Politifact’s “lie of the year” turns out to be true
“It was a lie told in the critical state of Ohio in the final days of a close campaign — that Jeep was moving its U.S. production to China. It originated with a conservative blogger, who twisted an accurate news story into a falsehood. Then it picked up steam when the Drudge Report ran with it. Even though Jeep’s parent company gave a quick and clear denial, Mitt Romney repeated it and his campaign turned it into a TV ad.” …
Ok. Now here’s what the Reuters reported earlier this week:
“Fiat (FIA.MI) and its U.S. unit Chrysler expect to roll out at least 100,000 Jeeps in China when production starts in 2014 as they seek to catch up with rivals in the world’s biggest car market. …”
By expanding Jeep production to China, instead of increasing Jeep production in the U.S., it’s safe to say the Jeep (or more properly, Fiat, which now owns Chrysler) is choosing to create more jobs overseas instead of in America where taxpayers bailed the company out.









Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Politifact is just left wing propaganda.
Captain Kirock on January 18, 2013 at 11:44 PM
All the dutiful mouth breathing libtards came here and propagated this garbage. shameless reprobates that they are.
tom daschle concerned on January 18, 2013 at 11:46 PM
You expect accuracy from libtard propaganda outlets? Well, bless your heart!
RoadRunner on January 18, 2013 at 11:55 PM
As much as I despise Politifact, this Weekly Standard piece is idiotic. Fiat is producing Jeeps in China for China. They’re not producing Jeeps in China and importing them here. As far as this nonsense that Fiat is “choosing” to create more jobs overseas than in America…demand drives production. I don’t think there are any Jeep dealerships out there with empty lots because Fiat isn’t producing enough here in the US. If they want to grow their business in any market that accepts them, they should be able to do so.
Hostile Gospel on January 19, 2013 at 12:02 AM
and when a dealership here can buy a Patriot from China cheaper than it can from detroit…or worse, Fiat decides that it can make more profit selling Patriots from China than it can from Detroit what do you think happens?
Fighton03 on January 19, 2013 at 12:09 AM
Maybe you should fact check yourself before you post. The article is criticising Poitifact’s mischaracterization of the the Romney ad. In fact the article goes out of the way to say it does not agree with the protectionist thrust of the ad’s message. However, the ad itself was completely true, word for word. Here is the ad that Politifact fact-checked. Watch it and tell us what word is false.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dnfed-DjKo
Ted Torgerson on January 19, 2013 at 12:09 AM
A dealership importing Jeeps from China without Fiat’s approval would be the end of that dealership. As far as Fiat importing in cars from China…it’s possible, but unlikely. US car imports into China face a 25% tariff at the moment. The federal government would be make life difficult for Fiat if they decided to import Chinese produced vehicles for US sales.
I did read the article. And look, I was more than just a Romney supporter if you catch my drift. Sure, on its face, the words are now true (though at the time, no such deal had been finalized). But the implication was clear. Why would you run an ad saying an Italian company was going to build cars in China, if you weren’t implying that US jobs were being outsourced to China? Liberals play this game of saying one thing but meaning another. We shouldn’t stoop to that level.
The article makes an absurd interpretation of its own – implying that Marchionne plans to import Patriots into the US. A fair reading of that indicates that he plans on selling Patriots in China, keeping the Grand Cherokee a North America only product.
Hostile Gospel on January 19, 2013 at 12:22 AM
So, Politifact’s “Lie of the Year” award was, itself, the lie of the year. That fits. It’s the way leftists love to do it. The Big Lie. Transparent, intellectually offensive lies. Retarded lies. It’s what the left is built on.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on January 19, 2013 at 12:28 AM
Benghazi
John the Libertarian on January 19, 2013 at 12:34 AM
You’ll have to be more specific. There were so many outrageous and ridiculous lies told about Benghazi. Even just in front of the coffins of the dead (better shields for leftists than children, even) there were multiple lies told with straight faces and contrived emotions.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on January 19, 2013 at 12:36 AM
You’re missing the point: Romney was right, Politifact are liars. If they wanted to make a point about whether it was a good business decision for Fiat/Chrysler, then they should do that. But that wasn’t as politically damaging as lying about Romney.
Fenris on January 19, 2013 at 12:42 AM
Well, the real tragedy is that Politicrap is going ‘Mission Accomplished’..Good job to everyone involved…
…and they’re gonna go right on keepin on…
BigWyo on January 19, 2013 at 1:28 AM
Politifalse.
BDavis on January 19, 2013 at 1:39 AM
The real lie of the year were the cooked election results.
How many fraudulent votes did the Dems tally up for Obama?
Just enough for the win, obviously.
With a spineless GOP who they knew would never challenge anything.
profitsbeard on January 19, 2013 at 3:14 AM
i hate the media
and im boozd up
blatantblue on January 19, 2013 at 3:18 AM
oh nooo
lets ban viognier and pinot noir because people might vomit from drinking too much of it
/blomberg, that little b1tch
blatantblue on January 19, 2013 at 3:19 AM
Politifuct.
Jim Treacher on January 19, 2013 at 6:21 AM
If I was a union worker in Toledo, I’d be very concerrned about this. How long will it take the Brainiacs in Turin to pull a Foxconn on the entire production line. Worse yet, what if GM and Ford do the same to keep their prices competetive. Well, you get what you voted for.
Red Creek on January 19, 2013 at 6:26 AM
I recall many interviews in Ohio with voters that actually cited Romney’s statement and subsequent attacks by the media on it, being a reason to not trust him. I believe this fake scandal turned Ohio against Romney.
Politifact should be ashamed but I suspect they are more chagrin.
PS nice twitter work Treacher.
Bensonofben on January 19, 2013 at 6:37 AM
ooopsie our bad
(tee hee, we got obama elected,yahoo)
-politifact
cmsinaz on January 19, 2013 at 8:17 AM
Intelligent people would ask : Why couldn’t those jobs have been here?
Also per Bloomberg.com
“Fiat SpA (F), majority owner of Chrysler Group LLC, plans to return Jeep output to China and may eventually make all of its models in that country, according to the head of both automakers’ operations in the region.”
Chrysler stated:
So just where was Romney being dishonest. Dude you’ve been played.
CW on January 19, 2013 at 9:02 AM
Yep, 100%. Except it appears they aren’t expanding production, just shifting it and shutting down US production. Can’t wait for the new slogan, “Nothing say JEEP like made in China.”
roy_batty on January 19, 2013 at 9:14 AM
OF course companies never produce items in one country to export them to another….sorry you’re lame.
CW on January 19, 2013 at 9:28 AM
At this weeks inauguration we get to watch yet another lie as Obama utters these words, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
So much for truth & justice.
How many unconstitutional acts must Obama engage in before the chief justice looks him square in the eye and says, “You sir are a liar and a perjurer, I cannot swear you in!”?
kregg on January 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM
I’ll strike your name out of the quote for full ownership.
tom daschle concerned on January 19, 2013 at 10:28 AM
They generally don’t when it comes to mass produced cars, due to China’s automobile tariff. There’s little incentive for an Italian company to make Jeeps in America to export to China if China is going to slap a 25% tax on it before it even hits its shores.
Hostile Gospel on January 19, 2013 at 5:04 PM