GM, Chrysler’s sales suffer after bailouts

“Government Motors” is driving Americans away.

There is a groundswell of disdain for the federal bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler, even as polls show that a growing “Buy American” sentiment is boosting sales for the only Detroit automaker that avoided bankruptcy and federal rescue - Ford.

GM and Chrysler say some buyers are coming back to support them, even trading in their Mercedes for Chevrolets.

But it is bailout opponents who are the most visible - and audible.

Conservatives thunder that the country has taken a socialist route with President Obama at the wheel.

“I won’t buy a socialist car,” columnist and radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt thundered last month.

Others agree - at least about GM.

“Over the years, we have mostly been a General Motors family. Since GM has become Government Motors, we will never again buy a GM product,” said William Crowley of Spicewood, Texas.

However, Mr. Crowley already drives what some would call a “socialist car.”

“We libertarian-conservative Texans recently bought a Volvo after we roll-over-crashed our Chevy Suburban,” he said. Volvo is owned by Ford, but made in Sweden and Belgium.

It’s not just conservatives who are turning away from two of the Big Three. The bailouts were opposed by most Americans, including substantial minorities of Democrats surveyed in March and June polls, according to Gallup.

That could mean bipartisan support for Ford.

“You could say even Obama supporters don’t like [it],” said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive officer of car-buying site Edmunds.com. “I’m not sure you can put a party label on it.”

Kate Internicola of Arlington Heights, Ill., drives an old Hyundai but said there will be two Fords in her driveway soon.

“My husband traded in his 12-year-old Jeep, and he is one of those ‘buy American’ kind of guys. We decided to go with Ford, and our reason was that they didn’t take any money from the government,” she said.

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