McCain calls for $300 million prize for better car battery

[musicblind]

Sen. John McCain on Monday called for a $300 million prize to whoever can develop a battery that will "leapfrog" the abilities of current hybrid and electric cars.

Citing high oil prices, the Republican presidential candidate said he wants his offer to "deliver a power source at 30 percent of the current costs."

" $1 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. -- a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency," McCain said during a town hall-style meeting at California's Fresno State University.

McCain said the new automobile battery should have "the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/23/campaign.wrap/index.html

[Johonny]

1. why not just 300 million

for alternative energy research? I mean that would do something rather than hope someone does something

[Buck Rabbit]

31. Well this way only the big boys who can fund their own R & D can play.

You wouldn't want some university researcher to get that kind of payoff.

This way we can give 300 million to a corporate giant for inventing something they were trying to invent anyway that would be worth billions of dollars without the reward.

"No Billionaire Left Behind", the McBush motto.

[Johonny]

36. Big boys don't R&D

The thing is few companies do that kind of huge scale R&D. Most private R&D went out in the 80s. Mostly by backward funding large science you make sure it won't happen. Most large scale R&Ds are at least partially funded through the government. It seems to me McCain created a way to talk about solving the problem without really doing anything about it. Compare that to Obama's statements for having an Apollo like program to generate alternative fuels and you really see how silly McCain's idea is. No private company is going to have an Apollo like effort in any field of science.

[AllentownJake]

2. Odd idea for a conservative

If they were so in love with the "Market" you'd think that the reward for inventing such a battery would be incentive enough :evilgrin:

BTW how is that other incentive you guys got going. 50 million for Bin Laden?

[Bad Thoughts]

3. The Market IS working on it

McCain wants the public to believe that this reward will spark innovation. However, car manufacturers have already started pushing industries to redesign the battery so that its performance would meet the expectations of American consumers of what a car would do. The market already saw a need, and is responding to it. McCain $300 million is just a giveaway.

[musicblind]

5. You guys? I seriously hope you are not implying that I am a conservative, a republican, or

that I support McCain over Obama :(

[AllentownJake]

6. No

The fact a so called conservative is calling for a Government reward from taxpayer money for something by their economic theory the market should demand.

Trust me the Fundy's aren't going to like this and he alienates his base even further and further.

[musicblind]

19. Oh, thank you. I apologize.

I missunderstood.


I liked the idea one person in this thread posted regarding the American Citizen's owning the patent to the battery. Though that would NEVER happen. :(

[Hippo_Tron]

4. Oye, I listened to Newt Gingrich propose this "brilliant" idea once

Now that I think about it, I can't quite remember why on earth I would ever go to see Newt Gingrich speak.

[hatrack]

33. I wasn't aware he had an engineering background . . .

Didn't he found Ovonics?

Oh, sorry - never mind!!

[FrenchieCat]

7. Is this like the Lottery?

[whistle]

8. How about $300 million prize and the American people get all rights

[Honu one]

12. Now that's more like it

The person/company that does invent this will make plenty off it, why do tax payers need to add $300M to that?

[whistle]

23. I thought you would like that idea, hell make the prize tax free

[musicblind]

18. I bet you meant that as a joke. But that's actually an interesting idea.

America PEOPLE getting to own it!

[whistle]

24. No joke I was dead serious, why the fuck should we give some greedy sons-o'-bitiches

...fascist types corporate control over a concept that would benefit all of humanity? Free lifelong batterries to drive everything, set it up like Social Security and let Wall Street and reTHUGlicons eat their hearts out :wtf:

[stopbush]

9. My guess? Cindy owns a patent on a car new battery.

The $300MM will come in handy when John retires...

[whistle]

25. That's why France had the guillotine and used it well during the French Revolution

....they eliminated nearly all of the parasitic useless aristocrats who not only took advantage of the masses but stole all of their production and ideas. This struggle of the classes has gone on for millennia and it is time that the blight of the privileged classes who contribute nothing to humanity but misery and suffering is purged once and for all

[flpoljunkie]

10. Can you imagine the media ridicule of Obama has proposed this silly gimmick!

[onetwo]

11. Pandering gimmick. Gimmicky pandering.

That's all this guy knows...

[Barack_America]

13. Who owns the patent if American taxpayers are putting up the $300m prize?

Or, is there any requirement that the winner go on to manufacture said battery?

[AZBlue]

14. Ummm....wouldn't someone invent something like that just for the profits alone?

I mean, it seems it would be worth a lot more than $300 million over time. Isn't this just a pretty empty idea, like all his others?

[Doremus]

15. BINGO! n/t

[grantcart]

17. Big prizes increase the number of risk takers and encourages entrepenuers

to put more money up front.

[woolldog]

16. I kinda like the idea.

I wish the goal were more ambitious though.

[mokawanis]

20. Give me just 10 million and I'll dedicate my life to acheiving it n/t

[Neshanic]

21. "Watch this Rocky while I pull a number out of my ass!" Why 300 mil?

Why not a billion? Why would someone offer it up for 300 mil like another poster said when they could make more teamimg with a company?

He's such a maroon.

[Higher Standard]

22. Won't do it for the sake of the country or world? How about money?

Whoever develops this is already going to make a fortune off of it. How irresponsible is it to additionally offer $300 million of taxpayer money as a "reward"? And how exactly is McCain going to pay for that $300 million? This is a cynical proposal and pandering at its worst.

[zulchzulu]

26. Why not just buy John McCain a copy of "Who Killed The Electric Car?"...that's about $20

http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/

[Occam Bandage]

27. A good plan. Obama needs to counter; he can't let McCain outflank him on energy.

[Higher Standard]

28. What, should he top him?

$400 million plus a night out with Scarlett Johannson?

It's a gimmick. There's so much money to be made on patenting such an idea that anybody who could make it work would do so without the additional incentive of a ton of taxpayer dollars which McCain would have to find a way to pay for.

[Occam Bandage]

34. No. He should emphasize a more-comprehensive, yet similarly 'punchy' plan.

And superprize bounties do, indeed, attract/increase interest.

[JimGinPA]

29. Someone Should AskHim How That Bounty On bin Laden Worked Out

:eyes:

[pdxmom]

30. It's being worked on rapidly already. This is another pander, to make

it look like he's proposing something. The technology is being worked on and they are making breakthroughs. The market will pick up on anything that is developed. No need to spend taxpayer money on it.

[hatrack]

32. So, what budget will this slice of pork come from, Senator?

What will you cut to come up with the requisite $300 million?

Also, who in hell would want to forgo royalties & patent rights in exchange for $300 million? If this putative breakthrough is all that big, it's going to be worth one hell of a lot more than $300 million.

Pathetic, pandering shit.

[phrenzy]

35. How about..... 1 billion, gagillion, fafillion, shabolubalu million illion yillion dollars. (nt)

[Blue_Tires]

37. imaginary money -- he knows no one will cash in on it

who else remembers the $100 million reward for Bin Laden right after 9-11 which is still unclaimed?