GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

[c1ue]

Jim Willy mentioned this - seems explosive if true:

By the way, evidence mounts that the main trait in common with the Chrysler dealers shut down last month were their campaign donations to the Republican National Committee by the victimized dealers.

http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/ed...2009/0602.html

[WDCRob]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

It's 100% true.

And 100% not explosive at all.

As one might expect: slick-talking older white suburban men prone to mistaking what they want to be true for reality (of which auto salesmen are surely a subset) overwhelmingly vote Republican. Hard to close a Democratically owned dealership if you can't find one.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

As one might expect: slick-talking older white suburban men prone to mistaking what they want to be true for reality (of which auto salesmen are surely a subset) overwhelmingly vote Republican. Hard to close a Democratically owned dealership if you can't find one.

Let me guess -- you don't usually vote a straight line Republican ticket, and you don't sell cars?

Good post in any case - thanks.

[WDCRob]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

I once voted for John McCain, and have sold three cars.

[cjppjc]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

I once voted for John McCain, and have sold three cars.

I knew it.


I voted for Ron Paul and haven't bought a car since 03.

[jimmygu3]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

I once voted for John McCain, and have sold three cars.

I have sold a lot of cars and would vote for Rob for DC Mayor.

[c1ue]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

Nate Silver's work is interesting but far from conclusive.

For one thing, the statistical numbers are based on Presidential contributions - and these numbers are very small. Only 163, 200, and 13 donors were represented in Nate Silver's work - also the donations were for the Presidential campaign only. Hardly definitive.

A more balanced look comes from opensecrets.org:

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009...p-with-ca.html

This article also notes the past contributions have been heavily Republican leaning, but also noted that starting this year contributions have swung to the Democrat side.

Perhaps then the dealers are actually pragmatists contributing to those who might help them as opposed to idealogues.

What would be more useful would be understanding how auto dealers are represented in the respective Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee rolls - because it is there that their contributions would have the most impact via soft money spending.

I put up the link not necessarily because I believe it, but because the intrusion of government into previously private areas can have unanticipated (or not...) consequences of which this is one unusual example.

[WDCRob]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

I have sold a lot of cars and would vote for Rob for DC Mayor.

Hoo boy. The Mayor of DC is stuck between the grandstanding Feds (who control a big chunk of the budget) and a City Council that might rate second in a contest with your average elementary school student rep body. That's one job I wouldn't want.

In fact DC politics and horrific city services (god help you if you're a ward of the city - prisoner, orphan, mentally ill, etc), are why I live in Arlington.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

In fact DC politics and horrific city services (god help you if you're a ward of the city - prisoner, orphan, mentally ill, etc), are why I live in Arlington.

If you live in Washington, DC and are mentally ill ... but I repeat myself ...

[thedanimal]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

If you live in Washington, DC and are mentally ill ... but I repeat myself ...

c1ue, Obama might be many things, but he's not stupid. I think the idea that he would do something so transparent and open to scrutiny and have it be clearly political is silly.

[lurker]

Re: GM and Chrysler dealer liquidation politically motivated?

Ice cream sales are highly correlated with sexual crimes. We must immediately move to ban ice cream.

I think the article confuses correlation with causation.