For those of you who think Governor Youngkin is “regular” GOP politician and not a MAGA-Republican dope can you explain this decision? I think he is sacrificing the economic betterment of Virginians out of fear of being accused of being a “Chy-Na” lover in the upcoming GOP Presidential primary battle.
Youngkin = MAGA-Dope?
Published
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
RE: “For those of you who think Governor Youngkin is ‘regular’ GOP politician and not a MAGA-Republican dope can you explain this decision?”
This might help:
https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/why-did-youngkin-spurn-a-3-5-billion-investment/
Or not. We know generally that China’s business practices can be predatory, but we don’t know specifically what Youngkin saw in the details of this proposal. Under the circumstances it would be foolish to leap to conclusions.
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Well, thanks for the link. It too suggests that national politics might be a factor since no reasonable explanation is forthcoming.
It is very hard to imagine how Ford and China harm Virginia or the United States by building a $3.5 Billion plant, hiring people, and training them here. Would Youngkin prefer Ford to buy batteries manufactured in China?
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Perhaps the money, employment and training are not the issue. I’d be interested to know about the science and engineering talent the project would require.
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The money, employment and training are NOT the issue. Youngkin’s own spokesperson made clear of the “why”.
““While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist Party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy,” Youngkin spokesman Macaulay Porter told The Detroit News.”
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The Bacon’s Rebellion article makes clear that we don’t know why because Youngkin is bound by a non-disclosure agreement.
It’s a cheap shot to question Youngkin’s motive when he cannot legally explain it.
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Bacons Rebellion is just like Tidewater Forum: A blog for people to discuss ideas and the news of the day.
NDA or not, there is ZERO ambiguity in the statement from Youngkin’s rep. The explanation there is pretty clear to any one who isn’t blinded by faith in the GOP, regardless of what they ACTUALLY do or say.
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“It’s a cheap shot to question Youngkin’s motive when he cannot legally explain it.”
You believe he is bound by an NDA. I don’t. No NDA would prevent him from saying that the terms demanded were too onerous. But he did not do that. He gave his reason. It was total nativist bullshit.
That investment will not be made in Virginia because our governor is afraid of the racists and bigots that will dominate the GOP 2024 nominating process. IMHO.
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The Kingo of Cheap Shots speaks.
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“The Kingo of Cheap Shots speaks.”
Kind of pathetic. Calling out our MAGA-Republican governor for killing a $3.5 Billion investment while offering nonsense reasons for his action is hardly a “cheap shot.”
Pathetic and laughable coming from a diehard Trump lover like you. Ugly cheap shots are what he has built his cult on because you people eat them up.
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“It’s a cheap shot to question Youngkin’s motive when he cannot legally explain it.”
1) Does Youngkin have dreams of national office?
2) Will he need the “base” of MAGA-voters to earn the GOP nomination?
3) Does this appear to be a way to do that by claiming the deal was never cemented because of the Chinese government?
The answer to those questions is: Yes. If you think otherwise, you are kidding yourself.
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That’s nothing but malicious speculation.
There are plenty of good reasons to avoid a deal like this, depending on the details we don’t know.
For example, and this is pure speculation, but a possibility.
So, Ford, promised subsidies for building an auto battery plant in VA, partners with China. The plant produces batteries needed for EV transition fantasies. The batteries are made in the US to qualify for those subsidies, but the rare metals required must be obtained from China.
Now, China has the ability to turn on or off the economy in that part of Virginia. for any reason it chooses, by withholding those metals or creating a “shortage”
Do we want to give the Chinese Communist Party that kind of coercive power over Virginia’s government?
There is an adage that warns that if you owe the bank $100,000, the bank owns you, but if you owe the bank $100million, you own the bank. The bank can’t afford for you to default so the debtor has coercive power over the bank.
Could it be that the governor does not want to put us under China’s thumb in this, or some other way buried in those NDAs, tht doesn’t occur to me?
I don’t know, and neither do you.
So, yeah, it’s a cheap shot to assign motives to Youngkin when he can’t tell you his real reason.
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“That’s nothing but malicious speculation.”
Doc, you are the KING of malicious speculation”. I have lost count of how many times you have practiced it wrt President Biden and his family.
Now, with enough information in the STATEMENT from Youngkin’s own spokesperson, you sit here and try to deny what was said.
Tell me exactly what speculation, malicious or otherwise, did I practice. And see if you can do it without being the biggest hypocrite in the history of Libertarianism.
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RE: “The Kingo of Cheap Shots speaks.”
Or, “I don’t know the facts, but I gots me a ‘pinion.'”
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Or, “I don’t know the facts, but I gots me a ‘pinion.'”
You two are ridiculous little whiners. People come on this forum or any other to express their opinions. I asked if anyone had a reasonable explanation to explain the FACT of Youngkin blocking this investment. None of you do. So you attack me instead. As mentioned, pathetic and laughable.
In my opinion, the reason stated for Youngkin blocking this significant new employer was beyond lame. Ford Motor Company is not a front for the Chinese Communist Party. That is absurd.
In my opinion, using a supposed NDA to avoid discussing his decision is a dodge. No NDA would stop him from at least saying the terms offered by Ford were not acceptable. Instead he throws out this Chinese excuse.
In my opinion, Youngkin harbors national ambitions and is afraid of the MAGA base who will smear him without mercy for any sign of doing business with China.
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RE: “I asked if anyone had a reasonable explanation to explain the FACT of Youngkin blocking this investment.”
And you were told that a reasonable explanation cannot be offered based on the current public record. You were even warned against jumping to conclusions.
What was your reaction? You blundered forward with your unjustifiable opinion.
In my opinion you deserved to be attacked for your childish behavior.
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…”that a reasonable explanation cannot be offered based on the current public record”
Youngkin’s own words and those of his spokesperson are in the public record. If you can’t comprehend and think with a mind not blinded by loyalty and deference to ANYTHING that is MAGA adjacent, I can’t help you. Nor can anyone else.
…”ou deserved to be attacked for your childish behavior.”
I thought personal attacks were supposed to be verboten on this forum? Oh wait. Those on the opposite side of any argument from you and Don are free to be attacked.
Screw your hypocrisy, sir.
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“So, yeah, it’s a cheap shot to assign motives to Youngkin when he can’t tell you his real reason.”
Nope.
Your buying this NDA excuse is at best naive. And so is your speculation. Nobody is going to invest $3.5 Billion and then make the investment unprofitable. No one. Besides China is not the only source of raw materials. Look it up. This invoking of the Communist Party is childish fear-mongering. Terrors for children (the MAGA crowd) but not for adults. China taking some of its hoard of dollars and investing them in bricks and mortar in OUR country is a good thing.
You people love to whine about jobs going to China but here are jobs coming from China to Virginia. And still you whine. The whining seems to be an end in itself.
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For what is is worth, apparently Sweden has discovered a lithium source that might be huge as in one of the biggest.
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Lithium is not the limiting factor.
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Right. Youngkin wanting to run for President is.
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How is that in any way relevant to a possible alternate source for Lithium?
Cobalt is the limiting factor in battery production and copper is the limiting factor for grid transofrmation to support EVs
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Cobalt is mined in Australia and the Congo. Not China. And it is being phased way down in battery production.
Yesterday Youngkin was interviewed by Bloomberg so he could tout the promise of more investment by AWS in Virginia. The pesky reporter turned the conversation to his cancelling of the Ford battery plant initiative. Funny, he did not mention cobalt. No. Instead it was the same Chinese Communist Party bullshit mentioned in his press release. Without meaning to, he acknowledged that his decision was political – it would not be good for his constituents to depend on a plant that would be “controversial.” I think he meant it would not be good for him!
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/virginia-governor-youngkin-aws-data-171530077.html
Tell me again about my “cheap shots.”
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https://gizmodo.com/virginia-ford-ev-battery-plant-governor-glenn-youngkin-1850019232
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