I was reading Hansen’s speech; this is my favorite sentence:
Swarms of high-priced lobbyists in alligator shoes help Congress decide where to spend, and in turn the lobbyists’ clients provide “campaign” money.
I thought the alligator shoe comment was so odd, I sprung to action and googled. I guess the “alligator shoes” thing is something of a mantra for Hansen. Andy Revkin reports the June 4 entry at Hansen’s web site is titled “Carbon Tax and 100-Percent Dividend; No Alligator Shoes!”
So, will Hansens’ focus on Alligator Shoes result in more or less demand for this sort of footware?
The Google Ad that comes up against this story is hilarious. I had no idea that lobbyists’ footwear was so cute!
Surely this hyperbole is all about Hansen promoting himself for ‘an important position’ in a new Democratic administration and the effect on shoe sales is a secondary consideration? 🙂
Well, I think this whole “aligator shoe” theory of Hansen’s is a “croc”…
I can’t help but wonder if that Amazon ad is deliberate 😉
I believe Donna Sozio may be able to provide some insight in her book “Never Trust a Man in Alligator Loafers.”
http://www.shuzsociety.com/AlligatorLoafers
Delete this comment. My idea didn’t work.
How do you get rid of a comment if you change your mind?
Terry– You are correct. Ads don’t normally appear inside my posts, but I put that Amazon ad in on purpose. 🙂
Dave Andrews– I’m sure the footware industry thinks the shoe angle is the most important one!
Whether you agree with Hansen or not, alligator shoes are a nice symbol of affluence and predation as well as an example of the destruction of an animal for vain purposes. (cf. The Clash “Your snake-skin suit/And your alligator boot.”)
When USA Today was founded, its editorial page had a debate format. Other newspaper editorial page editors used to come up to the first USAT editorial director John Siegenthaler (a mentor to Al Gore BTW) and complain that the format amounted to “on the one hand, and on the other hand,” rather than take a real position, to which Siegenthaler replied, “Well, yes, but then most newspaper editorial pages are just ‘on the one hand, on the same hand.” Open democracies always will have debates and lawyers and lobbyists who specialize in pleading others’ cases, pointing out “on the other hand.” I prefer them and their alligator shoes to Hansen’s jackboots being employed to maintain the upper hand and throttle debate.
Sarah– That video is funny! I never thought about the shoes my dates wore. . .
As a former lobbyist whose shoes are mostly from the Bob Crachit Collection at Sears, I can say that Hansen’s comment is, like — so 80s. On K Street one does not wear politically incorrect or garish footwear. One wears understated English or Italian leather. (For the truly pretentious, there are the John Lobb shoes whose annual line is released on St Crispin’s Day.) Lawyer-lobbyists from big firms can get away with two-toned hand-mades but working-stiff boring-fact-based lobbyists need more sensible footwear. Also, if you look at the Brooks Brothers alligator offerings, it is pretty clear they are meant for a less formal ensemble than the dress blues donned for committee testimony.
Typically Republican members of Congress expect to get campaign money for votes to kill environmental legislation threatening to industry. Democrats will typically claim to support the threatening bill but will want money to support specific amendments to let specific industries off the hook (on a retail basis). Generally Democrats require lobbies to spend more money and do more walking to achieve the same legislative non-result. Hansen’s Chicken Little act does not drive new legislation so much as it drives campaign money to incumbents. And it buys a lot of shoes.
I find it hard to believe that the Sierra Club and other eco groups allow their lobbyists to wear Alligator Shoes!!! 8>)
KuhnKat– I envision the Sierra Club lobbiests shuffling around in adult version of the alligator slippers shown above! 🙂
Tread lightly when mocking a man whose “conclusions have a certainty exceeding 99%” and don’t question his choice of footwear or you may find yourself cooling your heels along with those evil oil company directors.
That Amazon ad is just so perfect. I got so many giggles out of it yesterday.
I’m going to have to come up with a haiku for it.