Here’s a sad little saga. After convincing our government that it was responsible enough and commercially viable enough to deserve a multi-billion-dollar bailout, Chrysler spent some of the money taking out full page ads in The Wall Street Journal and USAToday, thanking America for its money. They also posted these ads proudly on their blog. The reaction from actual Americans was, um, harsh.

The blog post in question had been gathering comments up until, we can only assume, it was pulled after becoming popular on Digg about 6 hours ago.

Thankfully Google has a cache of the page, so you don’t have to miss it.

Here’s a sampling of the sentiments people were expressing before Chrysler pulled the page:

• What a total waste of money. That useless ad money could have been put into research and development to make better quality and fuel efficient vehicles. This has got to be the most expensive thank you card ever written, providing better products would be just as sufficient.
  

• Way to blow hundreds of thousands of dollars on a useless ad campaign that will surely only worsen your public image. We weren’t buying your cars before because they are all gas guzzling, unreliable, uninteresting cars that look like they were styled by the coleman plastic cooler division, inside and out. So then you steal our money through the government so you can waste more of it on useless ads, and you have the audacity to remind us all about it. Go to hell Chrysler. I was not going to buy one of your vehicles before, and I certainly am never going to do so after this.

• I signed up just to add comments in response to your ad of properly slapping the American public in the face with insensitivity and pride. Money that was “taken” from the American people wasted on advertising thanking the people the money was taken from is audacious. I don’t know whether to loathe you for your insensitivity in the matter or praise you for your boldness. Clearly the move this advertising campaign was dreamed up and approved by individuals who has no contact with the average American. The problem with your company and that of many American companies is the ridiculous financial separation of upper management from that of the average middle income American. Your outrageous income and ability to choose to isolate yourselves mentally, financially, and emotionally from the consumer you serve has lead to the financial ruin of your company. However, I’m sure this is of no concern to you or your upper management team because even if your company fail, you will have your golden parachute stitched with the money taken from the pockets of people who are loosing their homes, their jobs, and their ability to provide for their family (some of these people work for your company).

• We were forced to help you. Thank us by acting responsible for a change. This ad is the equivalent to salt poured on an open wound. If you had any common sense, you would be ashamed.

• Depending on placement, full page ads placed in the Wall Street journal can cost over $200,000, not to mention the other publications where this ad was placed. So, at least a quarter of a million dollars of our money was spent on an ad thanking us for our contribution. A contribution that the majority did not want to make. This ad screams “Hey, look what we are doing with your tax dollars, lol.” This ad is yet another example of frivolous and clueless spending. Thank us by using OUR money to make your company profitable, not with a meaningless ad. As the old saying goes,”Actions speak louder than words.”

• It wasn’t enough for you to run Home Depot into the ground, you had to take down a domestic auto manufacturer down too? Nardelli, you’re a piece of work, I often wish American culture mirrored Japanese culture in the generational shame brought about by a family member.

• I’m boycotting you. My whole family is boycotting you. My mother and my father, my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters. Just thought I’d let you know.

• You are NOT WELCOME! What an insult upon injury. Chrysler is morally bankrupt, proven by this ad thanking the very people they’ve stolen from. There is nothing that could ever tempt me to buy your product and it appears much of America feels the same.
• Dear Chrysler: I don’t like to pay for things twice, so since I’ve already paid to bail you out of your mess, I won’t be buying any of your vehicles. Yours Truly, A great great grand nephew of Walter P Chrysler
• You are not welcome, thieves. Your shitty, ugly cars will now sell even less, thanks to your ignorance and hubris. You better hope the government keeps printing money for you, because you aren’t getting any of ours anytime soon.

• You are not welcome! Shame on you, Mr. Nardelli! Shame on all the morally bankrupt greedy, overpaid deadbeats at Cerberus! I feel sorry for the employees at Chrysler, but the fact is they do not build products that the public wants to buy. It is certainly not the fault of most of these employees, that most of the public does not want to buy these products, but life is not fair. Chrysler should be put out of its misery and Chrysler employees will have to find other jobs, just like other hardworking Americans do. It isn’t easy. But hey, life sucks. Just like Chrysler products.

• If it comes down to Chrysler or walking…….we’ll walk. I’ll put my kids on a mule before I’ll put them in a Chysler. Suck it, you parasites.

• Nardelli screwed up Home Depot. Now his incompetence is at the helm of Chrysler. Is he putting any of his 222 million golden parachute from HD on the line at Chrysler? I just bought an Xterra, made in the USA. Sorry Jeep

• I’m rolling over, but I’ve had to do that a lot lately. Posted Jan 2, 2009, 9:54 AM by Thomas Jefferson

Chrysler Thanks America, Gets told to “Go to Hell” [Digg]

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