While you might think that a savvy American automaker would stay well away from the political fray, the Buloxi Sun Herald reports that GM is still catering to its republican "base." After hooking-up with conservative talk radio hosts Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh last year, GM has now secured itself the honor of being the Official Vehicle Provider for this year's G.O.P. convention in Minnesota. And yes, I'm aware that this is not new news. "GM and the Republican National Convention have enjoyed a strong partnership for the last seven conventions," revealed convention President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Cino. "We look forward to working with GM once again to keep our convention moving smoothly." But this time they'll also be moved cleanly; GM's G.O.P. fleet will consist "primarily: of flexible-fuel and hybrid models. "This is an outstanding venue for a great number and variety of people to see first-hand how GM is leading the way with more products with more fuel and technology choices for consumers," said Ken W. Cole, GM vice president for Global Public Policy and Government Relations. Somehow I doubt the public education will include a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid.
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I hate red carpets and hybrids.
Robert
Since in the sixties the vast majority of cars in driveways were domestic, How did Johnson get elected??
All I have to say about this is let’s not make this into more than it is.
Waitaminute. Perhaps my Michigan roots are showing, but I tend to expect just the opposite correlation. The union-happy Democrats drive Detroit iron, and the trade-happy Republicans drive imports. Or maybe there’s no real correlation at all?
“This is an outstanding venue for a great number and variety of people to see first-hand how GM is leading the way with more products with more fuel and technology choices for consumers,” said Ken W. Cole, GM vice president for Global Public Policy and Government Relations.”
Only problem is…they’re not!
Generalizations—-while entertaining—-are an intellectually lazy way to label people.
Some people tend to read too much into generalizing that Democrats and Republicans tend to drive specific types or brands of vehicles. Most Republicans (and Democrats too) I know drive import cars but thats because the vast majority of the cars (not trucks) sold around here these days are import brands.
I think the more pertinent question is: why the hell does a political party need an “official” vehicle provider? Don’t they just turn up in their own cars?
You know it’s all over if Toyota becomes the official vehicle provider for the DNC.
I’ve heard that GM is also going to debut the latest hybrid effort: Bob Lutz pushing candidates around in wheelbarrows.
I’d say “what has the GOP done to deserve such a terrible fate?”, but, well, you know…
And write off all those union voters? I think not.
I’ve heard that GM is also going to debut the latest hybrid effort: Bob Lutz pushing candidates around in wheelbarrows.
Good one Tony, only thing is the handles may not be developed in time so our new wheelbarrow may be ready or maybe not. On the other hand Lutz the klutz is ready and rarin’ to go!
“Hey Autoblog, did you know that once upon a time in the sixties, political canvassers knew that a domestic car in the driveway indicated a Republican in residence? True dat. ”
Not true dat. It’s not even truthy.
Dynamic88 :
“Hey Autoblog, did you know that once upon a time in the sixties, political canvassers knew that a domestic car in the driveway indicated a Republican in residence? True dat. ”
Not true dat. It’s not even truthy.
My Mom was a canvasser in the Northeast back then. A foreign car indicated a democrat. Not in every case, but in many. This factoid was provided by the party to all canvassers. True story.
Robert
But that is not what you said.
I was around then. In the Northwest. my parents and most friends were democrats and none that I remember had imports. Not even close to true.
Sure but at that time wasn’t the foreign car market something like 10% of the car market in the US? Meaning that even if most foreign car owners were democrats it doesn’t neccessarily follow that most democrats who owned cars were foreign car owners.
For that matter you said that “a domestic car in the driveway indicated a Republican in residence?”
Wouldn’t it be the fact that your hypothetical canvasser was in a suburban neighborhood with driveways that would lead him/her to believe the car owner was more likely to be a republican, the suburbs being more heavily republican both then and now? Whereas the same canvasser in a more urban setting would likely to encounter more democrats, yes?
Sigh. OK guys either I’m right, my memory’s shot or I’m just making stuff up for a website called The Truth About Cars. Which I’m not.
In the interests of not pursuing this further, I will deleted the lead:
Hey Autoblog, did you know that once upon a time in the sixties, political canvassers knew that a domestic car in the driveway indicated a Republican in residence? True dat.
Its main purpose was to ping Autoblog that I know that they’re riffing off our news agenda. Which is O.K., obviously. And pointing it out probably puts me somewhere between being paranoid and a paranoid asshole.
Long day.
We here in Canada here that its going to be a Democratic Government this time around, is it?
No biggie Robert – that just goes to show how off-base profiling can be at times, especially when it’s done by any political based group.
I loved the comment about Lutz guys!
Rumor has it the official vehicles will be Sierras with gated chicken wire fencing around the bed areas. They’ll be called Rolling First Amendment Zones.
Well, California has a republican governor. This may be part of a secret strategy that GM is deploying to win back the coast. When I was in SF/SJ last Sept., could swear the only domestics I saw were the pick-up trucks in Napa.
Good for GM, the exposure won’t hurt.No doubt GM is picking up the tab.
GM and the GOP- it’s a match made in Heaven. Both are vast corporations with reactionary instincts. Both resist higher fuel economy standards, acting as if they were owned lock, stock and 55-gallon barrel by Big Oil. Instead of practical, immediate reforms, they’re fond of over-the-horizon answers like hydrogen fuel and the Chevy Volt. Both of them style and market their products with appeals to fear and intimidation. Both wrap themselves in the flag, while globalizing as many productive assets as possible.
And one more similarity- both GM and the GOP are losing market share recently, with even bigger losses yet to come.
So they will have flex fuel cars/truck/SUV’s whatever. And I bet none of them see a drop of E85 in them. Now if they were all carted around in Aveos and Cobalts that would save some energy and impress me, but probably not the people who are forced to ride in them.