in your "McCain careens from one policy position to another diametrically opposed to the first" folder.
Of course, the US legal system already provides a very large prize to inventors called a "patent", so unless McCain is proposing that the US government purchase fuel efficiency patents and order to put them in the public domain, all he's doing is further lining the pockets of inventors (or, more likely, research firms or auto manufacturers) who are likely to become fabulously wealthy.
Someone on his campaign found out about the X Prize and figured McCain would look cutting edge by copying their idea.
He has no narrative, no cohesive message of any kind. McCain is campaigning the way Bush gives State of the Union speeches - one grandiloquent non sequitur after another. Let's drill off Florida! Let's make better batteries! Let's all blow in one direction and get those wind farms humming! MARS, BITCHEZ!!!
Did he hire Bob Shrum or something? Because his campaign really sucks.
Posted by: Stephen | June 23, 2008 at 10:31 AM
The total lack of narrative is hilarious. It's like they've never thought about domestic policy outside of campaign finance, and so they're just winging it as they go along.
Posted by: Nicholas Beaudrot | June 23, 2008 at 11:01 AM
I know how we can solve our energy problems.
Let's have a contest!
Posted by: Pug | June 23, 2008 at 11:19 AM
No, let's put on our own show!
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | June 23, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I got it! We'll enter a dodgeball tournament!
Posted by: Nicholas Beaudrot | June 23, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Yarrrr!
Posted by: Stephen | June 23, 2008 at 01:10 PM
Not that purchasing some patents to put them into the public domain ahead of schedule is a bad idea. In fact, I think that the government would do well to do more of that.
Posted by: Julian Elson | June 23, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Survivor: DC (by that, I mean "direct current", though I'm sure there are some entertaining neighborhoods in DC that you could select for such a game show, occasionally mixing in a field trip to be in the middle of a crowd of peaceful protesters having their civil rights trampled upon)...
The premise of the show, obviously, would be for each tribe to do various useless things with only a bunch of batteries. The winners get a pre-defined quantity of lithium batteries. Naturally, the liability waivers would be quite comprehensive to preclude the possibility of lawsuits stemming from electrocution and cannibalization by others who are suddenly deprived of the battery power that they need to do their deeds.
Posted by: Scott K | June 23, 2008 at 06:21 PM
Well, a prize as an alternative to a patent is an excellent idea (subject to getting the details right) because it replaces a monopoly on the idea with a defined monetary incentive, while all of the ideas enter the public domain.
Posted by: Marcin Tustin | June 23, 2008 at 08:33 PM