Government Shutdown Could Mean Sales Slowdown for Pickups

The two-week partial shutdown of the U.S. government, affecting 800,000 federal employees, has experts uncertain about how automotive sales will be affected. Ford, GM and Ram all seem to be expecting strong sales numbers for October, especially in the booming pickup truck segment, but none seem certain how the shutdown could impact consumers' future big-ticket spending decisions.

That's because the shutdown increased consumer anxiety about the overall U.S. economy, according to a story by Consumer Affairs Editor Kelsey Mays at Cars.com, and consumer confidence has not increased much since the shutdown ceased. Apparently there's no shortage of opinions about how the shutdown and overall consumer anxiety about U.S. debt ceiling debates could affect how willing customers are to spend a large amount of cash on a new vehicle.

There's also no question that government fleet contracts were put on hold, but whether that will impact how other consumer habits play out will be interesting to see. We'll know more later today (Friday) when the October sales numbers are released by all the automakers.

And by the way, could somebody please go over to pickuptrucks.com and Freep this Dale Minor who comments, "Biggest problem is those turds in the Tea Party and the idiots like Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. I heard Coulter say she was so happy for the shutdown and how good of a job the republicans did. Does she even realize how it affected peoples lives? What maroons. When is it good to force people to not work? I guess it's good when you have an agenda that is nothing more than making Obama look bad. How is that good for the country?"

"I own a 12 Ram 2500 CTD. As far as wanting something good for this country, how about Mitch Mcturtle, Boner, Paul Ryan and the rest having a meeting in DC the min Obama was elected and stating that their primary goal was to keep Obama from getting re-elected. Wow that's working together. Or how about 42+ times they have tried to repeal the ACA. Give up, you lost. Get over it and move on. All this BS you hear from those right wing conservative nuts on Faux news is a joke. Talk about undermining people with lies. The republican party has nothing but a bunch of bone head clowns. I can't wait for the next election when they lose the house because of their immature school yard tactics that have cost this country jobs. Even the Wall Street Journal which is conservative did a poll and the republicans approval rating is in the tanks. Like they say "give them a rope long enough and they'll hang themselves". If I was and thank God I'm not a republican I'd be worried. They have no one that will be capable of running for president next time. It's funny how Faux and Rush are the voice for the party, and want to make you think they are right, but yet the American people don't buy that crap. Just look at the republican approval ratings. They been dropping every month.

Why is this administration any different from the one that lied us into the Iraq war. Talk about criminal. Cheney and Rove are the two biggest criminals ever to walk in the white house. Cheney, Rumsfeld were the two biggest liars I've ever heard. Didn't Cheney say the Irag war would only last a few months, six at the most?"

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/11/government-shutdown-could-mean-sales-slowdown-for-pickups.html

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