Are you just getting tired of all the constant drama surrounding the current Presidential election? When you hear that there is going to be yet another tiresome debate do you want to gouge out your own eyes with a spoon and puncture your eardrums with a screwdriver?
The last part might be extreme but as we head towards the home stretch of the Presidential election, many people have started to feel enough is enough.
In a world where “Joe the Plumber” has become a household name and Sarah Palin’s shopping habits are front page news, most everything about our current candidate’s lives is the topic of much public discussion. So in that light, what kinds of cars do the Presidential candidates drive and what was their first car? To put their choices in a historical perspective, what did other earlier President’s drive? The answers might surprise you.
John McCain – Whatever you think of the Republican candidate, you can’t really question the taste of this died-in_the-wool General Motors fan. His first vehicle, a 1958 Chevy Corvette, was most impressive. Currently he drives a brand new Cadillac CTS, to our eyes the best sedan GM or Cadillac has ever built. Kudos.
Barack Obama – Most of us started out driving with an un-cool handme down from our parents or grandparents, and Mr. Obama is no different. His first car was his grandfather’s Ford Granada. This sedan was not Ford’s finest hour by any stretch of the imagination but it no doubt got him from point A to point B. With minor breakdowns in between.
Early in the campaign Mr. Obama drove a Hemi powered Chrysler 300, a definite step up from the Granada. But as his campaign wore on and gas prices rose he switched to a more politically expedient Ford Escape Hybrid. We are pretty sure Al Gore was pleased with his decision. However, the Hybrid's just not a very good fit with Barack Obama’s charismatic personality.
John F. Kennedy – The president that ushered in the era known as “Camelot” drove a very stylish and sexy 1961 Ford Thunderbird Convertible. Very few Presidents have driven such stylish cars when in office. A sexy and iconic car for a sexy and iconic President.
Richard Nixon – Throughout all of his years Mr. Nixon stuck to Oldsmobile cars while both managed to meet their demise around the same time. A boring car driven by a very complicated man.
Ronald Reagan – He owned many different cars but his pride and joy was a 1952 military Jeep, a gift from his wife Nancy. Gruff, stoic and tough, the Jeep embodies all the things that many people attribute to Reagan during his Presidency.
Bill Clinton – Well, this car just reeks of midlife crisis! Before, during and after his Presidency Bill Clinton owned and cherished a 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible. He has been quoted as saying it was the hardest thing to leave behind when he moved into the White House. We wonder if he ever says anything like that when he is forced to be apart from wife Hillary Clinton.
Dwight D. Eisenhower – Everyone may have “liked Ike” during his Presidency but he really loved his 1956 Chrysler Imperial. This car embodied the pinnacle of Detroit Space Age design and was used by “Ike” during his entire Presidential term.