Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar

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If you were watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, chances are you saw this video. Made by the Chrysler Corporation, it features Clint Eastwood using football allegories "It's halftime in America" and so on. My initial impression was that I liked it, even though I am well aware that the city of Detroit has not recovered, and has large tracts of wasteland - abandoned buildings that are succumbing to nature. It was definitely a rah rah yay Team America kind of commercial, ignoring some pretty serious shortcomings. Even though, I still enjoyed it. I thought it was nice to hear something positive for a change.

But, oh boy, have Clint and Chrysler ever been put on the grill, and on high, even.

When asked about it on Fox News today, former GW Bush advisor Karl Rove said he was “offended” by the ad and accused the Obama’s “political minions” of “using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising.” 

The arguments are that the ad is just a shill for Obama, because it was Teh Won who ordered up the stimulus money that bailed out Chrysler and GM (who isn't even mentioned in the ad), and it's implicitly giving support and thanks for the turn around to Obama - and what's more, it's with our tax money. Our bailout bucks made that ad possible. Social media has erupted. Us conservatives can't watch Clint anymore, cuz he's an Obama supporter. Clint didn't go for it:

"I just want to say that the spin stops with you guys, and there is no spin in that ad. On this I am certain.

l am certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama. It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America. I think all politicians will agree with it. I thought the spirit was OK.

I am not supporting any politician at this time.

Chrysler to their credit didn’t even have cars in the ad.

Anything they gave me for it went for charity.

If any Obama or any other politician wants to run with the spirit of that ad, go for it."

Mmmmmkay.

Let's examine the ad a bit more. The first time I saw it, the Dodge Ram pickup, the outside shot of the green Jeep, and the little SUVs really didn't register. But they are there. So, Clint was wrong - there are Chrysler cars in the spot - but how wrong is wrong? The products were hardly showcased in any way, and the ad would have worked with Ford or GM products in it as well. This was not an ad for Chrysler per se, it was an ad for their Imported From Detroit campaign.

Was it in fact some sort of subliminal ad for Obama? Yannow, for all of us political addicts, the connection can be seen. Obama funds Chrysler. Chrysler makes a comeback on the backs of taxpayers. Chrysler makes a commercial celebrating the comeback, so therefore, it follows that Obama is being thanked and credited for his actions, as well as being condoned. If then this, then that, so this also must follow.

 However, this commercial wasn't made for those of us in the trench warfare that is partisan politics. Nope, this was made for Joe Sixpack, watching the last and hopefully best football game of the season, who may or may not be aware of the bailouts and their ramifications, but at the moment is just wanting to see the extravaganza. Not looking for obscure connections. Not a member of the perpetually butt hurt. Not caring much one way or the other about scoring points politically. Points on the football scoreboard, hell yes. The bitter political landscape? Not so much.

So yeah, it glosses over a bunch of minefields. It's propaganda, pure and simple. But sheesh, I gotta go with it being a piece of good hearted dogma, suitable for a Super Bowl, meaning to make us all feel a little bit better about ourselves. That's the way I'm gonna look at it, like it or not.