Posted on 05/26/2009 12:57:11 PM PDT by icwhatudo
There have been several interesting and informative blog posts published recently on the Chrysler dealership closure “hit list.”
Posts by Joey Smith, Doug Ross, and on Free Republic shed light on the campaign contributions of the targeted dealers — who happen to lean Republican.
Is Obama capable of such Chicagoland thug tactics? Of course he is, and I’ve pointed out many cases of it over the past two years.
But I would caution against carried away with “Nixon enemies list” rhetoric until a thorough vetting of the dealers on the list is done — which may take a while, but can definitely be expedited through the same kind of crowd-sourcing that has already taken place.
----snip----
In any case, it’s too early to start painting them all as victims of a politically motivated witch hunt.
Keep digging.
(Excerpt) Read more at michellemalkin.com ...
Maybe they were just yanked because they were successful, and successful self-employed businesses tend to be more Conservative/Republican?
Latest information on the “protected” dealerships:
In my analysis of the Chrysler dealers that will remain open, I came across one dealer group that stood out to me.
The company is called RLJ-McLarty-Landers, and it operates six Chrysler dealerships throughout the South. All six dealerships are safe from closing. The dealer locations are:
1. Bentonville, AR (northwest Arkansas)
2. Lee’s Summit, MO (south of Kansas City, MO)
3. Branson, MO
4. Olathe, KS (near Kansas City)
5. Bossier City, LA (near Shreveport)
6. Huntsville, AL
The interesting part is who the three main owners of the company are. The owners are Steve Landers (long-time car dealer, 4th-generation dealer), Thomas “Mack” McLarty (former Chief of Staff for President Clinton), and Robert Johnson (founder of Black Entertainment Television and co-owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats). Landers has given money to Republicans in the past, but McLarty campaigned for Obama in 2008, and Johnson has given countless amounts of money to Democrats over the years.
I will post some information on RLJ-McLarty-Landers and how their dealerships are effected by the closings shortly.
Follow-up on RLJ-McLarty-Landers:
There are 5 Chrysler dealerships near Lee’s Summit:
1. Lee’s Summit Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep (Lee’s Summit, MO)
2. Crawford’s Raytown (Jeep) (Raytown, MO)
3. Mitch Crawford’s Holiday Motors (Chrysler) (Raytown, MO)
4. Raytown Dodge Company (Dodge) (Raytown, MO)
5. Milner-O’Quinn Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep (all 4 brands) (Harrisonville, MO)
#1 is located in Lee’s Summit and is owned by RLJ-McCarty-Landers.
#2, #3, and #4 are located 9 miles northwest in Raytown, MO and is owned by Michael Crawford.
#5 is located 19 miles south in Harrisonville, MO and is owned by Charles O’Quinn.
The Lee’s Summit dealership will remain open while the other 4 in Raytown and Harrisonville will close. The Lee’s Summit dealership will have no other Chrysler dealerships located within at least a 20 mile radius. All of the local competition will be wiped out due to the Chrysler closings.
More information on RLJ-McCarty-Landers coming shortly...
Now the average citizen must dig for themselves.
So be it.
Michelle Malkin is right on with this.
Do not be afraid to speak the truth, but make sure the truth is true, first!
Thanks for the update!
But that raises the question, why force dealers across America to make massive capital investments to consolidate their operations? How is that going to help anyone’s profitability?
When this first started I saw on tv one of the mega dealership owners/investors, Auto Nation I think it was, and he was proclaiming that that mega dealerships would be the wave of the future. His contention was that this in the long run would be more efficient as the fix cost would be spread over more vehicle sales per dealership. He was attempting to compare in some ways the impact that Walmart had on mutliple retail outlets.
The salesman at the Stealership where we bought the PT Cruiser was adamant that I give him a Five Star rating, especially when we got the car $1100.00 under invoice AND he offered us $5000.00 cash to walk away during delivery. I did. I often wonder, would it have been better to walk away & pocket the $5Gs . . .
Well, Duh!
Anyway, they had a Five Star rating at the time. They lost it shorty thereafter. Soon, they weren't selling Chryslers anymore . . .
One of the dealers cut is just down the corner from me. I recall them proudly posting their Five Stat status, though that was a while ago.
That actually looks kinda cool,LOL.
How did you do the graphic (specifically, the car)?
If Chrysler had any 'method in it's madness'... it wouldn't be bankrupt and in the process of being sold off to FIAT.
***Ping***
Sorry, I shamelessly stole that image from our good friend Pookie18, who is far more qualified on these things than I am...
The Chrysler-Plymouth "5-Star" rating system's existed as long as I can remember, BM. Went to HS with the Ewald boyz, one of 'em paled around in my circle. Their old man's stealership(s) had the 5-star logo on the signs outside, too.
Never knew WTH [it] meant --at the time-- but it was there, nonetheless.
"The salesman at the Stealership where we bought the PT Cruiser..."
Which was who??
The father-inlaw always did business with HUB, and they survived this culling by zerO & Co. Be interesting looking into their politics, hell, all of 'em and that's why I pinged ya over. There just might be an image once the mosaic's filled in? Let us pray, my friend. ;^)
"...was adamant that I give him a Five Star rating, especially when we got the car $1100.00 under invoice AND he offered us $5000.00 cash to walk away during delivery. I did. I often wonder, would it have been better to walk away & pocket the $5Gs...Well, Duh!"
HA!!
Hindsight man, hindsight.
It'll just kill ya. :o)
"Anyway, they had a Five Star rating at the time. They lost it shorty thereafter. Soon, they weren't selling Chryslers anymore..."
WTH are we speaking of?
"One of the dealers cut is just down the corner from me. I recall them proudly posting their Five Stat status, though that was a while ago."
Brad Schlossmann, right?
Y'know his dad owned the Dodge store in Wauwatosa, Dodge City.
I'd just ETS'd from the military, needed a dependable car so --if you recall-- bought that jet black Dodge Omni 024. Brad was a young pup in late '78, and KnI were his first sale. Now, 30 years later Obama's shutting 'em down. Brad is *very* Jewish; so, wanna bet how ol' Brad voted? I take 'Rat.
Funny, eh?
Karma's such a bitch.
FYI in case you missed the link at post #19?
Check it out.
I bookmarked it for future reference just in case.
This "smith" member's doing yeoman's work, might blow the lid clean off if things go as suspected. ;^)
I see.
Know 'em well.
Am "friends" with his son who operates their Saukville (previously Random Lake) store.
BIG Corvette dealer, especially Internet sales; but, in both or either case the state's largest for the marque.
"His VW business was/is still going strong at that Menominee Falls location, just off the freeway."
Where he started, well down & across the street in a previous bowling alley of all things.
IIRC he's a Chrysler stealership across the street from the new complex.
So you traveled all the way out to Menomonee falls to buy?
Interesting.
Must've been one helluva deal because *I* know, firsthand, your dislike for driving anywhere. ;^)
The fact that the government is dictating private company closures is what should be the biggest outrage.
Yes he has indeed done absoltely stellar work on this, going through nearly 40 pages of dealer closings.
We have his work in the Los Vegas, Little Rock, and Joplin, MO markets, and also others’ work on non-closures in entire states of Iowa, Wisconsin and Utah. We have not yet done special work in low-performing dealers not on the chopping block nor in those in more left-leaning states.
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