Of all the possible Chrysler Group buyers — including General Motors, Kirk Kerkorian, and Magna — no one would be better suited to save the the troubled automaker (and the environment) than former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, says Michigan Live columnist Rick Haglund.
“It’s time for him to stop relying on the bully pulpit and the big screen, and put some skin in the game,” writes Haglund. “He should buy Chrysler , which parent DaimlerChrysler put up for sale in February, and make it the greenest automaker on the planet.”
Mr. Haglund argues Gore’s work as chairman of private equity firm Generation Management LLC is proof he could also oversee the much-needed financial restructuring of the Chrysler Group.
“Raising the cash should be a cinch,” writes Haglund. “Numerous eco-celebrity activists, such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Salma Hayek, who are probably getting tired of squeezing their butts into those little Toyota Prius hybrids on Oscar night, could likely be counted on as major investors.”
Analysts say Chrysler needs an owner that can make good with the UAW. “If anyone could do that, it’s probably Democrat Gore,” Haglund reckons.
[Read the full story: Gore should make a play for Chrysler - Rick Haglund]
