I'm not trying to get into an argument with you here, but your logic is flawed. This discussion isn't about manufacturer's suggested retail, but real world/open market pricing. By your logic, going through a middleman actually REDUCES a customer's cost. This isn't how business is done. The middleman isn't there to get you a better deal. His job is to sell product at a price that allows him to cover overhead and turn a profit.
Have you ever heard the old phrase "eliminate the middleman"? The only way a dealer is going to beat factory direct pricing is if DD is intentionally sticking it to customers who don't have a local dealer to purchase from. That would be dirty and underhanded.