Let’s review what Joe Scarborough called the right-wing meltdown over gas stoves. It all began in January, when Richard Trumka Jr., a U.S. Consumer Product Safety commissioner, told Bloomberg that gas stoves are a “hidden hazard” and the agency might consider banning them. “Everything’s on the table,” Trumka told CNN. The chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission quickly released a statement saying the agency had no plans to ban gas stoves.
A day later, the Washington Post reported that it was Republicans who had “thrust gas stoves … into the culture wars.” Funnily enough, a couple of weeks later, the Post reported that there was pressure growing to ban gas stoves, which we were told was a hoax. Meanwhile, Democrats argued that gas stoves are toxic, and the New York Times reported that quitting gas stoves makes sense for the environment and your health.
Now the whole process is starting over; Politico is reporting that it’s Republicans who are stoking the fires of the next big culture war: electric vehicles.
"Republicans in Congress are already stoking the fires of what could be the next big culture war: A fight over what’s in Americans’ driveways." https://t.co/2QY4XZZoqc
— James Pethokoukis (@JimPethokoukis) April 13, 2023
You sure they aren't pouncing or seizing?
— Milton Friedman Stan Account (@AndIllWhisperNo) April 13, 2023
Why is it Republicans stoking the fire when Democrats proposed the regulations? https://t.co/IkENsvCe9a
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 13, 2023
"Conservatives pounce" EV edition.
— Max Balestra 🏴☠️ (@balestra_max) April 13, 2023
Because the legislation is based on scientific studies that show the danger of certain makes/models of vehicles. The rebuttals are based in ideological values imposed by corporate mass-marketing campaigns. One side wants to save lives, the other wants to rile up their base.
— Mr. Jon Bullins (@JonBullins) April 13, 2023
Gas stove ban 2.0.
Democrats propose banning it. Republicans push back. Democrats lie about proposing it and blame Republicans. Democrats wait for the outrage to die down and discretely circle back to it.— Mark (@MarkJam73395966) April 13, 2023
Democrats do a thing. Republicans disagree with that thing. Hacks write that Republicans are "stoking the fires". Rinse and repeat.
— Gabe (@gabegard) April 13, 2023
So, Democrats are banning gasoline vehicle sales in multiple states.
But Republicans are the ones who are "stoking the fires."
Absolutely absurd writing this is.
— 𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕫 🤔 (@rzima) April 13, 2023
Stoking the fire. Bro, who is the one setting the goal to have 60% of the cars be electric by 2030? How do they plan to achieve that? How is that plan not considered "stoking the fire."?
— Sea (@OgenzRul) April 13, 2023
an example of media bias here that's hard to detect — you would think from this excerpt that both Republicans and Democrats want to control what you drive, when in fact, Democrats want to restrict your choices while Republicans think you should be free to choose. https://t.co/GY0EnMCyrZ
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) April 13, 2023
There are plenty of Democrats who think that eventually you should not be allowed to own a gas-powered car. I know of no Republicans who want to ban electric vehicles, say. We actually tend to like that Musk fellow who sells the Teslas
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) April 13, 2023
This stuff just makes me crazy. Also, Biden isn't trying to "coax" a transition. Outlawing cars is not "coaxing". Subsidies are coaxing, carbon tax would be coaxing. Ramping up regulations to ban a majority of cars is not coaxing.
— Chris Oldman (@ChrisOldman4) April 13, 2023
How will people like me, who have to park their car on the street, not in a garage, charge their EVs every day?
Just one of 10,000 unintended consequences of this insane proposal. https://t.co/G99I7Q8NlI
— Rocky Mountain Not So Optimistic Anymore (@subsix848) April 13, 2023
1. Logan is right about the bias.
2. An overlooked constituency who doesn't want electric cars: Women who don't want to sit to recharge in potentially unsafe situations on long trips. Gas stations are bad enough.https://t.co/SQDHghpA28— Natalie Jackson (@nataliemj10) April 13, 2023
It's a culture war when you don't let us do what we want to do. https://t.co/kHLwA0JQMW
— Chad Ragsdale (@caragsdale) April 13, 2023
In September 2020, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. Republicans push back, and they’re the ones “stoking the fires.”
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Related:
‘It’s ironic’: Governor of state that ‘can’t keep the lights on’ signs order mandating electric cars by 2035 https://t.co/FYXAXm5ViX
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 23, 2020
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