Was Clint Eastwood’s “halftime in America” Super Bowl ad for Chrysler really an ad for Obama? Was the straight-shootin’ conservative cowboy seducing you into supporting that evil taxpayer-funded bailout of the auto industry? Eastwood denied there was any “spin” in the ad. “It was meant to be a message just about job growth and the spirit of America.” But Fox News gave Karl Rove a podium to attack the ad as offensive and accuse it of being a thank-you to Obama for the billion-dollar bailout that so many conservatives hate so much. “It is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago style politics and the President of the United States and his political minions are in essence using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising,” Rove said.
Bill O’Reilly doesn’t agree with Rove entirely, but that hasn’t stopped him from exploiting the story for two nights in a row.In last night’s Talking Points, O’Reilly said he believed Eastwood was doing “a pro-America commercial, not a pro-Obama spot.” He added that he thought Presidents Bush and Obama did the right thing by propping up corporations that were about to go under. However, O’Reilly wasn’t about to let Obama off the hook; his next remarks clearly implied he thought the President was behind the ad. “President Obama should be much more humble in touting the success of an economic come back because it was born [sic] on the backs of the working folks. He just ordered the checks sent out. American workers saved the economy not Mr. Obama and Congress.”
On Monday, O’Reilly also invited two communications consultants onto the show to discuss whether they thought the ad was political. They didn’t agree either. Mike Paul, a public relations consultant and self-described “Reputation Doctor” (also identified as a former communications aide to Rudy Giuliani) thought the ad was a “subliminal” Obama endorsement.
PAUL: “To me it was a classic thank you ad. Thank you for bailing us out. Thank you for what you did.
O'REILLY: Even though he didn't say anything about bailing out.
PAUL: He didn't have to say so.”
On the other hand, Peter Shankman, described simply as “marketing consultant,” his rather unusual web site describes him as “redefining the art of networking” and pictures him jumping out of an airplane) said he saw the ad as an ode to American resilience. “It was a, you know, a comeback America… You know what that reminded me of? I didn't think Obama. I thought -- I thought President Bush… on 9/11 at the World Trade Center saying they're going to hear us all pretty soon.”
O’Reilly tried to lead Shankman on: “The point is that smart guys like Mr. Paul and Karl Rove, they took it as a subliminal political message that the government in Washington, giving taxpayer money to private industry to keep them from going down, was worthy and good.” Yeah, Shankman replied, they’re smart guys and entitled to their opinion; but he didn’t rise to the bait. All in all, it was a respectful interview.
Last night, Rove sparred with O’Reilly a bit about the horrors of spending taxpayer money on bailouts and political ads; but he saved most of his real venom for the “activist” judges who declared California’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. There’s also a post on today’s Fox Nation linking the producers of the Chrysler ad to Obama’s first election campaign. But is this really a story with legs, gentle reader? There’s been more nudge-nudge and innuendo than hard reporting in Fox’s treatment of it. Why not just let Eastwood and Chrysler ride off into the sunset?
Do you like this post?
Showing 13 reactions
newzhound commented
2012-02-09 09:24:02 -0500
· Flag
Hilarious to hear Karlrover rant about “political minions.” Takes one to know one! Or, send a thief…
Boss BlunderRush openly advocated for the failure of America to make Mr. Obama look bad. Of course these fools are not going to be in favor of anything that appears to be working.
Additionally, the right wing nutz’ have yet to mention last year’s Super Bowl message from Detroit that was wildly acclaimed.
This was an obvious follow-up to that one. Why are they scared to bring it up?
Finally, it was remarkably stupid of Karlrover to pick this fight. Why call further attention to a great commercial? If it really is what he says it is (and I don’t believe that for a minute) let it go.
Boss BlunderRush openly advocated for the failure of America to make Mr. Obama look bad. Of course these fools are not going to be in favor of anything that appears to be working.
Additionally, the right wing nutz’ have yet to mention last year’s Super Bowl message from Detroit that was wildly acclaimed.
This was an obvious follow-up to that one. Why are they scared to bring it up?
Finally, it was remarkably stupid of Karlrover to pick this fight. Why call further attention to a great commercial? If it really is what he says it is (and I don’t believe that for a minute) let it go.
Aria Prescott commented
2012-02-08 20:34:33 -0500
· Flag
Fox News wants to talk Super Bowl Politics? Here:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/02/06/republican-senate-hopeful-sullies-super-bowl-with-racist-commercial/
A racist political ad made to advertise a Republican senate hopeful… get cracking, Fox News. Or is the problem that Eastwood said something that actually connected with people?
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/02/06/republican-senate-hopeful-sullies-super-bowl-with-racist-commercial/
A racist political ad made to advertise a Republican senate hopeful… get cracking, Fox News. Or is the problem that Eastwood said something that actually connected with people?
doors17 commented
2012-02-08 18:28:24 -0500
· Flag
The line “Go ahead, make my day”, uttered by Eastwood in the movie Sudden Impact that came out in 1983 was famously quoted by Reagan in a speech to Congress and used during the 1984 presidential elections. The right had no problems with that.
Eastwood was also a nonpartisan mayor of Carmel, California from 1986 to 88 where his focus was on improving small business in town.
It seems what’s giving the right a panic attack over that ad was the term halftime. If Karl and Sean want to freak out over it, I say go ahead, make my day.
Eastwood was also a nonpartisan mayor of Carmel, California from 1986 to 88 where his focus was on improving small business in town.
It seems what’s giving the right a panic attack over that ad was the term halftime. If Karl and Sean want to freak out over it, I say go ahead, make my day.
mlp ! commented
2012-02-08 18:15:50 -0500
· Flag
@ truman:
To the ‘conservatives’, Detroit = BLACK people.
Anyone defending Detroit is attacking their ‘values’.
To the ‘conservatives’, Detroit = BLACK people.
Anyone defending Detroit is attacking their ‘values’.
mlp ! commented
2012-02-08 18:13:50 -0500
· Flag
Subliminal??
Well, if they’re starting to believe that we speak some secret language that has the ability to attack them subliminally, then so be it!
Gee, I hope they never discover our super x-ray vision!
Be very afraid, stoopit!
Well, if they’re starting to believe that we speak some secret language that has the ability to attack them subliminally, then so be it!
Gee, I hope they never discover our super x-ray vision!
Be very afraid, stoopit!
Dave Jackson commented
2012-02-08 15:32:53 -0500
· Flag
The republican party has nothing positive to run on so they have to resort to attacking a superbowl commercial that acknowledges the success of Detroit…..it must be pretty depressing to be a republican pundit. BTW even if this was Chrysler throwing the white house a bone, so what? It isn’t illegal. This website has mountains of evidence showing FOX working directly to promote republicans and against Obama every day….they don’t have to disclose their connections and don’t care when anyone else exposes them.
So, they are either wrong or lying about Obama involvement, wrong or lying about Chrysler and Eastwood coordinating a pro-Obama message, and completely diaengenuous in their outrage of it in the first place.
And this isn’t the first time. Obama quietly ended the Iraq war….they claimed he was out gloating…..he got Bin Laden….they thanked Bush….he held BP responsible for cleaning up their own mess, they backed a congressman who said it was a “Chicago-style shakedown”.
They need for the US to remain on shaky economic ground and they need for unemployment to stay high, and they need working people to believe that that which worked I’m creating American jobs and increasing American GDP was bad for America to fulfill their role in the GOP…..and they need a lot of hot air to fly their little balloon.
Losers!
So, they are either wrong or lying about Obama involvement, wrong or lying about Chrysler and Eastwood coordinating a pro-Obama message, and completely diaengenuous in their outrage of it in the first place.
And this isn’t the first time. Obama quietly ended the Iraq war….they claimed he was out gloating…..he got Bin Laden….they thanked Bush….he held BP responsible for cleaning up their own mess, they backed a congressman who said it was a “Chicago-style shakedown”.
They need for the US to remain on shaky economic ground and they need for unemployment to stay high, and they need working people to believe that that which worked I’m creating American jobs and increasing American GDP was bad for America to fulfill their role in the GOP…..and they need a lot of hot air to fly their little balloon.
Losers!
Bob Wilhelmi commented
2012-02-08 15:20:44 -0500
· Flag
Clint Eastwood a staunch republican,… Fox news reminds me of the violent whites of the 60’s who would beat the heck out of other whites that spoke out against racism, they will throw any Republican that doesn’t tow the line under the bus!
NotSoFast commented
2012-02-08 15:20:30 -0500
· Flag
Karl is the weather-vane for the Koch brothers. Always happy to see him throw a tantrum.
Lakeview Greg commented
2012-02-08 14:55:13 -0500
· Flag
Crossroads Karl really should keep his trap shut and just seem idiotic, rather than speaking and removing all doubt.
Dustin Culbertson commented
2012-02-08 14:29:28 -0500
· Flag
the ad is really like a big middle finger to all those who wanted the bailout to fail and i think its funny as hell that this has gotten under karl roves putrid skin
Visitor 55 commented
2012-02-08 14:13:14 -0500
· Flag
Sure, repubic Clint Eastwood is going to do a commercial for a democratic president. Only in the hatefilled neocon world would this even make sense.
NewsHounds
posted
about Milking The Clint Eastwood Superbowl Ad: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
on NewsHounds' Facebook page
2012-02-08 14:00:04 -0500
Bill O'Reilly and Fox News milk the "controversy."
