Dealergate and the MSM
I talked about Dealergate on Fox and Friends this morning. Will try and get the video clip up later today. I made sure to credit bloggers Doug Ross and Joey Smith, who took the lead in probing the relationship between political considerations and Chrysler dealerships targeted for closure, also Hot Air, which is where the F&F producer saw the story.
The bloggers are continuing their intriguing work. Doug has a new post here shedding more light on Mack McLarty/Robet Johnson’s dealerships. Joey has more info on Lithia Motors here.
As I’ve stated from the beginning, there is still much to be researched on this issue. Given Obama’s Chicago gangland propensities, anything corrupt is possible.
Some professional journalists, however, have shown obstinate unwilligness to get to the bottom of the decision-making process.
The Washington Post’s business columnist Steven Pearlstein was asked about the story yesterday in an online Q&A. He scoffed:
Boonsboro, Md.: A bit off the topic, but have you or anyone at the Post investigated this? Chrysler dealers shut down in Obama bankruptcy are mostly Republican? It seems a crosscheck of dealerships to be closed versus donations shows almost all the dealers to be closed donated to Republicans. http://hotair.com/
Steven Pearlstein: Oh, please. What percent of all auto dealers are Republican? I bet its (sic) pretty high.
Well, why don’t you use all your professional journalism training and find out the answer, Mr. Pearlstein? And why don’t you look at the flip side of the question — as “amateur” bloggers have been doing — and investigate the circumstances of the protected dealers?
Pearlstein is not alone in dismissing the blogosphere out of hand. The impulse to denigrate blogs is borne of professional protectionism.
Ace reflects on the conservative blog-MSM dynamic:
Here’s a dilemma for conservatives. The MSM will not investigate any of these claims, ever. So what is a conservative to do? If a conservatives admit that this line of inquiry seems unlikely to turn up malfeasance, the MSM uses such statements as pretexts to not bother to even check, and uses such statements against conservatives who are agitating for additional investigation — “Even conservatives think this is unlikely, so you guys are obviously crazy…”
Of course I want this looked into, of course. It’s my guess it’s a non-story, not my expert opinion.
But the MSM is so ridiculously biased that they make honesty a dangerous and politically counterproductive business.
The only way to even get the MSM to do their jobs and take a look is to pressure them by claiming Worst Scandal Eveh, even if we don’t all necessarily buy that. But we have to claim that in order to spur any sort of media interest whatsoever. (That interest, of course, coming in the form of stories like Conservatives Now So Crazy They Think Obama Is Closing Chrysler Dealerships for Political Advantage, which isn’t exactly the headline we seek, but that’s the best we can hope for from the MSM.)
A few quick points: I do think that eventually, the MSM will come around to investigating. If they find anything at all that confirms the politicizing of the process, they’ll either whitewash it, downplay it, or take credit for exposing it with little or no credit to the bloggers who first started digging. They’ll also ignore the fact that some of us early on have made the caveat from the start not to make too-broad claims.
I also don’t think it’s necessary to over-sell the story in order to get more mainstream coverage. The fact is, Missouri senators have already pressed the White House for more transparency on the closure decision-making process.
Do the rest of the MSM’s business journalists take Pearlstein’s arrogant “Oh, please” position that the answers are not even worth pursuing?
***
Jim Hoft has further info/commentary.
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Categories: Chrysler
“Do you believe they are trying to destroy this country?”
Nope. I believe they are trying to make this country the very best they think it can be.
I asked because the words you use to describe their tactics would be the same words I would use to describe someone who is intent on destroying something.
Not trying to argue, though.
Look, guys…
jsmiddleton4 is saying that, of course, they are trying to destroy the America we believe…and grew up…in.
But destruction is not their goal. Destruction is incidental to their goal, which is to REMAKE America in the image of collectivism, as opposed to our tradition of individual rights and enterprise.
Don’t be obtuse. If there is no opposition party, whether it’s called Republican, Conservative, or Whig, for whom, precisely, do you think you will be voting? The Eastern European countries had “free” elections” for decades – but if there’s only one candidate what difference does it make?
Point taken. I’m just saying that I believe we make a mistake when we assume that their intentions are good. There is a way that is right and a way that is wrong for this country. Stepping on people’s rights and celebrating that fact is WRONG. There is nothing good about it. These same people who gleefully squash your rights and mine would jealously guard (with their bodyguards’ lives, of course) their own rights.
We must recognize evil if we wish to combat it.
I found this article at Drudge while catching up on my readings.
Seems as though the bloggers are getting some props, but I’m certain that this will turn up on Newsbusters as nothing more than empty b*tching from the right.
More the pity.
I would love to see someone ask him which hosital. There aren’t many, but I bet he’d hem and haw….
Ok, my spelling is off today…
It just amazes me that the RNC has let him get away with this just like everything else he has done. They either are on the take or have been threatened to not fight it.
What other explanation is there for someone that has all his records sealed from the public.
We do have a majority of states with some form of Concealed Carry license-good start-Shall Issue is better-no license required, no registration or other “reasonable fascism ” is better yet-all goals we work for. I am told Illinois, Massachusetts and New York City haven’t been told we have a Constitution. We must send Second Amendment missionaries to those heathen lands and try to reach the barbarians.
So did you get Carry License? When the Ship hits the Sand you will need it
====
In My Obamamobile
Come away with me Lucile in my merry Obamamobile
Down the road of life we’ll fly automo-bubbling you and I.
To the church we’ll swiftly steal, then our wedding bells will peal,
You can go as far you like with me, In my merry Obamamobile.
They love to spark in the dark old park, as they go flying along,
She says she knows why his motor goes; his sparker’s awfully strong.
Each day they spoon to the engine’s tune, their honeymoon will happen soon,
He’ll win Lucile with his Obamamobile and then he’ll fondly croon;
—
Let your sidearm be like MasterCard: DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT.
And if you live in a sissy state that won’t let you carry move to one that will–we need you.
They left their spine in San Francisco or the Beltway.
I’m a gun owner, but I live in MD. No concealed carry.
I’m just saying that I believe we make a mistake when we assume that their intentions are good.”
As far as they are concerned their intentions ARE good. Conservatives are wasting time trying to convince the left that their intentions are bad. They do not believe they are bad. They sincerely think they are doing the best thing for America. They are not plotting on destroying America. This attempt to convince folks that Obama is evil is bordering on Deranged Bush Syndrome. Sorry but there it is.
Conservatives waste too much time trying to reason with folks and attempt to change minds on the left so they “get it”.
It is we on the right who don’t get it.
Use a football game as an example. We the conservatives have the ball. Instead of running a play, doing the work physically to push people out of the way and drive toward the goal to score, we spend our whole time trying to convince the other team that they should let us score cause we’re good guys, we’re right, their wrong and our ideas are better than theirs. So please, pretty please, let us score?
Absurd. But its what we do.
The folks on the left believe they are doing what is best for America. They really believe it. So when we on the right say, “Hey, you guys are destroying America…” They say, “No we are not.”
And then we argue. “Yes you are!” And they say, “No we are not!” And we say, “Yes you are….” And on and on the dysfunctional dance goes.
We on the right have got to get it in our heads that the folks on the left believe they are doing the right thing, not an evil thing AND we need to stop acting as if it matters that they will one day agree with us AND we need to stop all this wasted time trying to “prove” they are evil.
Do know what I am describing looks like don’t you? It looks like leadership. We on the right need to lead. We need to quit acting like there is something wrong with us, that we need some kind of affirmation to be right, we need to start acting based on what we know is true: conservativism is a good thing and it works very well. I don’t need to apologize because I am a conservative. We need to lead and quit this ineffective dogfight with the left. They don’t and will never get it. We need to quit whining about the media. Stop wringing our hands over the GOP. We need to lead in our homes, in our jobs, in our local politics, in every way we can.
We need to be conservatives. You know folks who think one person can make a difference. Folks who think that I can change the world. Folks who actually do hope and do change things. Folks who don’t think we have to have someone else help us otherwise we will fail.
I’m not wasting any time trying to convince libs that their intentions are bad. I think it’s more important that we conservatives recognize that fact FOR OURSELVES and stop ascribing higher motives to their obviously evil and destructive actions.
“stop ascribing higher motives to their obviously evil and destructive actions.”
Sorry but Obama is not an evil man. He is sold out to his world view. That does not make him evil. He is wrong in terms of the end result of his policies and belief system. But he is not evil any more than George Bush’s being labeled evil by the left was valid. As I have already said this “Obama is evil” stuff by the right sounds the same as the Bush Derangement Syndrome stuff from the left.
The Conservatives tried, but couldn’t get a foothold. That’s what happens when you have a corrupt MSM.
We’ll just have to disagree on this.
On May 28th, 2009 at 3:24 pm, Cogs said:
Whoever is pulling his strings certainly is.
The same people pulling the RNC strings? So everyone is evil? Pointless.
Well, I think Obama is evil. As is anyone who works to develop and expand a dependence class for a political agenda. Ayn Rand warned us of this and that was back in the 50′s (of course, she had been through it all before).
“who works to develop and expand a dependence class for a political agenda.”
So if you reduce the size of that dependent class, is his power reduced?
And the very best way to reduce the size of that dependent class is how?
Thats called freedom and personal responsibilty. You want to destroy a person’s ambition and creativity, keep him dependent. Once dependent, he has nowhere to go. That’s Progressivism.
Anyone who attempts to destroy the human spirit is evil. Doesn’t matter whether someone calls themselves a Repub, Dem, or Martian. Avoiding your overgeneralization (“so everyone is evil?”) requires you to think beyond whether someone self-identifies with a particular party and do the hard work of looking at their philosophies and actions.
This point has been amply covered on this site many times.
The answer to this question should be a no-brainer for someone who calls themself a conservative.
Even a lot of “real” conservatives, bloggers or whatever do not want to talk about Obama’s legality, or lack thereof, to be president. Are they satisfied with what they have been told, are they intimidated, or what?
Why would a presidential candidate, now president, seal virtually all his records from view. Not just the birth certificate, but college records, admissions papers, thesis, legal papers from his lawyer work, if he actually did any, his grades from the various schools he attended……, literally years of his life are hidden.
If I am wrong, and all this is available, can someone tell me how to access this information?
I think there are some pretty obvious reasons for this, mostly having to do with obtaining and keeping power and influence.
That’s the $64,000 question.
Leaving the “Obama is evil” argument out of it, he certainly is NOT looking to do what he thinks is best for America. He is doing only what he thinks is best for *himeself*, and if that includes the destruction of America, the execution of millions, or allowing another country to simply walk in and take over, *that* is what he will do.
I just see no point in basing an argument against politicians on “evil”. They are politicians and so, not to be trusted. Period. Getting bogged down in these discussions is a waste of time. Everyone sees the other party’s candidate as “evil” these days. It wasn’t always that way.
I have heard plenty of supposedly conservative talk-show hosts and others in the media who immediately PooPoo the thought that Oblama is not a citizen of the U.S. They usually say it’s a settled issue….. kinda like Settled Science of Gorebull Warming…
I’m just sayin’ this is all too clear to me. He is a fake, a phony, and dangerous.
Les Kinsolving from WND actually asked Obama’s mouthpiece Gibbs at a news conference and was mocked and laughed at by all.
Gibb’s most interesting remark: “I certainly hope by the fourth year of our administration that we’ll have dealt with this burgeoning birth controversy.”
Uh, huh. WHEN IT’S TOO LATE!!!
There is a problem here, guys.
jsmiddleton4 is giving you the relativist view. “Obama isn’t evil because he sincerely thinks he’s good”.
Most conservatives reject that view. Most of use are the opposite of relativists. We believe there are absolutes (at least sometimes). Good and evil are not susceptible to relative positions; they are what they are, and the evil person’s really sincerely belief that they are good doesn’t alter their evil.
I’m sure Uncle Joe, Mao, Pol Pot, and Hitler could argue…very sincerely…they were good people who sought to do fine things.
The larger point is this, IMNHO: it is not enough to recognize and vocally identify evil, especially when so many of our neighbors don’t get it. It can sound shrill and a little nuts, though we know it isn’t.
Our better endeavor is to POSITIVELY show them why liberty and freedom are superior ways to live, and that those qualities in our system are being lost.
And when someone ask Gibbs or whoever about this, they should include asking for everything that is kept secret, not just the birth certifcate. They are all interrelated to protect disclosure of the fact Obama is an illegal president. Even the school admission records will show this. What they are saying is “we have a really good fake birth certificate, so shut-up and accept it”.
There are many other questions about his past that have not been answered that are related to the citizenship issue.
I thought that was the MSM standard regarding whether or not something should be investigated.
Or does that only apply when someone or something in the Bush administration was being pursued?
There are obviously different rules for BO and his team. The MSM wouldn’t want to take away from their time spent drooling over BO’s pecs and MO’s arms.
The MSM — what a bunch of worthless hacks.
The Master asked a good question, and despite the precipitous descent of this thread into the loony bin whackapalooza of long forms vs. COLBs, here’s the answer:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/05/news-flash-car-dealers-are-republicans.html
In short, someone DID do the math and discovered that of all the auto dealers who contributed money to ANY political party, 88% donated money to Republican candidates… Which pretty much explains why a huge number of dealerships being dumped donated money to Republican candidates. As the Master said, this is not rocket science…
You’re leaving out the whole discussion of why dealerships are being closed AT ALL. If they make money for the company whether or not they sell a single car, then why are ANY being closed? This seems like more of an opportunity to shut down one’s political enemies than a business decision. Which is what led to the discussion of “motive” in the first place. Did you read this entire thread?
I’m sure their mothers thought they were fine young men.
Yes, merely arguing about whether something/someone is evil (or not) can eventually hinder the cause. At some point, we must show the better way.
Unfortunately, the Repub party is not in a position to do this b/c its “leadership” keeps fighting against conservatism and conservatives.
OT, but only some…
The next economy killer…especially for the entrepreneurial small-to-mid size business…is the implementation of the new Consumer Product Safety regs.
Congress has already passed these, and passed them on to the bureaucrats so they can propound the regs. These are going to be economic activity KILLERS, and need to be immediately withdraw, and the law changed.
Be aware…!!!!
One feature of fascist economic policy is it enmity toward entrepreneurial businesses. They do not fit neatly into the collectivist corporatist model, and they don’t fair well under fascist economic planning.
The idea of a big tent was and is not a bad one, SO LONG AS THE CENTER-POLE AND FOUNDATION OF THE TENT IS SOLID CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLE. That tall, strong pole will raise a canvas high enough to welcome anyone who is dedicated to individual liberty and enterprise.
The mundane mush that is moderation cannot raise any shelter, or provide a landmark of principle to which hungry people are drawn from a distance.
Good metaphor. If you will indulge me for just one more moment, that is why the *opposite* of, or a watered-down version of, conservatism (which amounts to oppression of the human spirit in whatever form it takes) does not have equal moral weight with conservatism.
“I’m sure Uncle Joe, Mao, Pol Pot, and Hitler could argue…very sincerely…they were good people who sought to do fine things.”
Obama is Stalin, Mao, Hitler?
I’m sure that makes it easier to be heard. Like I said, there are folks on the right who sound no different than folks on the left who had Bush Derangement Syndrome.
It is sad that the only way some folks can frame any argument is to make the “other” guy evil.
Actually, if Obama is corrupt, and things like the Rezko sweetheart house deal would seem to suggest that, even if he sincerely believes some modified version of Marxism is what is best for America, then he is evil.
If Obama knowingly protected Demonratic dealerships, and targetted Republican ones, that is a version of corruption and he is indeed a very evil man indeed.
On a related subject, Bill Ayers was planning a bombing at an enlisted men’s dance at Fort Dix, and apparently hoped to kill many soldiers and their dates.
Is that evil? Of course it is. Bill Ayers may think a few dozen dead soldiers, (and supposedly a few tens of thousands of bourgeosie counter-revolutionaries after the revolution) is just breaking some eggs for an omelette of the workers’ paradise, but objectively, he is an evil man.
No matter if Adolf Hitler thought the Jews were a pestilence to be driven from Europe or eliminated any way possible, the fact that he had men, women, children and even babies murdered makes him evil, by definition.
“That tall, strong pole will raise a canvas high enough to welcome anyone who is dedicated to individual liberty and enterprise.”
A pole that will be up to each of us to raise.
Those remaining dealers are in for some rough times. I would never buy another vehicle from either a GM or Chrysler dealer who has benefited from the expulsion of a fellow dealer.
I know some will continue to purchase these vehicles, but now me.
I will no longer support either of these automotive companies.
I said late last year that as a family I intended to lower my spending this year and every year until Obama is out of office.
I owe nothing, and will not go into debt to help Obama get his fannie out of this mess. I realize my little bit is insignificant by itself. However it is what it is.
What’s more sad is when someone doesn’t have the stomach to recognize and fight evil when they see it.
I find it incredible that you could read my post, understand anything I was saying, and still write that.
Hence, I conclude you can’t understand.
Play on, McDuff…
Shhhh. Democracy’s self-appointed watchdogs are trying to sleep.
I would expect some more research and journalism before posting these accusations. Nate Silver did some research and here’s what he found:
Here’s the whole post.
So where is conspiracy, I won’t hold my breath for an apology. Please move on to the next conspiracy theory.
That’s a meaningless question. The real question is what percentage of Democrat auto dealers had their franchise revoked, and what percentage of Republican. If everything is above board, they will be the same. But the MSM would prefer not to find out.
Much as they preferred not to know what was going on with Scare Force One.
“Hence, I conclude you can’t understand.”
Gee rag, I didn’t know all my posts were to you personally.
.
That means nothing whatsoever, and Nate Silver knows it. You may be dim enough not to of course.
“What’s more sad is when someone doesn’t have the stomach to recognize and fight evil when they see it.”
I don’t need to have the “other” guy be evil to stand up for what I know to be right. Sad that some of you seem to need to have an “evil” opponent to get you going.
Rags is write, you are illiterate.
Don’t let freeblind turn you around.
The scandal here isn’t a made-out case for discrimination against the independent dealers. That case has yet to be made, and despite the stats cited in freeblind’s post, it still could be shown.
But the REAL scandal here is that ANY independent dealership is having its contract abrogated, apparently at the behest of some unelected fascist bureaucrat.
It’s not about the contributions but the preferential treatment of some Chrysler dealership owners over others, such as McClarty’s partnered dealerships being spared while equally if not more successful ones were closed. Why?
Ok, lets say you have 100 rubber balls 88 are blue and 12 are red. You have to remove 10 balls from the box they are in. What are odds that all 10 will be red?
Well…in this forum…I, um, don’t see how that would be possible.
You?
What do you think would make Obama, or anybody else, evil? Are there any evil people in the world, as you see it? If so, how do you recognize them?
jsm, you seem to be unable to make the call even when evil is staring you in the face. Fine. That’s your choice.
But I say that’s what’s wrong with our country – it has lost its stomach for identifying, much less confronting, evil.
I wonder what you would say to those boys at Omaha Beach 65 years ago, or in the jungles of Viet Nam, or the mountains of Afghanistan? “Aw come on, they’re not THAT bad, are they? Do you REALLY have to shoot ‘em?”
How does it skew the odds if you are discriminating for one color or the other?
freemind #148, please see post #136.
.
The problem is, you are counting rubber balls when you are supposed to be counting rubber ducks.
Silver is NOT telling you what percentage of the different groups were Democrat or Republican. He is counting the aggregate amount of money donated by each. This only works for our current purpose if there was very little variation in the amount donated on an individual basis.
In other words, if everybody donated $2000, then Silvers approximation is accurate. If the Republicans donate significantly more (or less) on average then his approximation is wrong.
As I said above, the relevant numbers are (a) the percentage of Republican dealers who had their franchise revoked and (b) the percentage of Democratic dealers who had their franchise revoked.
Aggregate dollar amounts from Democrats and Republicans are not very helpful.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/28/gop-bloggers-charge-obamas-auto-task-force-playing-politics-chrysler-dealer/
According to this, their methodology did NOT show discrimination in the closings.
Read the story CAREFULLY, however. You will find several contradictions between Gibbs and others, and SEVERAL rationally inconsistent statements in quotes.
Excellent question, heres an answer.
So what are those numbers?
Then how do you explain the fact that among the dealers being closed were some of the top preforming Chrysler dealerships in the country?
Those numbers, to return to the topic of the post, are what the lapdog media are supposed to be finding out. You know, speaking truth to power and all that jazz?
Yes, but industry analysts did not say that profitable dealerships should be closed on political grounds.
Oh, shoot…
if GM or Chrysler are the only lines these dealers are going to sell…
you ain’t see NUTTIN yet.
As I said earlier, the only reliable market for these brands will be government.
Only one dealership needed.
http://townhall.com/cartoons/2009/05/28/4
1 cartoon = 1000 words
If dealerships (who cost the automakers nothing) were unprofitable, they would shut themselves down.
The two primary cost issues with the US automakers has been crushing legacy labor costs and overcapacity because unions make closing idle plants more expensive than keeping them open.
I believe both GM and Chrysler will go out of business unless they get permanent anti-competitive advantages that enable them to sell their inferior cars at below fair-market price. Advantages like free government loans, government pension plans and all sorts of tax breaks no one else gets. A Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac solution.
Just think of all the new Beltway billionaires reaping the new source of massive “campaign contributions” and cushy post-Congress sinecures.
Slightly ot, but dealers closing doesn’t bother me. It does bother me that it’s a decision made by Washington slime however. But since I will never buy another vehicle made by union labor?
Exactly. The government doesn’t need to decide which dealerships must be shut down.
It could be just a coincidence that most of the dealerships slated to be shut down were Republican contributors. Sort of like it was a coincidence that Al Franken miraculously found 400 or 500 hundred votes to come from behine against Norm Coleman.
But I say that’s what’s wrong with our “country – it has lost its stomach for identifying, much less confronting, evil.”
Sorry but what has happened in our country is good men/women did nothing thinking someone else would do it for them. As a result conservatism took a big hit. The way back is for conservatives to get busy and stand up. Labeling the “other” side as “evil” is inaccurate, a distraction and ineffective.
Unless you have a conservative TV talk show or radio show.
Change will happen when WE get busy and take action.
“I believe both GM and Chrysler will go out of business”
It is only a matter of time. Even if the government agreed to only buy GM or Chrysler, they’d still go out of business. Yes the government buys a lot of cars. But not that many cars and the entire government fleet is not replaced every year.
I guess this means that, over time, we’ll start seeing more tricked out cars with giant gold rims and hot-pink interiors…