Obama Administration Closing Down Dealerships That Donated to the GOP??
What happens when the President of the United States seizes control of a major industry?
Would you be surprised to learn that “business” decisions start getting made, not on the basis of merit or profitability, but rather on the basis of political donations?
If you answered “yes” then you are (and I say this in the nicest possible way) an idiot.
And so there is really very little that is surprising about the fact that the Chrysler dealerships getting closed down appear to share a curious characteristic: they donate heavily to Republicans:
I took all dealer owners whose names appeared more than once in the list. And, of those who contributed to political campaigns, every single one had donated almost exclusively to GOP candidates.
Hmmmmmm.
But surely this was Chrysler’s decision? So it’s really just business?
Uh, not necessarily:
A lawyer for Chrysler dealers facing closure as part of the automaker’s bankruptcy reorganization said on Tuesday he believes Chrysler executives do not support a plan to eliminate a quarter of its retail outlets.
. . . .
“It became clear to us that Chrysler does not see the wisdom of terminating 25 percent of its dealers,” Bellavia said. “It really wasn’t Chrysler’s decision. They are under enormous pressure from the President’s automotive task force.”
Hello? Big Media? Hello? Anyone home???
UPDATE: Hot Air had essentially the same post a few hours ago, but I just saw it now . . .
To be fair, did the dealers that were not terminated contribute to Obama, or did they also contribute to Republicans? It wouldn’t boggle my mind to find that most auto dealers were Republicans.
Kevin Murphy (0b2493) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:00 amI’d like to know.
Even if the pattern isn’t borne out, this is exactly the sort of thing one should expect when government takes over business. If it hasn’t happened yet, it will.
Patterico (cc3b34) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:02 amWell, he won, didn’t he?
(By the time America admits to itself what’s happening, he’ll already have taken all the money from non-followers and given it to followers, he’ll have transferred all title to valuable property from Republicans to Democrats, the New Census (D!) will have cemented a Dem supermajority in both House and Senate forever, his chosen judges will have ruled that his power is limitless in this “national emergency”, the entire hard-core left will be screaming that these new rulings are now precedent and so untouchable, and he really WILL toy with the idea of calling a national emergency on the next presidential election day and simply “retaining” his office as an act of sacrifice on his part.
And the m-f’ing suburban “I’ll study the candidates and make up my mind a few days before the election” morons who chose Barry because “they deserve a turn, too, and we need to teach those R’s a lesson” – well, I hope they choose healthcare providers with all the effort and judgment they put into choosing national leaders, ‘cuz they can’t vote next time if they’ve died.
bobby b (4baf73) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:22 amPeople are working the full lists right now. It will take a while since there are over 2000 dealers that have to be cross referenced.
There were 2 pdf files at the bankruptcy court.
One dealing with the list of those to be closed and another list of those remaining open.
So far going through the data conversion process, just on the closure list, Tx is getting hit heavy as well as Fl and oddly WV. Rural areas of Penn. and NY. So far few hits in Ca for example.
I am keeping open another window with the congressional district vote map and there is a high match up between closure locations and districts Obama lost in. When I get the text file fully edited into comma delimited format and import it into Excell I will be able to sort by state and see a whole lot clearer what the distribution is. Most of Obama support was in major urban areas and that kind of place is almost absent so far as I am over a third of the way through the edit process.
There are over 700 dealers in the shut down list alone. Donation comparisons will have to wait until both sets of dealers are completed and in respective spread sheets. But so far there does seem to be a high correlation between closed dealers and districts Obama lost.
DayTrader (ea6549) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:28 amI know one of the Dealerships here in DFW was closed, and it’s franchise given to the dealer 200 yards down the street.
Closed dealer: 600 cars sold last year.
favored dealer: not so much.
So they close one of their better dealers and gave the franchise to a Chry/Jeep dealer that underperformed it.
So much for closing the underperformed shops.
This whole deal smacks of stupidity.
A co-worker just bought a pickup for about half list.
JP (7d78aa) — 5/27/2009 @ 2:11 am[…] Chrysler scrubone 11:04 pm There’s a story going around the right of the […]
Obama shutting down Chrysler Repubs? « Something should go here, maybe later. (565823) — 5/27/2009 @ 3:04 am“It became clear to us that Chrysler does not see the wisdom of terminating 25 percent of its dealers,” Bellavia said. “It really wasn’t Chrysler’s decision. They are under enormous pressure from the President’s automotive task force.”
Keep voting liberals into power and eventually we’ll have full blown communism in this country.
Dave Surls (82312f) — 5/27/2009 @ 3:18 am#1, people are still checking, bu tmost terminated dealers are Republicans.
I have thus far found only a single Obama donor (and a minor one at that: $200 from Jeffrey Hunter of Waco, Texas) on the closing list.
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/05/red-alert-did-campaign-contributions.html
A lengthy list of closed dealers and their contributions.
Perfectsense (0922fa) — 5/27/2009 @ 3:48 amPunishment, no doubt, for being such a cheapskate.
danebramage (700c93) — 5/27/2009 @ 4:02 amThe pattern might not mean what you think it means. Chrysler was closing a quarter of its dealerships, but they accounted for a far smaller percentage of Chrysler sales, and the reason for that was that they were more heavily skewed to smaller towns and more rural regions; that coincides with more Republican demographics.
This could be a strictly business decision which just happens to coincide with hitting Republican dealers harder by coincidence.
The informative Dana (3e4784) — 5/27/2009 @ 4:46 amI thought I had learned to be suspicious and cynical enough, but I guess not.
If this pans out, it has the potential to have a bigger impact than “Rathergate”.
Are there people in the DOJ/US Attorneys who can look into this without getting cut off at the knees?
Another example of south side Chicago on a national scale.
All that said, if true, this was a gigantically stupid overreach (I hope, anyway).
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:10 amDana,
Yes, that must be it. Soon, magic unicorns will come and will fart their special pixie dust on the remaining dealers. Who will be under no pressure, none whatsoever, to the Democratic party, that they donate to, to increase donations based on their increased market share that their dealers enjoy. because it would be a real shame if they had to close down your dealership, now, wouldn’t it?
MunDane68 (54a83b) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:17 amIn other news, car dealers are GOP donors…
imdw (be85b6) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:17 am#10 Maybe you are right, but here is an article indicating some big Obama donor’s Chrysler dealerships were spared.
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/05/shock-big-dem-donor-group-gets-to-keep.html
It seems odd to me that any dealerships are being involuntary closed. They are a revenue source for both cars and service parts.
Perfectsense (0922fa) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:19 amSo you donate to Zero and you get to keep your dealership.
Richard Aubrey (55dfef) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:35 amMeantime, the company is offering insane incentives to move current inventory. Current or former employees get a voucher for $15k, it is reported, and so they can buy a $20k Chrysler for $5k and drive it until the wheels fall off and leave it by the side of the road.
A grand for former customers.
So everybody who wants a new or nearly new Chrysler will have one for the next, say, three years.
How do the dealers sell into that?
This is The Chicago Way folks. No surprises.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:42 amJust a warm up for Obama Health Care.
You need a heart transplant?
Perfectsense (0922fa) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:46 amHey, no problem, Obama the Magnificent provides heart transplants. But first, let’s check your political donations to determine your place on the waiting list. Hmmmm, not looking so good…
Look, I like blaming the Democrats as much as anyone else, but this effect relationship has other possible explanations; you need a lot more evidence.
The non-conspiracy theorist Dana (3e4784) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:37 ami don’t understand how you racists can sit there and criticize Ear Leader’s wisdom.
you should be ashamed of yourselves.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:40 amJust put your fingers in your ears, and start saying the mantra:
Atlas Shrugged is a work of fiction.
Atlas Shrugged is a work of fiction.
Atlas Shrugged is a work of fiction.
Daley, you got it – the Chicago Way.
carlitos (a0089e) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:46 amDana – you are probably right. I would guess that it correlates to sparsely-populated counties, which predictably vote Democrat. But even so, having the government play a hand in what car dealerships close is not very much like America.
I look forward to reading the research when it is in.
carlitos (a0089e) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:59 amespecially since it is well known that this is all Bush’s fault.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:05 amThe market doesn’t pick winners and losers; elections do.
Alta Bob (e0a64a) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:06 amLets face it – the war is on between socialism and capitalism – its out in the open
EricPWJohnson (88beac) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:10 amI am fairly sure that owners of auto dealerships trend Republican, even heavily. Having said that, it seems beyond any measure of statistical probability that all of the closures just happened to be Republican donors. If that is, in fact, the case, it is not only reprehensible, but sadly, not at all surprising. Given the fact that the automotive task force consists of very few people, if any, that had any relevant experience in the auto industry, that politics may have leaked into the process should come as a surprise to neither Dems or Republicans.
JD (fdabd3) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:19 amWould you be surprised to learn that “business” decisions start getting made, not on the basis of merit or profitability, but rather on the basis of political donations?
If you answered “yes” then you are (and I say this in the nicest possible way) an idiot.
Daleyrocks beat me to it, but it’s worth repeating:
If you answered “yes” then you
nk (e71733) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:20 amare (and I say this in the nicest possible way) an idiotknow nothing about Chicago politicians. Notheeeng!Have you heard about the new Baskin Robbins Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Flavor?
In honor of the 44th President of the United States , Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream has introduced a new flavor: ” Barocky Road .” Barocky Road is a blend of half vanilla, half chocolate, and surrounded by nuts and flakes. The vanilla portion of the mix is not openly advertised and usually denied as an ingredient. The nuts and flakes are all very bitter and hard to swallow. The cost is $100.00 per scoop. When purchased it will be presented to you in a large beautiful cone, but then the ice cream is taken away and given to the person in line behind you. You are left with an empty wallet and no change, holding an empty cone with no hope of getting any ice cream.
nk (e71733) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:27 amThe people elected a Chicago political thug for President. It should come as no surprise that he’s started using Chicago thug tactics. No surprise at all.
Obama has done nothing except attempt to consolidate political power.
Dan F (cf15ae) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:29 amRemember when the Leftist wailed about Bush “consolidating power” ? I guess that was yet another meme that the Left was completely disingenuous about, since it lacked evidence then, and there is plenty of evidence that it is being done now. Their silence, it is deafening.
JD (fdabd3) — 5/27/2009 @ 7:49 amThis country is going to look back on the George W. Bush administration as a golden age of responsibility and integrity.
SPQR (72771e) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:05 amI had a thought that ranks high on the cynicism scale, yet I think fits the facts better than most explanations.
Let’s say the worst possible scenario (for the Dems) plays out on this. Not only were dealerships closed for political reasons, but we have undeniable evidence that the President himself ordered it.
So what do we do?
If we impeach him, Joe Biden is the next President.
If the VP was in on it, then the next President is Speaker Pelosi.
Which brings us back to the question, “So what do we do?”
For the moment, I will give VP Biden the benefit of the doubt and say he is the kindest, most sincere, and best of intentioned member of the administration. Yet, not for a moment do we think that someone who gives classified information away on a whim should be President. While President Bush had his share of malapropisms, I think most fair-minded people knew what he meant to say. If you listen to VP Biden’s commencement address at ??(Wake Forest?), you are left wondering what the heck was his point?
And while I believe President Bush could have legitimately said there were elements in the CIA that were set on undermining him, had he done so he would have given evidence and been more circumspect than saying the CIA (the whole agency) was lying to Congress and they do it all of the time, that is their job, to lie.
It is incredibly cynical to say that Obama picked (then) Sen. Biden to be VP so that the threshold to impeach him would be raised higher, but what else was a really good reason? In all fairness to VP Biden, you wouldn’t want me as President and I’m not saying I would be a better pick than him. He could be very gifted and a huge asset to the country in many ways, but I don’t think he is cut out to be President.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:44 amNixon did the same thing, MD in Philly. The Democrats were wise enough to get rid of Agnew first. And Tip O’Neill was wise enough to send a non-entity — Ford — up. Can we do it?
nk (e71733) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:49 amI will say it. You would be an exponentially better pick than him.
JD (fdabd3) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:52 amQuote from alppuccino …
If we had a Republican version of Joe Biden, I think the first question would be:
“Hi Sonia. Great to see you. You look great. Wow. First Hispanic Latino to be nominated to the big show! Latino is such a beautiful language. Can you say something in Mexican? Wow. Courto Supremo. Just Awesome. At my club you can’t hit out of a bunker without first chasing a Mexican out of there. They rake them so smooth. They’re hard workers. From the maintenance shed to the supreme court. Wow. What a story. How long did your Mom walk the streets? That’s all I have. I yeildo my time-o.”
JD (fdabd3) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:53 amIs Obama a good man?
ROTFLMAO!
Another degenerate liberal — there I said it.
HeavenSent (1e97ff) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:55 amWhether “business” decisions are getting made on the basis of political donations is less significant than that they can be, or that the charge can now be made.
I would rather have businesses run by businessmen who take the profits and reinvest than businesses run by politicians who take the profits and get reelected.
Amphipolis (fdbc48) — 5/27/2009 @ 8:59 amIs Obama a good man?
Sure. In the sense that he did not ask Sotomayor for BJ in order to appoint her to the Supreme Court. I think.
nk (e71733) — 5/27/2009 @ 9:00 amWe know how much Teh Uno’s Senate seat cost. Wonder how much a Supreme Court seat costs.
JD (fdabd3) — 5/27/2009 @ 9:01 amnk,
I never thought about Nixon/Agnew that way. At that time I was way too young to look beyond the surface, and in years since obviously Nixon/Watergate took precedence.
I guess we could work hard for a change in the house in 2012.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 5/27/2009 @ 9:05 amMake that 2010. That doesn’t sound so bad, after all. Maybe it will be in time.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 5/27/2009 @ 9:09 amIs there any listing that contains all (or at least most) of the dealerships, with which were closed and what donations were made (if any)? I’ve seen portions here and there, but was wondering if a full(er) list was available.
Corwin (ea9428) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:21 amI think this sheds a lovely light on this issue, from RedState.
Scott Jacobs (60844a) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:29 amgrrr. The link to Eric Dondero’s post at Libertarian Republican is here
Scott Jacobs (60844a) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:31 amgrrr. The link to Eric Dondero’s post at Libertarian Republican is here
Scott Jacobs (60844a) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:31 amI’m not doubting that this was done on purpose. I am looking for ‘more complete’ results instead of a few here and a few there.
Each of the specific reports (like that linked above from the Libertarian Republic) are even better pieces of information, but if the same or similar thing happened somewhere else, then it would look more like finding data to support a position.
I’m just hoping to see an entire list.
Corwin (ea9428) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:42 amHopefully, within the next 24 hours the blogosphere will be on this like piranhas on a fresh carcass. Just as in Rathergate and the phony letter. Investigative reporting by an open committee of citizen journalists.
If nothing else, perhaps the same fate for GM dealers will be aborted.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:58 amThis is what the early years of fascism looks like, boys and girls. Obama knows only one thing, politics. Everything is politics to him.
Mike K (2cf494) — 5/27/2009 @ 10:59 amJD,
Does alppuccino post at PW? Whoever he is, that’s hilarious.
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/27/2009 @ 11:20 amThis is intensely interesting to me, given that one of the alleged victims is in my backyard of Escondido.
If any of you find further evidence backing the claim that GOP contributors were disproportionately targeted, please post the link.
I’m well aware that the donation record of those closed dealerships needs to be compared with the donations of those not closed.
Let’s see the mighty blogosphere pin this down one way or the other!
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (ca84c1) — 5/27/2009 @ 12:11 pm[…] shut down in Obama bankruptcy are mostly Republican? Patterico’s Pontifications: Obama Administration Closing Down Dealerships That Donated to the GOP?? Michelle Malkin: Be careful with Chrysler closure “hit list” claims Gateway Pundit: More On […]
Obama Ignoring the ‘Flawed’ U.S. Constitution: Confiscating Private Property Without Due Process (Updated) « Quick Daily Hits — Politics and Such (d9a4c0) — 5/27/2009 @ 12:12 pmBradley,
There’s a lot of information in the Chrysler bankruptcy pleadings that can be found here. I suggest you start by searching documents that have “objection” in the title or “affected dealer” in the body. For instance, docket #2581 dated 5/27/09 is a pleading by a Massachusetts dealer who received notice his franchise will be terminated and includes these allegations:
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/27/2009 @ 12:32 pmDRJ,
Thank you. What I’m really looking for is a comparison of the political contributions of shut-down dealers vs. dealers allowed to stay open. An Excel spreadsheet would be ideal.
I know somebody must be at work on this now.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (ca84c1) — 5/27/2009 @ 12:40 pmBradley, you might wisely add a third column to that spreadsheet. Namely, the beneficiaries of the franchise agreements being re-allocated from the closed dealerships, as pointed out in DRJ’s excerpt. Very pertinent in showing favoritism, which I presume is your intent.
I know…that makes a pres out of u and me. Actually, just me, Reporterman.
allan (43cbe7) — 5/27/2009 @ 12:53 pmWhat a bunch of crybabies. Get the hell over it.
JD (241e9b) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:00 pmAll the dealers that I personally have seen closing were actually the more successful ones. It really doesn’t make sense to close down successful operations in favor of unsuccessful ones unless you need leverage and power over the ones that survive.
Something is going wrong with this process, not just the fundamental issue of the government having this kind of power. Maybe they are just lazy and choosing randomly. Maybe they want to eliminate the self reliant. Maybe they want to actually pull the typical Chicago stunt of killing Republican businesses.
Juan (4cdfb7) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:19 pmMicheal Wade has a post at Q and O that talks about this, and has several great links people should read, including a list of what dealerships are closing and which are staying open.
I would love to work with someone to compare the ones staying open against a donor list for the Dems (though it has been suggeted that in at least one area, a couple of Dem-donating businesses will soon have no competition).
There may be something to looking at the lists and seeing just who, of those being closed, are close to Dem-donors. THAT might be an interesting case-study.
Scott Jacobs (60844a) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:22 pmHere’s the link to the Q and O post.
Scott Jacobs (60844a) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:22 pmBradley,
Sorry I misunderstood. Try this.
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/27/2009 @ 1:33 pmHe won. Deal with it. 🙂
carlitos (a0089e) — 5/27/2009 @ 2:36 pmExcellent, DRJ.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (ca84c1) — 5/27/2009 @ 2:56 pmNo problem, Bradley. I haven’t done the math but that’s a lot of money that won’t be donated to GOP causes next year because the donors will be paying for attorneys and looking for new jobs/businesses. I know that’s the point but it’s sobering how adept Obama is at targeting political opponents. It’s like Nixon on steroids.
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/27/2009 @ 3:03 pm.
It’s beyond chilling.
Vermont Neighbor (539e49) — 5/27/2009 @ 3:29 pmScott, here’s a blogger who is going through the data.
Evil Pundit (42e904) — 5/27/2009 @ 3:55 pmBradley,
Doug Ross and Mark Tapscott are looking at the details. So is World Net Daily:
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/27/2009 @ 5:58 pmPay to play. Blagojevich is heading to jail for it. Obama’s benefactor, Rezko, is already there.
nk (e71733) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:01 pmHere’s another one from Gateway Pundit:
Reboot Congress is working on it, too, and could use some help.
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:15 pmAs I always say, can you imagine the howling from the Dems and the MSM (redundant) had Bush done this?
JD (acaf96) — 5/27/2009 @ 6:23 pmChicago tactics. Help your buddies get their competition kneecapped. You now own them. Annual political contributions from the remaining dealerships will be a long-term payoff. Union mechanics will be installed in all service centers. All sub-contractors supplying said dealerships will be unionized and chosen from the list of Party approved vendors.
This was likely maneuvered by White House operatives under Rahm Emanuel’s leadership.
The one thing he forgot is that Fiat is only interested in the dealership & distribution resources ChryCo HAD. Now that it has been decimated, Fiat may give this fiasco a second, deeper look.
tomw (b9b7d7) — 5/28/2009 @ 10:17 amIf I were a victim dealer, I would be trying to set up a class action suit with all the others making a claim of un-compensated taking of property. What is happening is unconstitutional, anyway.
tom
There is some interesting new reading at Gateway pundit about how some influential Dem donors were spared the knife, had their competitors cut out, and in fact, got increased licenses at the expense of their competition.
JD (84e317) — 5/28/2009 @ 10:24 am“A meme that is currently picking up traction in the conservative blogosphere is that the list of dealerships to be shuttered as a result of Chrysler’s bankruptcy contains a disproportionate number donors to Republican candidates. There have been furious efforts to prove this contention by looking up campaign contributor lists at the Huffington Post, Open Secrets, and other places.
There is just one problem with this theory. Nobody has bothered to look up data for the control group: the list of dealerships which aren’t being closed. It turns out that all car dealers are, in fact, overwhelmingly more likely to donate to Republicans than to Democrats — not just those who are having their doors closed.”
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/05/news-flash-car-dealers-are-republicans.html
Duvel (8843e6) — 5/28/2009 @ 10:56 amDuvel, did that DNC seminar just let out ? Can we expect a rash of dumb comments like yours now ?
Mike K (2cf494) — 5/28/2009 @ 11:08 amObama is employing Chicago tactics in the Dealer closures. Why close Mike Finnin Chrysler Jeep in Dubuque when they sell more cars than Turpin Dodge of Dubuque? Finnin is a Republican, that why.
PCD (02f8c1) — 5/28/2009 @ 11:30 amDuvel should be looking up “Lithia Motors” right about now.
carlitos (be9241) — 5/28/2009 @ 11:36 amDuvel, that’s not the end of the analysis. I guess its the best spin you can find, but people who criticize others’ math – and then don’t actually do any – are just spinnin’.
SPQR (72771e) — 5/28/2009 @ 11:53 amGateway Pundit has some questions:
DRJ (2901e6) — 5/28/2009 @ 12:25 pmExactly, DRJ, to debunk one has to finish the math.
SPQR (72771e) — 5/28/2009 @ 12:41 pmAt the link duvel provided, it uses all car dealer owners as the baseline, as opposed to Chrysler owners. That simple little rhetorical sleight of hand allows them to change the overall baseline away from the actual 76/24 split. The people that did not get cut – RJL, Lithia, et al – and the ones that will get use of the licenses from the cut group are even more interesting.
FWIW, Dan Collins has a great post up @ PW about the probability of this happening randomly, in the manner in which it did.
JD (f8b50e) — 5/28/2009 @ 12:55 pm“Lithia Motors”
I thought that was a great goof on lithium until I read the next comment. Chicago, Zimbabwe, or Russia, take your pick. Predictable winners will be lawyers and politicians. Predictable losers will be both R and D car dealerships. One sooner, one later for the auto folks. But whatever transpires, this sucketh righteously.
allan (5f580d) — 5/28/2009 @ 12:58 pmNo, actually Dark Beergod, a prima facie case has been made out. Its the rebuttals that lack data.
But go ahead, I find your attempts at rewriting history very amusing.
SPQR (72771e) — 5/28/2009 @ 1:50 pmIf a douchebag screeches in a forest, does anyone hear it?
Dmac (1ddf7e) — 5/28/2009 @ 1:54 pmJD,
That is a good post. It’s a good question, too. Well done.
DRJ (8b9d41) — 5/28/2009 @ 2:23 pmSince I am not a lawyer, could one of you non-mendoucheous ones 😉 explain how this is not a takings? As I understand it, the franchises and contracts had value, if not considerable value, and in many cases, have been simply given to a competitor. With Gattner’s group forcing things down GM and Chrysler’s throat, how is this not having something taken without just compensation?
JD (f8b50e) — 5/28/2009 @ 2:49 pmComment by JD — 5/28/2009 @ 2:49 pm
With Gattner’s group forcing things down GM and Chrysler’s throat, how is this not having something taken without just compensation?
Good point JD.
I guess they had their “brownshirts” underneath their suits, where nobody could see them; therefore, not a government seizure, but a legitimate “offer” of government help.
I hear Ford is laughing their heads off.
Pons Asinorum (03ef30) — 5/28/2009 @ 3:40 pm“The allegation that the closings have been politicized awaits demonstration by the data.”
Previously banned commenter Dark Beergod bravely restates the obvious, which would have smacked him in the face had he or Nate Silver read any of the copious postings on this subject. It is nice to note that the faux intellectual superiority of the left has not yet perished with the demise of the Obama Administration. It needs a little more time.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 5/28/2009 @ 4:29 pmAt the link duvel provided, it uses all car dealer owners as the baseline, as opposed to Chrysler owners.
Pretty sloppy of Nate Silver, who prides himself on his superior data-interpreting abilities. I’ll learn to view his word more skeptically in the future.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (48506c) — 5/28/2009 @ 5:21 pmDaleyrocks – The Silver post appears to be the Leftist rebuttal to any inquiry into this. As many have pointed out, it is based on dishonest numbers, and a pile of dishonest assumptions and canards, besides simply ignoring entities like RJL and Lithia. I thought that this was supposed to be the most honest transparent administration EVAH. But simply requesting information borders on treasonous right now. It seems that Barack would not do anything wrong, therefore we will not question is the mantra of the Left and the media.
JD (f8b50e) — 5/28/2009 @ 5:22 pmJD – The most dishonest part about the Silver piece was saying nobody was bothering to check for a control group, when virtually every article out there was making the same point and acknowledging that work was not complete. DBG and Silver are typical pointy head lefty mensa masters in that regard – eureka, I will point out a point that the rethugs have been pointing out all along but pretend I have discovered it all by myself because no one I know reads conservative blogs!
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 5/28/2009 @ 5:52 pmActually, Brother Bradley, if you go look at everything Silver included in the control group, it is even more egregious. I am on my Blackberry, and cannot flip back and forth, but I recall that the search parameters used could have included auto parts stores, mechanics, essentially auto-related businesses as well. Really, that is a minor side point. The fundamental dishonesty of it is that the actual figures for the actual control group were readily available, but he chose to not avail himself of same, and chose to create a metric that placed the figure higher than it should have been. I am sure that was unintentional, unintended, and purely accidental.
JD (f8b50e) — 5/28/2009 @ 6:14 pmI was wondering when the trolls would come out.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (14d6a1) — 5/28/2009 @ 7:04 pmAwaiting a thorough vetting of the dealers on the list…
Fox News:
steve (10dd27) — 5/28/2009 @ 7:53 pmsteve – The more telling part of the comments from the left above and in Silver’s piece is the essentially open admission that the Democrats are the anticapitalist or anti-business party. Nicely done.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 5/28/2009 @ 8:23 pmOh Good Lord.
Get a load of the lede and quote near the top of the Fox News story that steve linked to:
Contrast that with the quote Patterico provided from Reuters:
Submitted without further comment.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (14d6a1) — 5/28/2009 @ 8:31 pmPaul – That does not fit with Teh Narrative, and will be discarded.
steve – Why do a random sampling when all of the dealers information is available?
JD (a0edad) — 5/29/2009 @ 7:53 amWhy do a random sampling when all of the dealers information is available?
Because that story fits steve’s argument.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (14d6a1) — 5/29/2009 @ 7:57 amDo we know whether Obama has a driver’s license?
nk (e71733) — 5/29/2009 @ 8:05 am