GOP Gas Tax Ad is not so bright an idea

04/28/2008

Paul Munnis


We have been quietly wondering if the gas stations would go along with GOP Representative Marty Seifert to carry out the GOP threat to take out ads at gas pumps in Minnesota complaining about the gas tax increase associated with the transportation vote. Seifert says they will start on Tuesday but that Holiday Gas has turned them down. They are planning to run the ads mainly in the Twin Cities area.

We suspect that at least two things will happen if they do run the negative ads: First, there will be a boycott of that company and its products by Democrats. Second, Seifert and the GOP will continue to look foolish and vindictive in the public eye.

It doesn’t matter who they select: Holiday, Super America, or some other chain of operators. The results will be the same. There is no way that Minnesotans and Democrats are going to put up with that stuff. There is plenty of business that will shift to the competitor, so much so that they can then afford to lock in the new Democratic customers with a few cents in gas price reduction. The added sales volume would more than make up for a lock-in pricing effort. Who knows it might even start a price war and the consumers will benefit.

So we are thinking: “go to it GOP – run the ads all this summer and fall.”

The only thing is that I doubt that the gas companies are either that dumb or as profit hungry that they would book such an ad campaign. After all -- they are businessmen and are required to think before they act. Those people called “stockholders” are also Democrats as well as Republicans. They might wonder at the managerial wisdom of booking such nonsense ads.

But then no need to wonder – the GOP should just go ahead and place the ads if they can find a taker.

It’ll be interesting to see the outcome.