So...
 

the new boss that Obama has put in charge of GM knows nothing about cars.

No surprise, really, as his boss knows nothing about business.

John Sculley didn't know anything about computers before joining Apple. Or anything about soda before joining Pepsi.

It's really easy to run an American car company. Hire bad engineers, give them the freedom to make ugly cars that are unreliable. Give in to all union demands. Create cars for which there are no demand. Overprice them.

How much prior experience does this take?

Exactly. There is a reason GM was already in trouble. The government takeover is just prolonging the death.