CBS-news interview with an H2-owner

[Steve R]

Dearest Humm-buddies,
This new web-based thing is sorta new to me....I'm a bit more familar with the H2ml and am known to be somewhat of a writing fury on that list. Anyways...here I am in new waters with new H2-buds.

[Steve R]

Dearest Humm-buddies,
This new web-based thing is sorta new to me....I'm a bit more familar with the H2ml and am known to be somewhat of a writing fury on that list. Anyways...here I am in new waters with new H2-buds.

[Steve R]

okay...with one ill-stroke of the keys, I accidently sent off that post before I was done. I'll get the hang of this yet.

I can see that you've all covered the recent news about religious groups and environmental activist making a fuss about SUV's and Hummers. Well...I mean to tell ya, CBS is doing a follow-up story about why the Hummer H2 is so popular and getting the perspective of an H2 owner....and that owner was me and that interview was today.

They came to my home and took some footage...then we were off. They actually interviewed me while I was driving...not fun; driving an H2, being nervous in front of a national audience, and being assualted with questions that inherently you gotta suspect are aimed at trying to get some dirt on H2 owners. Oh yeah...right about then a root-canal sounded more appealing!

I did what I could, stayed honest and tried to keep a positive perspective...but it's tough! Only time and media-editing will tell.

The producer told me the piece would air on CBS, channel 2, this Sunday, November 24th at 5:30pm. It's a follow-up to all the latest attacks on SUV's.

I did the best I could and hope I represented us well. I will tell ya this...I took the producer offroading and while it was NOT my intention...she was screaming a bit. Jesus may save....but Hummer conquers! I made her a believer right there on the spot...can I get an amen?

[buddy]

Amen Brother

buddy

[SONA]

Good job.

[Mike]

Amen Brother!

Want to hear something funny... I had something happen to me in the city the other day that I couldn't help but to laugh at. A lady pulled up along side of me and starting shaking her head from side with a look of disgust on her face. So I rolled my window down and asked "Is there a problem Mam?" she replied "what a waste of resources!", I said "Excuse me...you're the one driving a volkswagen bus that is leaking oil over the place and have no muffler on it!..then I said, "Doesn't look like you are worried about low emission standards driving around in that thing" I could look into the back seat of her bus and noticed a half empty case of oil that I assume she uses to fill up with occasionally. She then looked at me with a dirty look and tried to say something...stuttered..and finally..the only thing that could come out of her mouth was.."you son of a bit**"..then she try to speed away when her bus stalled on her. I pulled up along side her and asked "You need a jump?

My buddy and I ended up giving her a push and got her on her way. Why? Who knows..but the lady ended up apoligizing and I handed her an Environmental features brochure that I grabbed at the Hummer dealer which I had in the back of my Hummer so she can read over, maybe while her bus was in the shop or something [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I think some of these people make a big deal out of things without having the proper knowledge first.

[x-mst.com]

What exactly are the "Environmental features"? I haven't seen this brochure.

[Mike]

You can check them out at gmability.com

[Steve R]

Ya know, the funny thing is...people still judge a book by the cover. Everyone assumes the H2 must get 5 mpg and is overly consuming in resources.

Let's be honest here....the H2 is not exactly the hybrid ultra-efficient solution to an energy crisis....but it isn't the unholy resurrection of the devil either. The H2 gets mileage that is very consistent with ANY other truck or SUV of similar size and nature. I've got several friends with large pick-ups and SUV's that get worse mileage then the H2!

I just saw the bit on CBS --

You looked great, so did the Hummer! You represented us well. You must have given a very sharp interview, they weren't able to say anything bad or piece together anything you said to make you or us look bad. Job well done!

The Jesus crispies and the enviro-hypocrites didn't fare as well. I think they came off as the close minded and shallow thinkers they are. Their attempt to equate buying gas to funding terrorism is ridiculous.

[Steve R]

I was very disappointed with the interview. They had asked me about 20 hardline questions....which I nailed VERY well...even the producer commented on some of my responses being really smooth.

In the end, they only quoted me responding to only one question...and even that response was edited down. I mentioned how the H2 gets better mileage then some other vehilces, costs less then many other SUV's, and is used responsibly by its owners. I was VERY disappointed with the limited use of my interview...BUT, at least they didn't get any dirt or use my stuff for EVIL purposes.

Thanks again

[MAC]

Steve, You are lucky they used your interview at all. I came from a newspaper/TV/Radio family, I watched how the news is made since I was a little boy, that is how it works, 90% of the tapes, photos or interviews are dumped. Nothing personal, everything has to fit in that 30 seconds, 60 seconds or 2 minutes, exactly. Too bad I miss seeing it.

[Steve R]

I did get one thing in "It's a Hummer....like nothing else!" [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Your right about the editing...but why did they spend so much time and ask all those other questions? Oh well. There will likely be a video we can all watch from our computer on that clip soon enough. Too bad the environmentalist got so much coverage.

Can you believe their hype: our buying so much gas helps support contries that in turn support terrorism. So by this transitive theory, we Hummer owners support terrorism??? What a crock! Most of us would give up an apendage for a shot at running Bin Ladden over with our Hummers! We bleed red-white & blue...they bleed chlorophyl? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[TonkaH2]

I haven't found too many greens who live off the grid, and if they turn on a light switch, then they strip mine for coal and pollute more than an H2. . . For that matter, if they use any gasoline or oil, they support drilling in the Artic Wildlife Refuge.

-Jack
Yellow H2 on order
"I think I can make it. D'OH!"

[MAC]

Steve, as you know, you or Hummer were NOT the story, but environmentalists were the focus of the story. The story started with the environmentalists, without them, no story. Reporters asked 20 questions to understand the counter points vs the environmentalists, they went back and tried to find 1, 2 or at most 3 very short sound bites to fit the environmentalist story. One looks for those few short sentences which fit the story, not your point of view. Generally they may interview several people at similar length about similar subjects as you, pick one or 2. Sounded like you did a good job.

As to environmentalist's crazy views, nothing changes, who care what they think? They will always find something to complaint anyway.

The Earth is not in danger, and we cannot tamper with Nature, we /are/ Nature.

The only thing that will ensure our children have a better, cleaner world is to make /less/ children. /Population/ is the biggest problem facing humanity, /nothing else matters/ in comparison. Use the pill, drive a Hummer.

[I know this leads to the question: What if only the stupid people breed like mad, won't be overrun with idiots? And the answer to that question is: That already happened.]

[Beck]

In light of the recent publicity surrounding Hummer, any Hummer out there without a locking gas cap is like Mr. Austin Power going out of his door without a dozen rubbers.
Sounds like an environmentalist's battle cry to me. Time to play DEFENSE.

To Steve and the others, regarding the war, if someone tells you that driving the hummer is supporting terrorists, they aren't trying to say you are a communist, don't be so insecure about it. What they are trying to say is that INDIRECTLY, yes, there is a connection, look around, are we or are we not a country addicted to our cars, do we drive alone most often, how important is the vehicle in our culture, and what would we do or how far would we go to keep this lifestyle that we all take for granted. Don't take it so personally, people just want you all to think a little deeper and beyond the 'screw them, i do what i want attitude' because it's quite immature and who pays in the end? We all do. I don't see how people truly think that SUV's and hummers are doing anything positive accept keeping smiles on those of you who like to consciously like to indulge?? Can someone help me with this? I am willing to listen...thanks if you post and read this...

[TS]

The greatest thing about this country is the freedom of choice. The people in this forum are respectful of that. You choose to ride a bicycle, I think that's fantastic. Just as you will have a problem if your right to choose is questionned, others will too. Calling people shallow over their choice of vehicle is doesnt exactly cause people to think deeper.. it just makes people angry. I like the way the truck looks, I like the comfort, and safety on freeways.
You may not consider them to be possitive traits, but to me, those were my primary reasons for buying a car.

[Steve R]

nahhh....the green people may be seriously into conservation and the like...but they wouldn't go so far as to spike our tanks with something that would kill/hurt our engines...would they???