Elon could have been warned.

When I first read a story last week about the economic woes the Tesla founder and CEO has incurred since he became politically active, I thought of couches and my friend David Burris.

I first met David in Brookfield when he served on the town’s council.

David’s father had a long tenure as the town’s mayor and had the community center named after him, so David was a natural choice for councilman.

David also owned the local furniture store, Sofas ‘N Stuff, a potential forerunner to Mr. Musk’s Tesla empire.

Because much like Mr. Musk, David’s early foray into politics couldn’t be described as smooth.

During his first term, he found himself embroiled in a firestorm. Instead of making their own decision, the county commission asked the voters: remodel the existing 100-year-old courthouse located in the geographic center of the county or build a new one and relocate the county seat to the population center, Brookfield, 15 miles away.

The two to three months leading up to the election were ugly with a capital U. It pitted Brookfield, which conveniently housed just a hair less than half the county population, against pretty much everyone else.

In a time before social media and online comment threads, scores of letters to the editor filled the newspaper, with insults and accusations lobbied against each side. Shouting dominated public forums and council meetings.

And then there is my friend David, caught in the crossfire.

As a representative of Brookfield, which would obviously benefit economically with the county seat moved to town, David advocated for its relocation.

Which in turn, angered the other half of the county.

Come November, two-thirds of the county voted emphatically to keep the courthouse and county seat right where it had been the previous 100 years.

And a few months later in April, when David’s first term expired, he declined to run for re-election.

When I asked why he decided not to run for re-election, David declined to comment … on the record.

But off the record, he said it simply wasn’t worth it. To put it bluntly, he lost too much money because of his advocating for the town he represented.

People vote with their wallet, he explained, and too many of them decided to drive out of town to get a couch, carpet, or mattress.

A lot has changed in the nearly 30 years since but one thing that hasn’t is people are still voting with their wallet and the early returns aren’t good for Mr. Musk.

Not surprisingly, Musk’s alignment with Donald Trump and working on his behalf by directing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has angered a few of his customers.

Boycotts around the world coupled with protests and even vandalism at Tesla dealerships have sent both sales numbers and stock prices plummeting.

Since a mid-December surge when Tesla shares sold at $480, the price Monday dropped another five percent from Friday to $238, or less than half.

And while electric auto sales increased 16 percent in the country last month compared to last year, according to Forbes magazine, Tesla’s sales dropped two percent.

The numbers are worse internationally Forbes reported as sales in China dropped 49 percent while EV sales soared 85 percent and the German market dropped 76 percent with a 31 percent increase in EV sales.

While these numbers paint a troubling picture for Musk and Tesla, I’m not sure why anyone should be surprised.

Tesla drivers aren’t exactly the ones populating a MAGA rally. Electric cars, alternative fuels, and other environmental initiatives are generally the product of the left.

So when Musk embedded himself with the enemy of the left (who ironically has a history of mocking the electric car industry), what exactly did he expect?

If Musk wants his company to appeal to his newfound political base, he better dump the cybertruck for something with a hemi that gets 40 miles to the gallon … and has an actual truck bed.

I really wanted to see Musk and the DOGE succeed and not just because of the mythical-dividend checks they’re taunting us with and will never deliver.

There is all sorts of government waste and someone with Musk’s eye for detail should be able to find at least some of it. But as Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst pointed out, both parties love to talk about eliminating wasteful spending, but neither is willing to do anything about it because they are both equally guilty. Everybody loves getting fat off the hog.

But as Musk’s company crumbles, and his personal worth decreases by a third (480-320 billion) since the first of the year, I’m not sure how long he can or wants to continue.

At some point, he’s going to say forget it and go back to focus on his company.

David lasted one, two-year term and had enough. I don’t think Elon can wait that long.

Gregory Orear is the general manager/editor of The Lincoln County Journal, Elsberry Democrat and Troy Free Press. While he has never voted with his wallet, he has used quarters as a prop. To contact him, send an email to gorear@cherryroad.com.