Small Business Owner Sends Biden Packing

[Chasbo00]

Outstanding to above...

http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/08/small ... z23ksmifug

[dorminWS]

On second thought, maybe I will go all the way to Christiansburg to see "2016". I can buy a cupcake while I'm up there.

Who's up for a VGOF field trip to Christiansburg on Aug 24 to see "2016" and then buy a cupcake from Chris McMurray? We'd have to make sure he allows open carry, I guess.........

[ShotgunBlast]

I don't see what the big hub bub is all about with the guy saying no. It's just good business sense. Press coverage doesn't translate into sales, but shutting your establishment down while the POTUS or VP is there does create a guaranteed loss of income. Something I'm sure small business owners can't afford right now.

You probably read about the Iowa state fair beer tent that got shut down while Obama was there and missed out on 25k of sales. That's real money. If Obama or Romney were at my establishment I'd have to decline too.

[dorminWS]

I don't see what the big hub bub is all about with the guy saying no. It's just good business sense. Press coverage doesn't translate into sales, but shutting your establishment down while the POTUS or VP is there does create a guaranteed loss of income. Something I'm sure small business owners can't afford right now.

You probably read about the Iowa state fair beer tent that got shut down while Obama was there and missed out on 25k of sales. That's real money. If Obama or Romney were at my establishment I'd have to decline too.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You're more than probably right. But at least the way Chris McMurray told it, that wasn't his reason. His reason was that he didn't want to be used as a prop to re-elect a POTUS who had made the "You didn't build that" speech. I can relate to that, and I admire him for having the backbone to look them in the eye and say so.

In addition to that, I would observe that while it is easy for you and me to say after the fact that declining was a good business decision due to the likelihood that sales would be interrupted, I suspect it would be very easy for many small businessmen to fail to foresee that until it was too late.

[Chasbo00]

The current administration has done zero to help small businesses - zero!

[dorminWS]

The current administration has done zero to help small businesses - zero!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

They can't even claim that. They have actively, constantly HURT small business.

[ShotgunBlast]

I don't see what the big hub bub is all about with the guy saying no. It's just good business sense. Press coverage doesn't translate into sales, but shutting your establishment down while the POTUS or VP is there does create a guaranteed loss of income. Something I'm sure small business owners can't afford right now.

You probably read about the Iowa state fair beer tent that got shut down while Obama was there and missed out on 25k of sales. That's real money. If Obama or Romney were at my establishment I'd have to decline too.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You're more than probably right. But at least the way Chris McMurray told it, that wasn't his reason. His reason was that he didn't want to be used as a prop to re-elect a POTUS who had made the "You didn't build that" speech. I can relate to that, and I admire him for having the backbone to look them in the eye and say so.

In addition to that, I would observe that while it is easy for you and me to say after the fact that declining was a good business decision due to the likelihood that sales would be interrupted, I suspect it would be very easy for many small businessmen to fail to foresee that until it was too late.

I can understand why McMurray said no if he doesn't support the guy. No harm in that. But he didn't have the backbone to look them in the eye and say no. He told some advance team staffer no. Someone who reports to someone who reports to the VP (if the chain of command is even that short). I don't know how you deal with solicitors, but I'm pretty quick to send them on their way if I'm not interested in what they're selling and I don't pat myself on the back after I do. Now if Joe Biden was at his doorstep and McMurray still told him no, that would take backbone.

I think the two of us spent more time commenting on this story than the staffer spent getting rejected, who just went down the street and duped the next person into getting a photo op. I give McMurray credit on not wasting an opportunity. As mentioned in the original article (and not the editorialized summary) it says "This might happen more than you think from both political parties, most businesses just don't talk about it. The owner of "Crumb and Get It" - did." Saying no and parlaying that experience into this story has gotten him more sales and exposure than the photo op ever would. The only thing better that can come of this is if someone turns it into a made for TV movie where the little guy stands up against the big oppresive government in the end.

More than likely we'll just get a flood of business owners coming out of the woodword saying they refused an appearance in their establishment in hopes they'll get covered too and get a spike in sales from supporters.

[Kreutz]

I can understand why McMurray said no if he doesn't support the guy. No harm in that. But he didn't have the backbone to look them in the eye and say no. He told some advance team staffer no. Someone who reports to someone who reports to the VP (if the chain of command is even that short).

This.

McMurray said the Vice President's entourage got to the point and made its pitch.

"She said they have selected 'Crumb and Get It" to be his stop on his way to Blacksburg and was wondering if that was ok."

Here's the part that might make other business owners crazy.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime but essentially I said 'No offense to you or the campaign but I just decline you guys coming in here. At that time she said 'Are you sure? There's going to be a lot of press, a lot of activity,’" McMurray said.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-radford ... 0357.story

Was the entire exchange. Not exactly a David Vs. Goliath incident.

It only got big when he tweeted about the person coming by later and his declining.

I loathe election time. The trivial becomes the outrageous.

[0007dad]

On second thought, maybe I will go all the way to Christiansburg to see "2016". I can buy a cupcake while I'm up there.

Who's up for a VGOF field trip to Christiansburg on Aug 24 to see "2016" and then buy a cupcake from Chris McMurray? We'd have to make sure he allows open carry, I guess.........

Just found this post.
I your in the Christiansburg area I know a range nearby.