GM on Romney: ‘Campaign politics at its cynical worst’
All political campaigns lie and mislead. We all know that, and that knowledge is “baked into the cake,” so to speak, when it comes to assessing candidates. But this week in Ohio, Mitt Romney’s campaign is conducting a fascinating experiment in political science.
Its apparent goal is to discover whether, in these cynical times, a tipping point exists at which lies become so egregious, so divorced from reality and so potentially destructive to personal lives that it actually creates a significant backlash. There’s a lot riding on the outcome.
As noted yesterday, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has already responded to one Romney ad, trying to reassure frightened Jeep employees that their jobs were not being shipped overseas to China, as the Romney campaign was trying to imply. The Romney camp responded not by pulling the ads, but by cutting a new radio ad in which the lies and economic terrorism are more blatant still.
It states:
“Barack Obama says he saved the auto industry. But for who? Ohio or China? Under President Obama, GM cut 15,000 American jobs, but they are planning to double the number of cars built in China, which means 15,000 more jobs for China. And now comes word that Chrysler is planning to build cars in, you guessed it, China.”
The message of the ad is clear: The auto rescue effort has failed, and GM is moving 15,000 jobs from the United States to China. Neither is remotely true. However, if you or your family is dependent on the auto industry to pay the mortgage or put food on the table, that kind of message is nonetheless likely to strike terror in your heart.
Which is exactly what it is supposed to do.
To date, GM has attempted to stay as far away from presidential politics as possible, fully aware that the White House is up for grabs and that it may very well find itself needing cooperation from a President Romney. But like Chrysler, GM felt forced to set the record straight, and the blunt language used by the company in its official statement was extraordinary:
“We’ve clearly entered some parallel universe during these last few days,” GM spokesman Greg Martin said. “No amount of campaign politics at its cynical worst will diminish our record of creating jobs in the U.S. and repatriating profits back to this country.”
“At this stage,” Martin said, “we’re looking at a Hubble telescope-length distances between campaign ads and reality.”
Here’s that reality: Yes, GM today employs roughly 14,000 fewer people than it did in 2008. However, most of those job losses occurred early in 2009, before the company went through restructuring. It had nothing whatsoever to do with China, and the company has in fact added thousands of jobs since the restructuring.
And yes, GM, like Chrysler, is now planning to increase production in China for sale in the Chinese market. As the Detroit Free Press points out, Chinese government regulations make it difficult to import vehicles into that huge market. If you want to sell and compete there, you have to manufacture there. Rather than a threat to U.S. jobs, the expansion of GM and Chrysler into China is actually a sign of the companies’ good financial health, because they clearly have access to the capital needed to expand.
Romney knows that. In fact, in other settings Romney has claimed to deserve credit for the very same auto bailout that he now insinuates will benefit only the Chinese auto industry, leaving U.S. workers jobless.
He’s betting that Ohio voters can be easily fooled, easily frightened and easily manipulated. That says a lot about how little respect he has for the people whom he claims to want to serve.
– Jay Bookman
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
340 comments Add your comment
MK Gupta
October 31st, 2012
12:55 pm
I have been in the U.S. for 50 years. This is my home and I love it. I have seen the presidential election of 1966 and onwards.
I have never seen a presidential candidate and his close allies to stoop down to the level where Mr. Romney and his close allies have. He lies, repeats his lies louder each time he repeats himself so the citizens unaware of the truth begin to believe it and will be misled to vote against President Obama.
He blatantly lied about Chrysler and GM shipping jobs overseas to China.
Mr. Romney, who has been a legal tax evader who has shut down 22% of 77 companies he acquired, put the workers on the street and stashed his profit from these companies in Swiss or Cayman Island bank.
He has been the champion of exporting business to China and he blames our President!
He can fool the FOOLS and Uninformed ones in the country, but not those who know about real Mr. Romney.
I think his behavior is despicable. How can even some people support his candidacy? If elected, he will turn this country into a Third World nation with rich and poor classes. The women will be treated like the Taliban do in the Middle East. We may even have the equivalent of the Sharia Law for an ultra conservative Christian nation.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 31st, 2012
12:56 pm
Ragamuffin SHEETS!
Peadawg
October 31st, 2012
12:56 pm
Get out an vote everyone! Took me 15 minutes to vote early.
Mick
October 31st, 2012
12:56 pm
donovan
Are you sure you are an american? You are surly, negative, grumpy, and never have anything good to say. Which administration got bin laden again? Which administration guided us through one of the worst economic crisis since the great depression? Get over your hate, it produces nothing substancial except some very bad whine…
kayaker 71
October 31st, 2012
12:56 pm
“To date, GM has tried to stay away from presidential politics”……. winner of the most egregious lie ever posted on Bookman’s liberal love fest. UAW presently owns 17.5% controlling interest in GM and over 65% in Chrysler. Political contributions to Bozo and the gang from UAW to date……. $10,756,00. Lobbying costs to UAW in support of Bozo in 2011….. $2,120,000, and in 2012 to date….. 1,484,000. Does this look like they are staying away from presidential politics? And you call Romney a liar. Man, Bookman, what you leave out would fill a book!!
GT
October 31st, 2012
12:57 pm
“ In Marxian terms, it’s called the bourgeoisie.”
In capitalism it is call the idle rich. In pure capitalism it does not exist, but in bail out too big to fail the dysfunction of the markets are allow to exist and prosper. You can back a loser with your investment, the government props it up and you now have returns coming in that don’t exist in reality. Many investments are propped up to the point the rich think they are entitlements, no market run efficiently has this kind of long term consistency.
David Dickman
October 31st, 2012
12:58 pm
Jay Benghazi news video from fox news chanel 9 http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19902749/state-dept-emails-on-benghazi-attack-challenge-administrations-initial-response. Has Hilary Clinton stated we should not cheery pick and choose one e-mail here and one there and let them have any weight as evidence but the whole picture. Like rember the video deroagative of Muhamid. This was the cause of the terorist attack on 9/11. Just like Chrysler isn’t moving to china, or that there is now 6 trillion more additional debt. The Federal reserve has gaurenteed 1.2 trillion in loans to 21,000 in the last four years for green enrergy that the US taxpayer is on the hook. Several of these companies have gone under or sold to foreign companies. We are so much better off than four years I realy looking forward to see another four with Barack Hussien Obama as president. NOT!
Welcome to your occupation
October 31st, 2012
12:59 pm
GT, 12:57. Well said.
Tundra Dude
October 31st, 2012
12:59 pm
nobodyyouknow, wrote, in part:
Several years after Carter cut the CIA budget and pulled many agents out of countries that hate us
If Carter and/or Clinton left an Intell void, it was filled quite adequately by German Intell.
They’ve been quite adept at intercepting communications thruout the Mideast for years.
Leading up to 9/11, the messages became much more frequent and more detailed.
(supposedly) the Big Day was to be Sept 10 or 11.
All this info was reported to the proper US authorities.
I refuse to believe the former heads of Intell and Defense of my country (of birth) are conspiracy wackos.
Both were surprised/puzzled to learn we had our guard down, holding a “drill” on Sept 11.
Brosephus™
October 31st, 2012
1:00 pm
I try to go to Ace or True Value.
I have to drive a ways to get to either one of them. I knew the Ace people back home by name.
Rightwing Troll
October 31st, 2012
1:01 pm
Funny how all these Mittens’ butt smoochers cry about GM’s investors… seems like they forgot what “investing” actually is…
Jay
October 31st, 2012
1:03 pm
Let me explain this to you very simply, kayaker:
The United Auto Workers is NOT the same thing as GM and its management.
GM and its management is NOT the same thing as the UAW.
Two very different entities. GM over here, UAW over there. Two separate things. Like a kayak and water.
They BOTH suck
October 31st, 2012
1:04 pm
LP
Nice spin from what you said yesterday to today. You must be the leader of your spin class.
And as for intellect. I have read the hyperbole and lies on Obama you have posted on Wingfield’s and this blog. So start trying some intellectual honesty for a change.
It won’t hurt you a bit.
saywhat?
October 31st, 2012
1:05 pm
Romney the lying sack of Mitt strikes again.
Brosephus™
October 31st, 2012
1:09 pm
Dang it… Home Depot Camry. I guess that’s what I get for having dated swag on my computer desk…
Mr Right
October 31st, 2012
1:13 pm
Welcome to your occupation
October 31st, 2012
12:25 pm
Mr Right: “Seems the left thinks if they scream the loudest that the right is lying, nobody will notice their lies!”
Name a left wing lie. Name one.
Ha! Romney caused a woman to die!! There you go!
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 31st, 2012
1:16 pm
Ha! Romney caused a woman to die!! There you go!
Ha! The smoking gun is the mushroom cloud!! There you go!
Adam
October 31st, 2012
1:22 pm
Peadawg: I voted yesterday! Whee!
RB from Gwinnett
October 31st, 2012
1:24 pm
Apple makes iPhones in china to sell all over the world, not just in the US. You libs need to broaden your thinking a little the way these companies do when they’re making these decisions.
If you’re capable of doing so, that is…
kayaker 71
October 31st, 2012
1:26 pm
And Bookman is wanting us to believe that GM management was all lily white and non partisan when it came to supporting a political candidate. Bozo supplied the stimulus money to try to keep GM afloat. Bozo and the gang had EVERYTHING to do with appointing GM’s management from the git go, even to hiring Big Ed Whitacre to lie about the amount of money that GM had paid off on it’s “loan” from the US taxpayer. Most of them are not going to vote for Bozo and support Bozo? In your dreams. They are about as deep in his hip pocket as Bookman.
Adam
October 31st, 2012
1:27 pm
RB: Why don’t you just go over to China and hire people there. I’m sure you’ll find that the low wages in that country are more to your liking, and people there will be more likely to venerate you as their master, which would also be more to your liking. Oh, and you could intimidate them into staying even if you’re being a complete Richard, unlike your attempts to do so here
Adam
October 31st, 2012
1:28 pm
They are about as deep in his hip pocket as Bookman.
Hilarious you should put it that way, and you don’t even realize why
RB from Gwinnett
October 31st, 2012
1:32 pm
It’s ok Adam, mommy will have your sandwich ready shortly and I’m sure shell cut the crust off for you.
Can’t stand the truth can you?
Old Goober
October 31st, 2012
1:33 pm
Let’s cut the cr@p and get to the heart of the disagreements about the federal intervention in the GM and Chrysler situations.
The Republicans wanted the two companies driven into regular bankruptcy so that the union contracts could be broken, with worker pay lowered to the $9 per hour prevailing in Southern auto plants. For some reason, Republicans have major erections when it comes to unions and government workers. Perhaps a union worker or a government employee insulted Republican mothers.
That’s the sole problem here. All the lies about shipping jobs to China are just so much subterfuge designed to lure union workers and families to vote Republican.
kayaker 71
October 31st, 2012
1:34 pm
More lies from Bozo…… “If you make less than 250K/yr, your taxes will not go up….. not by one thin dime”.
Projected tax hikes after Jan 1, 2013….
Families with average income of 70K…… $4,138
Baby Boomers with an average income of 95K……… $4223
Low Income families with an average income of 24.7K…….. $1207
Retirees with an average income of 42.7K/yr…… $857
Millennials with an average income of 23.9K….. $1099
Just elimination of the Bush tax cuts, raising withholding taxes and the l8 additional taxes from Bozocare will impact middle America like nothing we have seen in our countries history. All you liberals that champion the middle class….. take a good hard look at how Bozo is destroying the very thing you attempt to defend.
Jack
October 31st, 2012
1:46 pm
A bankrupt GM could have operated under bankruptcy laws; their vendors could been paid under bankruptcy laws and employees could have kept their jobs. No unemployment insurance payments would have been necessary. Had unemployment insurance payments been necessary, those funds were paid by GM previously and were held in a state fund.
“Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” Romney Attacks GM in Final Days of Election; GM Defends Record From Romney Lies, Calls Them ‘Fantasy’ « robertscribbler
October 31st, 2012
2:13 pm
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/10/31/gm-on-romney-campaign-politics-at-its-cynical-worst... [...]
Jim
October 31st, 2012
2:15 pm
How about reporting the truth. If you actually read Romney’s Op Ed, it states that government guarantees would be used under a normal bankruptcy process. The only thing Obama did differently was to illegally seize the bondholders equity and give it to the UAW. The only real solution to this ongoing problem is to make pensions and the offer of retirement healthcare illegal. Companies should only be allowed to pay you a wage now, and its up to the workers to save for retirement. The whole Ponzi scheme demanded by unions to justify their existence should be illegal.
GT
October 31st, 2012
2:17 pm
Jack vendors would have been paid about 25 cents on the dollar. These bond holders would have ran circles around the negotiations. The bond holders would have bought as much debt at discount as they could and strengthen their voting power with the court. Wall Street would have made out like bandits, what we are seeing in the recovery of Ohio would have never excised. One of the strongest reasons Wall Street types like Jack Walsh are so against Obama is he takes these banquets off the table they have enjoyed at our expense for years. The same crowd speculating on oil makes that price for the small consumer go sky high.
Secondly the venders not only would have been discounted they would be out of a client, which today exist thanks to the quick thinking of Obama. The vendors are today in the most part supplying to a live body that would not be there if we had gone the Romney way. The jobs we see in the auto business does not tell the whole story, more jobs are kept in the vendors and suppliers than the actual car business itself.
There was no debtor in possession money, the banks that make these loans were dying, the private sector had been defaulted on so much by these kinds of loans they were not liquid, yields were sky high for cash, and the competition for it, no where was this money to be found at sober rates.
Obama really pulled off a miracle; the only hot people were the investors who thought they would get easy sex while the girl was drunk. O stop this rape by Wall Street, saved thousands of jobs and now is creating more.
GT
October 31st, 2012
2:38 pm
Jim the recession didn’t make the car industry go bad, it was bad already, in its own recession. Plants were closing all over the country, here in Atlanta you see at least two plants close.
The business now is healthier than it ever was under Bush, or most anytime in the last 20 years. Jim what should be illegal in your mind is not illegal and the results of these actions by Obama tell us all why it should never be illegal. Investments have risks just like soldiers and diplomats take, they are the ones the sign up, and are not entitled to anything. This is where you lose the road; you confuse justice with entitlement, not the same.
You would rather mess with little people lives, so you have your “justice/ entitlements”, you force the closing of an industry ruin this country’s economy so you can theoretically check the boxes of what you felt to be capitalism. O thought outside that box and because of him capitalism is alive and well in the US, more so than any other country in the world. Watch Ohio’s vote Jim you will see the direct participants thanking a president for the courage he showed against the Pharisees like you who say it can’t be done.
Mike
October 31st, 2012
3:05 pm
It is simple math. There are 14,000 jobs lost in the U.S. The company is adding jobs in China because there are demands for their products. The products are not being manufactured here, so there is a net loss in U.S. jobs.
As stated by Motor Trend, Car and Driver, etc; Fiat is now designing Chrysler, Dodge and Jeeps to appeal to the Asian and Europe markets. Vehicles like the new Cuda, Jeep Nitro replacement, etc. Do you really think that these vehicles will be manufactured in the U.S. for export to other Asian and European nations? Not a chance! The new Jeep’s are going to come straight out of China. Ask the CEO of Fiat if there will be any export to other nations from that assembly plant in China. Ask the same of the CEO of GM about their China assembly plants. Ask these questions, then get back to me about who is telling the truth about the ad.
Fiat is hurting really bad because of the European Union issues. Car sales are down considerably and they will be shipping as many of their operations to cheaper labor costs in different country’s as possible. The same that every other auto manufacturer is doing.
I wouldn’t care what these companies did if the tax payers didn’t have so skin in this game.
Mr Right
October 31st, 2012
4:30 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 31st, 2012
1:16 pm
Ha! Romney caused a woman to die!! There you go!
Ha! The smoking gun is the mushroom cloud!! There you go!
Yep,KA—BOOM you got your mushroom cloud!
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
October 31st, 2012
7:09 pm
He must be taking lessons from the master, president food stamps!
Dave
October 31st, 2012
8:26 pm
GM is rernt.
hj
October 31st, 2012
9:01 pm
I’m wondering about the tipping point and if there will be a backlash too. This is the first time I’ve watched the Republican campaign from beginning to end and I am wondering if etch a sketching is part of the Republican tradition.
Karl Rove
October 31st, 2012
9:02 pm
Glad to see that liberal media hack that writes for the AJC is getting his drawers in a knot over a few of our ads. Just because our boy Mitt and Bain keep offshoring American companies like that Sensata plant in Freeport, Illinois doesn’t mean we can’t accuse some of the companies of hiring cheap Chinese labor. Heck if Obama and the UAW had there way GM would have to pay minimum wages to Chinese workers, pay for overtime and give the workers health care, sick leave and vacations. That is not the Bain way to run a car company. If Mitt gets elected we will have a real businessman who will make American auto workers truly competitive b y abolishing the unions and all those socialist benefits. Otherwise we can bring in some of that cheap Chinese labor or hire some Mexicans and give them amnesty.
Remember what I always say, if you pass gas in public blame it on a Democrat!
Is Romney helping or hurting himself?
October 31st, 2012
11:14 pm
[...] Refuses to Answer Questions About FEMA 14 Times ‹ I Acknowledge Class Warfare Exists GM on Romney: ‘Campaign politics at its cynical worst’ | Jay Bookman __________________ V1 S trim @5psi 339/359 Iraq and Afghanistan War Vet 4 deployments from [...]
Lar5
November 1st, 2012
3:54 pm
Ohio’s Three Leading Newspapers Blast Romney’s ‘Jeep-To-China’ Lie In Critical Swing State
Joanne Yinger
November 1st, 2012
6:53 pm
My husband is one of the GM suppliers’ production workers laid off (when the economy tanked) in 2008 but later rehired after the reorganization of GM. We are grateful for the government’s help, supporting GM through a difficult period. GM is now leaner and stronger.
Because its a global market, we expect that GM and other car manufacturers will want to sell their cars overseas, but that does not negate the importance of maintaing solid production facilities here in the US.
adams
November 3rd, 2012
12:31 pm
Jay, you write, expanding operations in China is “actually a sign of the companies’ good financial health, because they clearly have access to the capital needed to expand”. So where did all of that capital come? Certainly not from the net profits of all of those Chevy Volts GM sold.