Lee Iacocca Switches From Bush to Kerry

[gifford1967]

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 24 /U.S. Newswire/ --

Former Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation Lee Iacocca today endorsed Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry for President. Having backed George W. Bush in 2000, Iacocca is switching his support in 2004 after over three years of jobs failure by the Bush administration

"All of my best friends are Republicans, and they ask me, "Are you crazy or something? Why are you doing this?" Well, it's simple. I tell them the world is changing. Our country is changing. And we need a leader who understands that change that's taking place. And most important, we need a leader who will level with us about how we can adapt to that change and make things change for the better. I've met privately with John Kerry, I've talked with him, I read all his position papers, and I would suggest you do likewise. I like him. And I'm endorsing him to be our next president because I like what he says about getting every American a fair shot at a secure, well-paying job so they can provide for their families - provide for their families and enjoy life a little more."

"John Kerry would make a great Commander-in-Chief, I have no doubt about that. He would also make one hell of a CEO. That's what a president is. He knows how to surround himself with good people, and he knows how to set priorities. He's a doer. And he does know how to make a tough decision now and then, believe me. And most of all, John Kerry has a clear plan for where he wants to take the country"

[Trader_Jorge]

Wow, you are way behind. Forbes Kerry's camp has already jettisoned the 'jobless recovery' approach to talking down our economy, after the recent string of impressive gains that we've seen in the labor market. Now he's moved on to the "middle class squeeze" and he's highlighting rising tuition, healthcare and fuel costs (this one is particularly hypocritical given his voting record on taxes and the environment). I call the "middle class squeeze" the SOLR. Smear of last resort. It's what one has to resort to when everything else in the economy is going strong. The last politician to push the "middle class squeeze" theory on voters? You guessed it! Bobby Dole! I expect similar results for Forbes Kerry.

[Sir Jackie Chiles]

How old is Iacocca? I read one of his books, seemed like an impressive guy.

[gifford1967]

Originally posted by Trader_Jorge
Wow, you are way behind. Forbes Kerry's camp has already jettisoned the 'jobless recovery' approach to talking down our economy, after the recent string of impressive gains that we've seen in the labor market. Now he's moved on to the "middle class squeeze" and he's highlighting rising tuition, healthcare and fuel costs (this one is particularly hypocritical given his voting record on taxes and the environment). I call the "middle class squeeze" the SOLR. Smear of last resort. It's what one has to resort to when everything else in the economy is going strong. The last politician to push the "middle class squeeze" theory on voters? You guessed it! Bobby Dole! I expect similar results for Forbes Kerry.

The stink of desperation is overpowering.

[111chase111]

I might be convinced to vote for someone other than Bush in this election but I can't vote for Kerry. He's just way to liberal for my tastes. And he can talk about what he wants to do for this country but we all know that talk is cheap and a candidate can just make up whatever they want.

If the Democrats would field a middle-of-the-road candidate they would be a shoe-in for the presidency. Why do they have to back Kerry? And before Kerry won the primaries, weren't many of them backing Howard Dean? Another super liberal guy.

Didn't Clinton (or even Bush during the campaign) teach them anything?

[Faos]

I didn't even know Iacocca was still living. Maybe I'm getting him confused with Abe Vigoda.

I hear my neighbor may vote for Kerry, too. Should I go and get some quotes from him?

[B-Bob]

Originally posted by Faos
Maybe I'm getting him confused with Abe Vigoda.
:D Poor Abe. God rest his soul, Abe will not be voting this year.

But if he could he'd vote for a fellow corpse-like person, Kerry.

[bamaslammer]

Originally posted by gifford1967
The stink of desperation is overpowering.
More like the other way around.

[mrpaige]

Originally posted by Sir Jackie Chiles
How old is Iacocca? I read one of his books, seemed like an impressive guy.

He's on up there. He'll turn 80 in October. He was an impressive guy to a degree. The problem is that the auto industry passed him by and despite doing a great deal to save Chrysler in the late 1970s, he darn near ran in into bankruptcy later in the decade. His ideas of what his customers wanted was far out of date and came close to killing the company.

That doesn't diminish what he was able to accomplish over the years, but, like the vast majority of businesspeople, his business record is not the endless string of successes he would like you to believe.

Why isn't Abe Vigoda voting this year?

[B-Bob]

Originally posted by mrpaige
Why isn't Abe Vigoda voting this year?
I do believe the good Mr. Vigoda has passed away... some time back. :(

[mrpaige]

Originally posted by B-Bob
I do believe the good Mr. Vigoda has passed away... some time back. :(

He's not listed as a dead on the imdb.

And there is this great page:

http://www.abevigoda.com/

[Oski2005]

Abe aint dead.

[ima_drummer2k]

Originally posted by mrpaige
Why isn't Abe Vigoda voting this year?
Tessio: Can you get me to the polls, Tom? For old times' sake?

Tom Hagen: Can't do it, Sally.

http://www.sea.fi/foto/godfather-II.jpg

[Batman Jones]

Originally posted by 111chase111
I might be convinced to vote for someone other than Bush in this election but I can't vote for Kerry. He's just way to liberal for my tastes. And he can talk about what he wants to do for this country but we all know that talk is cheap and a candidate can just make up whatever they want.

If the Democrats would field a middle-of-the-road candidate they would be a shoe-in for the presidency. Why do they have to back Kerry? And before Kerry won the primaries, weren't many of them backing Howard Dean? Another super liberal guy.

Didn't Clinton (or even Bush during the campaign) teach them anything?

You're right that Kerry has a very liberal voting record. You couldn't be more wrong about Dean. Biggest deficit hawk ever, a freak about balancing the budget, very anti-gun control, supported every modern military conflict between Vietnam and the latest Iraq war. If you check his record you'll see he's a moderate to conservative Democrat. He was fiery to be sure, especially on Iraq, but it's just fallacy to call him a liberal. During his surge the other candidates were questioning his credentials as a Democrat due to his moderate positions.

I think you're wrong about how Kerry would govern. Clinton was a major liberal before he lost his seat as Arkansas governor. He completely changed his message and governing style as a result, but he was always liberal at heart. In fact, he got his start in politics on the McGovern campaign. I think Kerry would be obsessed with a second term (like Clinton) and would be a raging centrist in office. Like Clinton with that terrible welfare reform legislation, like Kennedy with the Bay of Pigs and Nam. Modern Republicans run center and govern right. Clinton ran center and governed center. Kerry's basing his whole campaign on the same strategy.

And Abe Vigoda is very much alive. I saw him on TV a couple months ago.

[B-Bob]

nice one, ima! :D

Holy ****, this is a great day. I have been moping around for the last two years thinking Abe was dead! Huzzah!

No kidding, I really thought I read he passed away a while back. Sheesh. MY BAD.

Abe will be voting, but probably by absentee ballot.

[Deckard]

Originally posted by Faos
................
I hear my neighbor may vote for Kerry, too. Should I go and get some quotes from him?
If you like. You should listen to your neighbor. :)

[RocketMan Tex]

Originally posted by Faos

I hear my neighbor may vote for Kerry, too. Should I go and get some quotes from him?

No, but you should probably go talk with him. You might learn something, for a change.