Romney lies in desperate bid to fool Ohio voters
AP Photo
Are the people of Ohio stupid? I don’t think so, but the Mitt Romney campaign apparently believes otherwise.
Because the campaign’s lies and distortions — in ads Romney himself approved — are getting pretty deep in the Buckeye state. Romney doesn’t have to win the Nov. 6 election there to capture the White House. But it’s his easiest path to victory in the Electoral College.
In recent days the big lies have been about the auto-industry bailout under former President G. W. Bush and further steps by President Barack Obama that have led to an auto-industry resurgence in states like Ohio.
The biggest one of all is a Romney ad that suggests Obama sold Chrysler to Italians who are now going to be be shipping American jobs to China to manufacture Jeeps. From Politfact:
The ad miscasts the government’s role in Fiat’s acquisition of Chrysler, and it misrepresents the outcome. Chrysler’s owners had been trying to sell to Italy-based Fiat before Obama took office. The ad ignores the return of American jobs to Chrysler Jeep plants in the United States, and it presents the manufacture of Jeeps in China as a threat, rather than an opportunity to sell cars made in China to Chinese consumers. It strings together facts in a way that presents an wholly inaccurate picture.
Not too surprisingly, Politifact rates the ad “Pants on fire,” as in the old nursery-school rhyme, “Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!
But that’s not the only ad that’s drawing attention. A Romney radio spots says Obama’s actions cost Ohio auto workers their jobs, and that General Motors is shipping 15,000 jobs to China.
It’s a false and despicable narrative, and not suprisingly, the Romney lies have caught the attention of automakers. From Raw Story:
Sergio Marchionne, the company’s CEO, felt compelled to send a company-wide email to reassure workers that assertions made by the Republican presidential candidate both in a campaign appearance and in radio and television advertisements are “inaccurate.”
“I feel obliged to unambiguously restate our position: Jeep production will not be moved from the United States to China,” he wrote, adding that the company was planning on more investment in manufacturing and jobs in the American Midwest, including the crucial presidential swing state of Ohio.
So what’s going on, RWers? Is it all a giant conspiracy against Romney, author of the infamous “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” essay, by all the fact checkers, all the media, all of the auto companies?
Or is it just more Romney lies? And do you really believe the voters in Ohio are that dumb?
It doesn’t seem to be working. Obama is up 3 percent in a recent Ohio poll. And he’s up by 5 points there in another.
October 31, 2012 - 9:00 AM
There comes a time when continued lies reflects not just deceit, but dishonor. That’s where Mitt Romney & the Republicans are now.
http://www.politicususa.com/chrysler-slams-romney-facts-u-s-production-jeep-models-tripled.html
The facts ARE that the CEO of General Motors IS a hand appointed Obama appointee, and HE is heard in this audio (which is to the Chinese) that GM intends to FURTHER outsource jobs to China.
Here is the link: http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/10/30/romney-releases-controversial-jeep-ad/
Forward to about 7:30 or so in the video. You will hear the CEO of GM talking specifically about outsourcing jobs to China.
Dan will TRY to discount this because of the source. However, do not be sidetracked, THIS IS the CEO of GM speaking REGARDLESS of the source linked.
Nice try Dan and good to see you read the libeal talking points for today. The Detroit News and Lee Iacoca have endorsed ROMNEY.
Now we know where suzie REALLY went — she’s writing political ads for Romney.
Below is a link to an appropriate image for Mitt Romney.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=janus+the+god+of+january&id=6AEBAFA5EB2A06AD666FCFD0C1C6F1B89DC9FBF3&FORM=IQFRBA
I’ll just wait until Tuesday to see where the pieces fall. Thank god this is almost over. The election that is.
Go Obama 2012 All the way
Lee Iacocca hasn’t been in the auto industry in years. But he sure loved bailouts when he ran Chrysler, Bob H. That we know.
#2 And the Chrysler guy, Bob H?
Here are the facts on Chrysler Bob H:
Chrysler Group LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne
“Marchionne’s letter on Jeep production in U.S.”
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121030/AUTO0101/210300401#ixzz2AnaYIl1J
“GM calls latest Romney auto ad ‘politics at its cynical worst’”
“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.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20121030/BUSINESS01/121030036/1205/business01/Romney-implies-GM-used-U-S-aid-create-jobs-China
Romney is despicable on so many levels, it is as if he wants to lose.
If my mailbox and answering machine are any indication, the GOP and its minions are outspending the Democrats and their minions by 10 to 1 or so in Virginia. I rarely receive something in the mail from Obama. Romney’s stuff comes every day. I get multiple Romney ads on most days. Unlike many of you, I do not despise Romney. I just don’t think trickle down economics have ever worked. And I believe that my retirement and medical care should not be at the whim of insurance executives.
I’ll say this to Romney. Be careful what you wish for. Romney has promised so much to so many he will never be able to deliver a sliver of what’s owed. If by chance he is elected Republicans, not to mention Democrats, will be calling for his impeachment in 6 months. The man is disgusting. We just might witness a modern day riding the scoundrel out tarred and feathered on a rail.
#10 The Repubs and their owners are outspending the Dems by a large amount. I think Obama has raised more in “official” funds, but the shadow groups and secret donors are creaming him.
#11 Pretty much every neutral or near neutral observer has noted that Romney doesn’t have a prayer of fulfilling all the promises he’s made. Not even close. Then Dems will be talking about all his broken “promises” and Repubs will be countering that Obama had broken things so badly he couldn’t fix it in just three years.
Sound familiar?
Cold n P:
11.”I’ll say this to Romney. Be careful what you wish for. Romney has promised so much to so many he will never be able to deliver a sliver of what’s owed.”
Please tell me that you will acknowledge this about Obama. He promised the sun, moon, and stars. He even said that if the spending wasn’t under control in three years, it would be a one-term proposition for him. He’s failed miserably.
JW, a tiny part of me would be interested in seeing how a President Romney would explain to the middle class how some of his mutually exclusive promises are going to work in reality:
“My friends, I promised that I wouldn’t lower taxes on billionaires, even though I said I would give everyone a 20% cut…and I know I said I wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone, especially the middle class; however, it turns out I’m going to have to raise your taxes in order to cut those of my donors…I mean, my job creating friends. Trust me, it’s for your own good!”
I guess Romney’s lying ways trickle down to his supporters. John Wilburn, Obama did not say if spending wasn’t under control in three years, he should be a one-term president – he said if he didn’t have the economy turned around in three years, he should be a one-term president. Clearly, by every objective measure, he has turned the economy around.
I’m sure we’re all stunned by this one:
Romney Campaign Staged Donations At Storm Relief Event
“Just to be safe, campaign aides reportedly spent $5,000 at a local Wal-Mart on supplies that could be put on display. When supporters arrived at the rally-turned-relief event, they were treated to the 10-minute video about Romney’s life, which was first unveiled at the RNC. The event ended with supporters lined up to hand over supplies and meet Romney. But according to BuzzFeed, this donation process was also staged:
Empty-handed supporters pled for entrance, with one woman asking, “What if we dropped off our donations up front?”
The volunteer gestured toward a pile of groceries conveniently stacked near the candidate. “Just grab something,” he said.”
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/10/31/1115011/romney-campaign-staged-donations-in-storm-relief-event/
OMG, the Romney campaign BOUGHT fake donations for the flood victims?
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!
Of course you can, Dan. Romney’s camp makes up just about everything!
@17 – Headline mislead much?
It was a rally. They are also requesting donations of water and non-perishables at tomorrow’s Romney Storm Relief Event. Shhhh, its a really a rally.
$5000 dollars of help is $5000 dollars of help. Whats O’s campaign donated?
#18 Well, Dan, I assume that what they bought will be donated, but according to this they faked people bringing those donations in so that you didn’t have empty-handed people walking in in front of the cameras.
Next up: Ryan and family members wash clean dishes for the cameras.
“He promised the sun, moon, and stars.” I most certainly will not. Show me were he said that. As to being a one term president for not getting spending under control we should hold congress accountable and fire every single one of them Goppers if we are to hold the president to what he said. You know darn well it was the GOP mission to make Obama a one term president and sit on every single proposition he made. Don’t give me this super majority crap in the Senate either. Everyone knows Bird and Kennedy were dying and did not attend but very few sessions.
Mark my words, we will rue the day Romney becomes president if the american people are so foolish and short sighted as to elect this excrement talker Romney president.
Walker, I bet it has cost the American people far more than $5000 for obama’s golf trips.
Is that a ThinkProgress article that was linked?!?? Hahahahahahahaha
Oh and the author of the article (who did not provide any real evidence of this) was an obama campaign member in Ohio.
Hey at least she didn’t misquote anyone (yet) like gdad did to try and prove a point.
Another example of Republican Party attempts to deceive.
http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/30/14812255-wisconsin-objects-to-romney-training-manual-urging-incognito-poll-watchers?lite
Walker, the Red Cross told Rmoney’s staff ahead of time they couldn’t accept individual items like that–it’s too difficult to get them where they need to go. They would have preferred the cash to buy stuff in bulk for shipping, or to buy it closer to where the need is for distribution.
Sandi,
Is it the GM CEO on that audio or not?
What does he SAY?????
Are you libs on this Blog saying there are no Jeeps made in China?
China is a growing market for automobile sales. GM is a major market player in China (Buick is especially popular), with plants in China that supply their Chinese dealerships with cars. Unless GM and Chrysler intend to move their production to China and then ship cars back to the US, while simultaneously shutting down their domestic production…Romney was flat wrong in his statements. And everything I’ve read from Chrysler and GM indicates that expanded or new manufacturing capacity in China would be to expand their market influence over there, rather than to replace jobs here. I tend to trust the folks heading those companies, rather than an ambitious former governor who seemingly says anything if he thinks it gives him a strategic advantage.
@25 – I’m sure someone will take them? That’s what folks have been told to do at the event tomorrow.
from the website:
To Make a Donation to the Relief Effort
Please bring supplies to this event or to your nearest Romney – Ryan
Victory Office. *Bottled Water and Non-perishable food items.
For the Red Cross, visit http://www.redcross.org
And, part of the reason for having plants located around the globe is that cars made for various markets may not meet safety and emissions requirements in others. Europeans, for example, are very fond of diesel-powered cars, and sell a lot of them. Americans are very wary of diesel cars, after GM royally botched some diesel versions of cars in the late 70′s and 80′s…so cars built for the European market cannot be sold here, hence why GM and Ford have plants in Europe to produce cars for those markets…same with South America, where ethanol fuel is much more prevalent and safety standards are different.
It’s not cost-effective for a plant to prpoduce cars meeting all sorts of different standards for safety, powertrain, emissions, etc because too many things have to be shifted around or re-worked between production runs. It’s just easier to build plants in or near major markets to produce cars for those and adjacent markets, that meet their demands. A few auto lines are made in one location and exported globally, but that’s very rare to see now.
As an example, the Ford Ranger that was sold in the US bore absolutely no resemblance to the Ford Ranger sold in Australia and South America…which continues to be sold in those markets, btw. The reason, is that the Ranger in those markets resembles more a Chevy Avalanche, and is almost the same size as an F-150, which Ford determined would not give consumers a compelling reason to buy it in the US. Plus, US buyers like trucks that look like trucks. The foreign Ranger looks more like a Baja truck than a work pickup truck.
Bob H,
Is China a metro issue? No? Then STHU!
Dan Radmacher:
“Clearly, by every objective measure, he has turned the economy around.”
No, he hasn’t. From what I’m seeing, the secondary mortgage market holding interest rates artificially low to help the real estate market in the short term doesn’t work over the long haul. I closed a deal with a 2.875% interest rate last week. WHAT?! The 100% loan stuff is back too. After a little scare and clinging to some conservative banking, the problems that got us in the mess are coming back into play. The public will always take the risky financing and the banks will always make them loans so long as Fannie and Freddie will buy them. The way to fix it for good is for the government to get out of it. Yes, we’d have about 7-8% interest rates, but foreclosures would be down and rental rates and property values would stabilize. So, for at least the part of the economy I care most about, Obama didn’t turn the real estate market around.
More shopping on the credit card and passing it off as prosperity.
“Forward to about 7:30 or so in the video. You will hear the CEO of GM talking specifically about outsourcing jobs to China”
To produce and sell cars in China is what I’m hearing. Gee Bob, do ya think an American Company producing and selling cars in China is a bad thing?
John Wilbur,
You must be the same guy on page 38 of my vtMag, the issue with Professor Leon Arp and his infant respirator.
I got no problem with a 100 percent loan to a qualified buyer. Do you?
Mike Scott,
It’s interesting, the nascent protectionism we’re hearing here, form freedom-loving Americans who don’t believe U.S. companies should be free to expand overseas. That’s called uh, uh, uh, uh . . . .REGULATION!
I wonder what other freedoms they believe should not exist.
BobH, I will watch nor listen to anything with GBeckenstein attached to it. The CEO said in his letter:
“Together, we are working to establish a global enterprise and previously announced our intent to return Jeep production to China, the world’s largest auto market, in order to satisfy local market demand, which would not otherwise be accessible. Chrysler Group is interested in expanding the customer base for our award-winning Jeep vehicles, which can only be done by establishing local production. This will ultimately help bolster the Jeep brand,and solidify the resilience of U.S. jobs.”
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121030/AUTO0101/210300401#ixzz2Av4PoY6X
This is about building Jeeps in China to sell on that continent. It is NOT “GM intends to FURTHER outsource jobs to China“. You are wrong.
John,
By every objective measure, the economy has turned around, period. That’s just plain facts.
The economy was losing jobs. It’s now gaining them. The housing market was collapsing. Now it’s coming back. The Dow was falling. Now it’s rising. The auto industry was collapsing. Now it’s roaring back.
Every. Objective. Measure.
Deny that, and you are denying reality.
But that’s ok. The right is very good at that these days.
@Bob H: “Are you libs on this Blog saying there are no Jeeps made in China?”
Bob, there are Jeeps made in China, FOR THE CHINESE MARKET. There are no Jeeps manufactured in China to be sold here. Chrysler is significantly increasing its hiring right here in America. The Romney ad is a despicable, wholesale lie, nothing more.
If Obama is as bad as you all say, how come Romney has to lie about practically everything to make his case against the president?
The lying continues. Is there anything Romney & his corporate sponsors won’t do? We are at a sad place in our political history.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/10/31/1114581/romney-revives-false-welfare-ad/?mobile=nc
#20 $5,000 donated to the Red Cross would have bought multiple times that much in food and water. But apparently the Romney campaign figured they needed the props.
Now it makes sense!. A pundit proposes that Romney’s outright lie about the auto industry and shipping jobs to China isn’t about factual accuracy(duh). The best explanation for “we just make stuff up politics” is that it provides motivation to the large percentage of their base who already tend toward politcal paranoia. It has been a while since this particular group had a new bogey man in the closet to get them all twisted up, so a good ghost story is necessary this close to election day.
I suppose this is especially true since governor Christie seems to be doing his dang best to mitigate Mr. Romney’s final script in which he claims the mantle of the only bipartisan candidate. Of course that kinda looks ridiculous when Chris and Barry are working together so well during a time of crisis. Gosh, what is it whe Gov. Christie and his penchant to tell the truth?
Bob H,
It’s not metro, but I’d like you to provide us with a list of American companies that, in your perfect world of freedom-loving America, should not be free to open up a plant in a foreign country.
And while you’re at it, please answer this question: Should Honda, Toyota, BMW and other foreign car manufacturers not be free to open auto plants here in the U.S. for autos that are sold here?
Of course American companies should operate in other countries. In the auto industry, many countries (including the U.S.) severely penalize companies that import cars. Romney was clearly trying to mislead here.
Other John
Go Lions. It appears that you follow the auto industry quite closely. Did you work at one of the Detroit 3?
“Bob, there are Jeeps made in China, FOR THE CHINESE MARKET. ”
Why can’t the Jeeps be made here, FOR THE CHINESE MARKET? GM makes cars in China, FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET
It doesn’t matter how outrageous the lies are that Romney/Ryan tell. People are going to buy them hook, line and sinker because they despise/fear Obama, and they aren’t going to fact check anything that R/R say. When the media reports the lies, they believe it’s just the MSM supporting Obama.
@Mike Scott,
“we just make stuff up politics” is being too kind.
The strategy is “tell lies so big that people will say that is so outrageous, no one would tell a lie that big, therefore, it must be true”.
Didn’t Hitler describe that strategy in Mein Kampf?
Henry@44
“Why can’t the Jeeps be made here, FOR THE CHINESE MARKET? GM makes cars in China, FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET”
If it was financially beneficial to do so, don’t you think GM would? Geez you conservatives are all about business and trade right up until its no longer politcally expedient.
“If Obama is as bad as you all say, how come Romney has to lie about practically everything to make his case against the president?”
Comment by Dan Radmacher — October 31, 2012 @ 8:27 pm
It is an EXCELLENT point and it bears repeating.
There is no way on earth that Romney has to lie, distort, and refuse to disclose much of anything, except for two reasons, he is a slimeball (my personal fav) or he knows that he cannot beat Obama in a fair fight.
That he thinks he should run this country is just proof of the imperial mindset of the Plutocracy. Because I said so, is not a strategy,
Henry,
GM does not make cars in China for the American market. It builds cars in China to sell in China because China has high tariffs on cars made elsewhere.
I’m trying to think when “conservatives” in general and Rmoney in particular became against off-shoring American jobs.
old blue, I’m hopeful that the Lions can get to being more disciplined. Their lack thereof has hurt them quite a bit this year already…they would be 5-2 if not for horrid special teams breakdowns against the Vikings and Titans.
No, I have never worked for the Big 3, but I do follow the industry quite a bit. My uncle worked for GM for a career, in Lansing and later in Detroit, and several family members from Michigan have worked for or in association with the industry. A friend of mine used to work at the Ford plant in Norfolk years ago, before it was closed too. I just pay a lot of attention to it though.
As for comments of why cars built in the US aren’t exported to China…a couple things: tariffs, and sales price. The Chinese market can’t readily absorb the incredibly high cost of an imported vehicle based on US labor rates. But, an automaker can much more cost-effectively, and without import tariffs, construct the same (or similar) vehicle in China at a greatly reduced cost to sell in China, where it will be substantially more affordable than the comparable model if it had to be imported.
The same rationale is why Honda, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki, Mazda, etc. have operated assembly plants in the US for years and continue to expand their manufacturing base here. One, they avoid costly import tariffs which are 25% for light trucks…something that directly resulted in almost all trucks and SUV’s from foreign competitors building them stateside now. Additionally, many of these manufacturers have found that employing non-union labor in the US is a more cost-effective alternative to employing their own domestic labor, so they can enjoy a cost savings that helps keep their MSRP’s competitive with the Big 3.
Ironically, one thing I found that made me laugh was how Ford is circumventing the 25% tariff for the Transit Connect, which is assembled in plants in Turkey and Romania…and was primarily used in European markets before being introduced to US markets recently. It’s categorized as a “light truck” for sales in the US, but is imported as a “passenger vehicle” to get around the 25% tax. As a result, when they arrive from overseas, they have passenger interiors provided (rear windows, seats, and seatbelts), that are then stripped from the vehicles before they go up for sale.
OJ. Regarding the Ford Transit. Automakers find a way to keep one step ahead of the fulemakers. There was a tariff related reason that the Subaru Brat (remember them) has those silly plastic seats in the cargo bed. I think it was also so it would be categorized as a “car”.
old blue, I think the Brat issue was the same import tariff that have forced imported trucks to represent just a couple thousand of the millions of trucks sold annually in the US. It sounds like Subaru used those seats the way Ford does with the Transit Connect, to get around the import tariff. It’s also why you hardly ever see a Volkswagen truck…a neighbor of mine in Virginia Beach had one he brought back stateside after a duty station in Europe. It remains the only VW pickup I’ve ever seen, and it was a diesel.