Sean Duffy Reprise

Yesterday I featured Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Administration's skillful use of sleight of hand to take credit for transportation improvements and gains for which they didn't have any skin in the game.  They're good at it.  Same goes for this this...

The Great American Road Trip was unveiled earlier this year as part and parcel of the further celebration of America's Semiquincentennial by inspiring the people to hit the road and travel America to join in the celebration.  Previous administrations and Secretaries have produced similar puff pieces and on paper I would not disagree with this conceptually.  Who doesn't like a good road trip and fun celebration?

Filmed beforehand and announced after Mr. Trump made his unilateral decision to go to war the timing was somewhat fraught.  Considering the impulsive nature of the president, the lack of planning and poor timing shouldn't come as any surprise.  With gasoline and diesel north of $4 and $5 a gallon the notion of a road trip was stunningly inopportune and tone deaf.  Working-class middle America was priced out of the road trip market.

So the administration held it back.  Planned for release three months ago it was put on ice ostensibly for additional editing to comply with government ethics rules.  Which is the second problematic issue; Road Trip was underwritten through the generous support of sponsors.  Namely the corporate entities that Duffy's Department is supposed to regulate - including $1 Million Platinum Level sponsors including names like Boeing, Toyota, Royal Caribbean,United Airlines and Shell.

Naturally, considering the Trump administration has its hand out for any opportunity to take money from any any well-heeled contributor that might have business before the federal government; with the exception of Presidential Pardons I'm unwilling to characterize this a bribery.  All previous administrations have done this at some level; however, considering the level of Trump's personal level of fiscal self-aggrandizement and the brazenness of the Trump organization's efforts this is nothing less than art form. But I digress.

I'll likely catch some flack because I'm a cultural philistine and not a fan of 1990's-style saccharine reality television programming.  Even so, if your viewing tastes match the target audience you might want to give it a look.  Its family friendly and the advertising is muted; and because it never rose to the interest of network or cable television you can find it over on YouTube.  And it can use the viewership.

Happy motoring.

You can learn more about the production here.