http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/o...er-partisan-car-dealer-closings-46261447.html Evidence appears to be mounting that the Obama administration has systematically targeted for closing Chrysler dealers who contributed to Repubicans. What started earlier this week as mainly a rumbling on the Right side of the Blogosphere has gathered some steam today with revelations that among the dealers being shut down are a GOP congressman and closing of competitors to a dealership chain partly owned by former Clinton White House chief of staff Mack McLarty. The basic issue raised here is this: How do we account for the fact millions of dollars were contributed to GOP candidates by Chrysler who are being closed by the government, but only one has been found so far that is being closed that contributed to the Obama campaign in 2008?
That's a difficult one. How about "car dealers are rich assholes who don't like paying taxes?" How about "car dealers always give money to Republican candidates, who then pass laws making it illegal to purchase cars online?" http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/02/why-you-cant-buy-new-car-online) How about "car dealers support the ban of truck nuts in Virginia?" http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/16/virginia-trying-to-ban-truck-nuts/
When I see the proof that this is the case - and not just some internet-created bullshit story - then I'll be the first to say that whoever authorized this - specifically targeting republican-owned dealerships - should go to jail. That said, I doubt a decision such as this was thought of or approved at the White House. If so, impeachment would have to be "on the table."
Fair enough. I know this is WND, and some of you wont take it seriously, but they reviewed all the closings and discovered that 90% were GOP donors. "The listed franchise owners contributed at least $450,000 to Republican presidential candidates and the GOP in the recent election while only $7,970 was donated to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign and $2,200 was given to Sen. John Edwards' campaign. Of all political contributions from dealers on the list of closing facilities, President Obama received a combined total of only $450 toward his election. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99328
Good luck with that one. At this point, I would be shocked if Obama and his administration did anything so radically stupid. Every time someone has tried to link him to a potential scandal, it absolutely fizzles. Rezko? There has been a full blown corruption trial AND full blown investigations by Clinton, the RNC and the McCain campaign resulting in bupkis. Blagoevich? Not a thing. As soon as Blago's camp insinuated that there would be payment required for the appointment, the Obama camp left skid marks getting away from the guy. What I have learned about Obama is that he is pragmatic and he is big picture. There is no way he flexes political power against republican Chrysler dealers. No way, no how.
I'll file this under "interesting if true" for now. Someone asked about this in Steve Pearlstein's WaPo chat yesterday, and that was pretty much his response. Let's see...salesman in small towns who are pretty well off. I suspect that if you could define that subset rigorously enough, they'd vote Republican 95% of the time, and those who contribute to political candidates would approach 100%. EDIT: I'm surprised the number is only 90%. Well, maybe not...you'll have your Arkansans giving to Hillary and North Carolinians giving to Edwards, etc. Keep in mind, these were NOT random Chrysler dealers, these were disproportionately small town dealers. PS..."Evidence appears to be mounting" is shit writing. The evidence is either mounting, or it isn't. You work at a newspaper, do some ********ing reporting!
Supposedly, the dealers that were selected by Chrysler, and the ones supposedly to be selected by GM were done because of volume of sales, so the urban/suburban dealers with their autoplexes and superstores and Kolossal Kilometers of Kars dealerships were naturally going to avoid closure, even though their might be 3 or 4 or more of them in any MSA. Where this will really come back to bite GM & Chrysler is that while people will drive 75-150 miles to buy a Honda or Toyota sedan, they're not going to drive the same distance to get a Ram or Silverado when there is a lot full of F-150/250/350 trucks down the road a couple of miles.
I wonder what would have happened in terms of closure if the dealerships' sales forces were unionized.
Are you referring to Slimy Lying Assholes With Bad Polyester Clothing Local 237? If not, I am not familiar with any other Car Salesperson union.
So at the end of the day, the reason why such a high percentage of Chrysler dealerships that were closed were owned by Republicans is because a similarly high percentage of auto dealerships overall are owned by Republicans? Evidence appears to be mounting that compared to the average thread started by MtMike, this is extraordinarily half-baked.
And the reason we don't take them seriously is because they produce moronic, unfounded crap like this.
Really? You really wonder about that? Allow me to point out an irony here. Remember, the preferred Republican plan was to let Chrysler die, which would mean ALL Chrysler dealers would go belly up. But that was different, because the Goopers' point then was to kill a union.
Hey, that's why we have discussions on here. So I can give my opinions or report news and you guys can tell me why I'm wrong.
Well, you don't HAVE to. You can pay full price if you like. But you can haggle on buying most anything if you try hard enough.
How many, as a percentage, of the dealers being left in business are republians or republican contributors? One set of numbers (those closed) without the other is pretty meaningless - heck both together might be pretty meaningless. I have rarely met a Democrat salesman, I can't imagine too many go into the car dealership business - a subset of "sales".
I'll try that later at the gas station or the grocery store or with the public utilities and let you know how it rolls out.
Consider it a lazy moron tax. Also, you don't haggle at a Saturn dealership. The price is set. Don't like it, take a hike.
The drawback is that you're buying a Saturn. I haggled my CRV and I think I came out winning. Not a blowout, but a 75th minute go ahead goal.