JUST IN: Republican CEO Of General Motors Makes Stunning Presidential Endorsement

[Silent3]

Daniel Akerson, former CEO and chairman of General Motors, says that he has always voted Republican. That is, until Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, came along anyway. In an op-ed article for the Washington Post, Akerson explains why he will vote Democrat for his first time ever this year:

“I am the son of a World War II and Korean War veteran. As a young man, the men I respected most were my father and my uncles, who collectively fought in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, D-Day, Iwo Jima and Inchon. I came of age in the service of our nation. I never had a draft card. I entered the U.S. Naval Academy before my 18th birthday and served in the Navy for five years. My older brother volunteered as well. Simply put, it was expected. We were raised in a good Catholic home and believed in God and country. My wife of 44 years and I have sought to pass these values to our kids and grandkids.”

“And I have always voted for Republicans for president. Not this year.”

...

“The compelling rationale behind this decision: leadership. A good leader must demonstrate such qualities as competence, integrity, empathy, character and temperament. Hillary Clinton has these essential qualities. Donald Trump does not.”

http://bipartisanreport.com/2016/10/06/just-in-republican-ceo-of-general-motors-makes-stunning-presidential-endorsement/

[Third Doctor]

1. Wow!

[Madam45for2923]

2. Ready to be Commander in Chief on day one!!!

Nice!

[upaloopa]

3. What's good for GM is good for America

or do I was told as a kid

[Cakes488]

4. Is the tide really turning??? I feel like it finally is but every time I've felt this...

I've obviously been wrong.

[randome]

49. Well, ponder this. First there was Sarah Palin, then Donald Trump.

Following this line of degradation, who is next? Who could be worse than Trump?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[Glaisne]

55. Ted Cruz

is who could be worse.

[hueymahl]

58. Bingo.

Trump is an evil clown. Cruz is just plain evil.

[Saviolo]

60. *uncontrollable vomiting*

Oh, sorry, that happens every time I think about Ted Cruz. Weird, huh?

[randome]

62. Ew. Yeah. That. I guess he's next in line for The Deplorables.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[Nay]

63. You can bet that Ted is positioning himself to be the Pub nominee in 2020.

The people he works with seem to hate him, but he has the cunning and the brains to ameliorate that somewhat in 4 years. Who knows. The Pub Party has run off any normal conservatives; who exactly are they grooming to run in 2020? One of the child-snatching clowns? They better start now to cultivate some normal pols to be their candidates, if they have any left. And they can't be 97 years old, either.

[calimary]

66. AND Mike Pence.

He's a homophobe of the first order, and most likely to impose his own narrow concept of Christian Sharia Law on us all, and is hellbent on making sure women can't control their own reproductive health. He already tried the MY-religion-trumps-your-rights thing in Indiana and very well might have ruined his chances for any upward movement in his career because of the damage and horribly negative publicity he earned for his state. No wonder he accepted Trump's invitation - it was a life raft for what's left of his political career. And for some reason, just viscerally, he strikes me as phony-as-hell.

And DO NOT forget John Kasich. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. And he's biding his time, for sure.

[sheshe2]

5. Boom!

K&FR

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. That is one hell of an endorsement!

[BlueWarrior]

7. Glad to see at least one person is intelligent enough not to be duped by Donald Chump's colorful lie

[MoonRiver]

47. A whole lot of people have not been duped by Deplorable Don!

That's why Hillary is WINNING!

[AmericanMan1958]

8. I work for GM and member of the UAW

I am amazed how much of management is vote Democratic.

Trump is not popular in my work place.

[Wounded Bear]

9. All Trump has is bullshit...

there is no there there in his "policies."

[AmericanMan1958]

11. Couldn't agree more

[MyOwnPeace]

22. To be honest.....

I wish she hadn't said it, but the "basket of deplorables" comment really does point fingers at the Drumpf supporters!

Where ARE his supporters - and who wants to be there with them!

[Missn-Hitch]

35. At first, I wish she hadn't said it BUT

now, I am very pleased. She had to say it.

My brother (Orange Menace supporter): I guess I am a deplorable. *sarcastic*

Me: You are not deplorable, you are my brother. I think she underestimated the number though. I think it's closer to 75 to 80% are deplorable. You are in the 20 to 25% - so, you have that going for you.

[hibbing]

10. So he voted for Romney, who was against the auto bailout money? nt

[AmericanMan1958]

12. General Motors CEO's aren't known for much common sense.

[Mme. Defarge]

13. Bless him and all

Republican patriots who put our country before partisanship. It restores my faith in what it truly means to be an American and gives me hope.

[politicaljunkie41910]

14. I don't blame him. Trump's campaign slogan about Make America Great Again is a farce.

When he had the opportunity to serve his country he got deferments. Then he ran his businesses and those of other small business owners into the ground by not paying for services rendered. He also has been accusing Ford or GM of moving jobs to Mexico when they have said that they have spoken to him on on at least two occasions to tell him where he is wrong and he still keeps saying the same things at his rallies. At the same time he and Ivanka makes products in at least 8 foreign countries. Their hypocrisy is matched only by their stupidity.

[Auntie Bush]

19. You nailed it perfectly

+1

[bucolic_frolic]

15. His rationale nails it

Totally comprehensive in analysis of Trump.

Hillary is beginning to shine.

[Shoalbiz]

16. Just in?

This was almost two months ago. It was great but c'mon, "just in?"

[Silent3]

17. The article was dated today. I hadn't heard about it before now. n/t

[Shoalbiz]

20. It was published in the Washington Post on August 18

[Ilsa]

18. It'll need to be repeated in a few days after the hurricane

Coverage is scaled back. I see this as a BFD.

[elmac]

21. A bigger reason should be

That a Democrat bailed out his company while republicans wanted him to crash and burn.

[MyOwnPeace]

23. Yes............

and aren't we thankful that the Dems did!

[roscoeroscoe]

25. Right

When the time came to stand together, Democrats were ready.

[PatSeg]

27. That was my first impression as well.

Romney had said let the auto industry go bankrupt.

[IronLionZion]

70. Republicans are such job creators like that

sure Republicans. Always for jobs.

[Thinkingabout]

24. I can understand why many thinkers would not vote for Trump. If he was the DNC nominee

I would not vote for him.

[Beowulf42]

26. Question?

Is there anyone left in America who hasn't endorsed Hillary?

[Saviolo]

61. The National Fraternal Order of Police

Who endorsed Trump probably because they figure they'll make out well under an authoritarian.

Yay for sweeping police state powers!

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/trump-fraternal-order-of-police-endorsement-228296

[brewens]

28. Coulda just said, "I don't have shit for brains!" n/t

[JeaneRaye]

29. Republican values.

It's great that Daniel Akerson is now voting Democrat, however, I take issue with his whole justification for having voted Republican all his life. He basically says in that whole spiel that he has voted this way because of the service he and his family served in the armed forces and his good "catholic home that believed in God and country." He further states that he " came of age in the service of our nation."

My father also served in the Navy during the Korean War. Service of our country could also include things like the Peace Corp, which I believe was started during the JFK presidency. I don't see how believing in "God and country" should automatically make a person vote Republican all their life. By that reasoning, those of us who vote Democrat, and have, all of our lives, makes us what? Not for "God and country"? We weren't raised by parents who "passed these values to their children"?

Good for Daniel Akerson. I hope more of people like him vote Democrat, but his reasoning sucks!

[redstateblues]

30. Do the next right thing

[Missn-Hitch]

37. Democrats evil, Republicans good.

Pretty much what I was taught to believe.

[DesertRat]

31. Another great endorsement! k&r

[trixie]

32. Ford can't be too far behind

He has been on the rant against statements by Trump.

[Coyotl]

33. Expect a month of these headlines.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

34. He didn't vote for Obama in 2012 after he saved GM?

Not sure what that says....

[lame54]

46. that was my first question

[NoWorries]

36. Relax

I have not watched any of the debates, nor do I intend to. Trump has about as much chance of winning as I do. Hillary will win in the biggest landslide this country has ever seen. Relax, and take time to smell the roses.

[calimary]

65. Welome to DU, NoWorries!

Sounds good to me! Well, everything except the "relax" part. I kinda doubt we can afford to do that. Complacency will kill this. I too think she's gonna win. But I don't want to leave anything to chance!

[Brother Buzz]

38. JUST IN: Akerson made this endorsment back in June

Ex-GM CEO Akerson among 50 leaders endorsing Clinton

Greg Gardner, Detroit Free Press
June 23, 2016

Former General Motors CEO Dan Akerson is among 50 business leaders who endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton today.

Akerson is the only auto-related executive on the list, which does not include his successor, current GM CEO Mary Barra.

The list does include Warren Buffett, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Alphabet (Google); Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook; Ted Leonsis, founder and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards; Magic Johnson, CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises; Reed Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflix, and John Doerr, partner of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers, a venture capital firm in the technology community.

“Since my time at the Naval Academy and service in the Navy, I have consistently voted for Republicans for president," Akerson said in a statement. "Serving as the leader of the free world requires effective leadership, sound judgment, a steady hand and most importantly, the temperament to deal with crises large and small.

"Donald Trump lacks each of these characteristics. Hillary Clinton has the experience and judgment to serve as an effective commander-in-chief.”

A former telecommunications executive and integral partner of the Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm based in Washington, D.C., Akerson was nominated to GM's board of directors by the Obama administration's Auto Task Force in the wake of GM's 2009 Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


<more>

http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2016/06/23/former-general-motors-ceo-akerson-endorsing-clinton/86281412/

[oberliner]

45. Yes, this is typical clickbait garbage from "Bipartisan Report"

I wish people would stop posting crap from that BS site.

[world wide wally]

39. A good Catholic who believed in God and country but didn't vote for Kennedy?

[Upthevibe]

40. K & R. N/T

[Whiskeytide]

50. Well. He was 12 in 1960...

... but the criticism would apply to his parents, I suppose.

[LAS14]

41. At last someone directly addresses Hillary's character and "niceness."

“The compelling rationale behind this decision: leadership. A good leader must demonstrate such qualities as competence, integrity, empathy, character and temperament. Hillary Clinton has these essential qualities. Donald Trump does not.”

[Midnight Writer]

42. Yes, not just an anti Trump slam, but actually praise for Hillary Clinton. I love it!

[Portland_Anni]

43. He nailed it. Charley Manson would be a better Pope than Trump could ever be a president.

I admit it, some nights I have trouble sleeping worrying about what the race this year means to my country. I served in the 82nd ABN DIV. I can recognize Trump as a clear and present danger to us all

[oberliner]

44. Knew this had to be "Bipartisan Report" after reading the click bait headline

They are a joke website and should be treated as such.

[JudyM]

48. So on what grounds did he vote for the Chimp? Temperament must've carried one helluva lot of

weight with him.

[Silent3]

54. Bush had the kind of temperment that seemed controllable.

Not great, not smart, but not frightening like Trump. As much as I disliked Bush, I'd take another four years of Bush over Trump in a heartbeat.

[Loki]

51. You values are shit, Mr. Akerson.

I can't think of a Republican today that displays any of those traits that you ,so holier than thou 1%, like to think that you and only you have. Competence, integrity, empathy, character and temperament, what a fucking joke. You support the ones that will keep you wealthy, and that is the extent of your "concern" for this country and the rest of us. My family has served this country since the Revolutionary war. My father even spent 25 years working for GM after the war and there never was a time that he would have voted for the so called "values" that you pretend to possess. He actually lived them and voted for the Democratic ticket all his life. You can't stand that your party and the cretins that support it, nominated a boil on the ass of this country. You looked the other way, just as long as they kept putting money back into your pocket and your Republican Party became a hate-filled, bigotry machine that now makes you uncomfortable. He's yours, you own him and may his stench remain with you until you and your party are no more.

[Glaisne]

56. I totally agree

You are spot on. This endorsement proves that now the Democrats are now Republicans and the Republicans are batshit insane.

[Mc Mike]

52. Over and over and over again, it's being categorically demonstrated that

dRumpf doesn't even have his own party's main people, who represent millions of members of the gop base, on board with his little nazi campaign.

[cstanleytech]

53. I don't buy this buyers regret from him or any Republican and they are

100% responsible for Trump since they spent decades courting the same voter base that elected him.

[DK504]

57. GM's family.

“I am the son of a World War II"

Does he remember that FDR helped the world defeat Hitler and Mussolini when he turned every available factory into military supplies so he could help our allies before we got into the war. Truman and Eisenhower were the ones to get us out of Korea. 2 Democrats and one Republican, who acted as if he were a democrat.

[ProfessorPlum]

59. Is it "vote Democrat" or "vote Democrat-IC" ?

I hate the grammar of that sentence and also the way Democrat, a noun, seems to be used as an adjective and an adverb.

More right wing framing and control of language.

Glad this flag-waving authoritarian can see the obvious this year.

[LisaM]

64. So how could he have voted for Bush and against Gore and Kerry?

If he really believes this:

“The compelling rationale behind this decision: leadership. A good leader must demonstrate such qualities as competence, integrity, empathy, character and temperament. Hillary Clinton has these essential qualities. Donald Trump does not.”

[TheBlackAdder]

67. I thought he was announcing that the rest of the BUICK and GMC line would be moved to China.

[rivegauche]

68. Great! Now that is someone with integrity. nt

[ffr]

69. Yeah, uh-huh I'm #200 REC!!! K&R BTW

It would make sense that an automaker saved by the democratic president would then show some leniency towards his democratic successor.

Very cool nonetheless.

[advertpromotion1]

71. “And I have always voted for Republicans for president. Not this year.”

I don't really think i can this time around with how things are going

[catbyte]

73. If you always vote Republican, why are you here?

[uppityperson]

74. Welcome to DU. Are you saying you agree with that quote from the OP? You can't vote Repub?

[JPK]

72. Hey Mr. CEO......Fuck you!

A lot of great, heroic Democrats served and died in those wars as well and served the country in government after as well. They are just as patriotic and I dare say more so because they actually believe what the Constitution and Bill of Rights say. Screw him. It took this long for him to decide after a year and a half of Trumps shit mouth? That says a lot about his mind and way of thinking. Once again covering his own ass. Fuck him and his opinion.