“It’s been a fun ride, hasn’t it?” said John Neff in Autoblog. The federal “Cash for Clunkers” program, which “began with a bang” on July 24, has nearly run through its $3 billion pot and will end Monday night at 8 p.m. Eastern time, hinting at a “very busy weekend on dealer lots.” Was it a success? Well, it was a “logistical mess,” but it indisputably did “exactly what it was designed to do: sell cars”—457,476 of them as of Thursday.
“Cue another round of congressional self-congratulation,” said Stephen Stromberg in The Washington Post. But what happens to auto sales next month, or to the industries hurt by the government’s “manipulating” of consumer buying decisions? Sure, Americans like it “when the government buys them cars.” That doesn’t mean it’s a “wise” idea.
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