You must not criticize the administration’s policies. You’ve got too nice of a company there. It’d be a shame if something unfortunate were to happen to it.

 As part of a campaign featuring “real people” explaining their decision to buy the Blue Oval, a guy named “Chris” says he “wasn’t going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government,” according the text of the ad, launched in early September.

“I was going to buy from a manufacturer that’s standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That’s what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta’ pick yourself up and go back to work.”

That’s what some of America is about, evidently. Because Ford pulled the ad after individuals inside the White House questioned whether the copy was publicly denigrating the controversial bailout policy CEO Alan Mulally repeatedly supported in the dark days of late 2008, in early ’09 and again when the ad flap arose. And more.

With President Barack Obama tuning his re-election campaign amid dismal economic conditions and simmering antipathy toward his stimulus spending and associated bailouts, the Ford ad carried the makings of a political liability when Team Obama can least afford yet another one. Can’t have that.

Because nothing could possibly be more important than ensuring the reelection of The One.

You don’t want to disparage the auto bailouts or really any policy favored by the administration. Something, you know, unfortunate could happen. It’s better to just pull the ad, you know. When you think about it logically. We wouldn’t want your business suffering.

The Chicago Way.