I hope your like your Super Bowl with a side of politics
It’s bad enough to watch bailed-out company after bailed-out company spend millions and millions of dollars for the most expensive TV advertising slots of the year. There were all those Chevy (GM) slots, as well as at least two for General Electric, whose financial arm survived 2008 in part because it received a federal guarantee of its debt valued at some $139 billion. At least GE didn’t cash in on that guarantee; GM is still part-owned by Uncle Sam and owes taxpayers some $25 billion according to a recent inspector general’s report. GM’s former financing arm, now known as Ally Financial, remains majority-owned by the federal government and owes about $12 billion.
But the halftime Chrysler commercial starring Clint Eastwood, describing America as being in its own “halftime,” was just overtly politicized. After all, what else could “halftime” have meant, in the year 2012, than halfway through the eight years Barack Obama would be president if re-elected this fall? I’m fairly certain it wasn’t a prediction that the country will break up circa 2248 A.D.
Chrysler of course has a right to political speech. But it would be nice if the company wouldn’t be so brazen about its leanings while still owing the entire country — left, right and center — billions of dollars.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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127 comments Add your comment
Jefferson
February 6th, 2012
1:19 pm
I’m glad to see some folks are tired of being sick and tired.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
February 6th, 2012
1:26 pm
GM won’t pay any federal income tax for years as a result of Obozo’s theft of the company and it’s sweetheart-deal crony sham of a bankruptcy.
Where’s the outrage over them not paying their “fair share”?
Democrats: America-hating hypocrites.
Junior Samples
February 6th, 2012
1:28 pm
Tiberious,
“I buried Paul”
That’s funny!
Peadawg
February 6th, 2012
1:28 pm
“WSJ: General Motors poised to announce record profit” – Jay’s blog
And Kyle’s over here pissin’ and moanin’ about a wittle commercial.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
February 6th, 2012
1:30 pm
Record profits are a lot easier when you’re not paying your fair share in income taxes.
Sarah Coulter
February 6th, 2012
1:33 pm
You are right, Kyle. The Pepsi ad featuring Elton John was spreading the socialist message. Melanie came in, sang a few high notes, and Elton offered her a Pepsi. She wanted to give the Pepsi to all of the others behind her (entitlements, of course) even though they didn’t deserve it. She pulled a lever, and dropped Elton through the trap door. Everybody rejoiced and drank Pepsi because the rich king was gone, and they could spread his wealth (wealth redistribution).
Did I miss anything? :^)
jewcowboy
February 6th, 2012
1:38 pm
“After all, what else could “halftime” have meant, in the year 2012, than halfway through the eight years Barack Obama would be president if re-elected this fall?”
You wouldn’t, perhaps, be reading something into it based on your political leaning, would ya?
Libertarian
February 6th, 2012
1:42 pm
I didn’t think Clint was an Obama supporter. Isn’t he a libertarian?
Intown
February 6th, 2012
1:44 pm
Wow. You read alot more into these commercials than I did.
Joe Mama
February 6th, 2012
1:44 pm
Arnold — ““Well, opinions are like a$$holes. Everybody has one.” And they all stink.”
Without going into too much detail, some people have two and not always.
Google “ileostomy” if you have the stomach for it.
yesssir
February 6th, 2012
1:48 pm
Man, ya’ll are a whinnie bunch over here. Next Kyle will say the Skecker commercial was about Obama outrunning ya’ll….oh wait, that is happening!
Jefferson
February 6th, 2012
1:49 pm
Chevy made it through, Apple pie.
Intown
February 6th, 2012
1:49 pm
The Republicans just can’t stand that Obama has had some unequivocal successes despite their obstruction and over their objections. We’re all better off that the American auto industry was bailed out.
Kyle Wingfield
February 6th, 2012
1:51 pm
For those who are skeptical of my interpretation, let me suggest a somewhat more benign explanation with a far more common application:
Chrysler didn’t set out to make a political ad; it set out to make a feel-good ad. Because Chrysler is located in Detroit, and a lot of people in Detroit feel good about what’s happened there post-bailouts, the company and/or its ad agency thought the references to Detroit made sense. Because the ad was airing during the Super Bowl, those same folks thought the football game analogy made sense.
What those folks didn’t consider, because none of them question the wisdom and essential rightness of the bailouts, was how that message would be received by viewers who were not big fans of the bailouts. And what they also didn’t consider, because none of them question the politics of the bailouts — probably because many of them naturally gravitate toward the politics of the current administration — is how their message would be viewed by those who don’t share their politics as political in nature. Especially given that it was delivered during a presidential election year.
If so, it might be entirely true both that Chrysler wasn’t trying to make a political statement — and that it did make one.
What’s the more common application? As someone who’s worked in the media business for a little over a decade, I think this is how much of what is described as “media bias” comes to be.
It’s not that reporters and editors set out to inject bias into stories or headlines; that probably does happen sometimes but, in my opinion, again formed by experience, that represents a very limited number of media-bias cases. Far more likely is that there simply wasn’t anyone who thought about how the story or headline would be perceived by people with a different point of view — maybe because they don’t realize they’re presenting a point of view, maybe because they don’t share or understand that different point of view. The result is that the reporters and editors weren’t trying to be biased, and yet they were.
For a corollary from the opposite side, see the allegations of racial “dog whistles.” It’s probably true that some conservatives sound them intentionally, but I would be surprised if most of the incidents that spark such accusations didn’t arise innocently, or at least thoughtlessly.
It is possible to overcome or at least minimize this unintended tendency — and (small plug here) I believe the AJC’s efforts at addressing perceptions of bias in our newspaper are an example of that. But it requires one to be a) aware of the perceptions, b) willing to accept the validity of the concerns, and c) willing to address them.
It might simply be that, in the case of the Super Bowl commercial, Chrysler failed one of those three tests.
Kyle Wingfield
February 6th, 2012
1:52 pm
Sarah Coulter @ 1:33: funny
saywhat?
February 6th, 2012
1:53 pm
I went to the doctor about some hemmorhoids I was having. He told me not to sit too long on the throne, and try not to strain. Then he gave me some cream to rub on the affected area.
I suspect he was trying to persuade me to vote for Obama. Its pretty obvious, no?
Jefferson
February 6th, 2012
1:56 pm
Lucy, let me splain….
Peadawg
February 6th, 2012
1:56 pm
“What those folks didn’t consider,” are people like Kyle who can’t just enjoy a good football game with some funny commercials and try to make everything about politics.
Sad life you have there, Kyle.
jewcowboy
February 6th, 2012
1:57 pm
“But it requires one to be a) aware of the perceptions, b) willing to accept the validity of the concerns, and c) willing to address them.”
And there will always be people who read something into the benign based on their own perceptions.
yesssir
February 6th, 2012
1:59 pm
“Chrysler didn’t set out to make a political ad; it set out to make a feel-good ad.”
And ya still whining…..geez…..
Kyle Wingfield
February 6th, 2012
2:00 pm
Peadawg: Oh, trust me: I enjoyed the game very much anyway. In spite of this … and yet another Geico pig commercial.
About the game itself: I think that last drive seriously crimps the idea that Belichick has revolutionized the passing game by having two amazing TEs and a bunch of average WRs.
saywhat?
February 6th, 2012
2:04 pm
Was the Chevy truck ad political too? After all, GM, a company that received a bailout, did put down Ford, a company that didn’t. Is somebody’s uterus all in a twist over that commercial too?
Joe Mama
February 6th, 2012
2:08 pm
Kyle — “and yet another Geico pig commercial.”
I love that little pig.
I’m not buying his insurance, but I think he’s cute. I bet his name is “Porkchop.”
DannyX
February 6th, 2012
2:11 pm
Looking forward to the next Super Bowl…
Tim Tebow does another political pro-life commercial.
President Gingrich does a H&M underwear commercial.
Peadawg
February 6th, 2012
2:14 pm
“bunch of average WRs”
Wes Welker just average? I was Giants all the way but come on.
Like I told Jay, stick to politics, Kyle.
Jm
February 6th, 2012
2:14 pm
Conservatives need to buck up, work hard, talk to their neighbors and get Romney elected
Or our country will be FUBAR
ByteMe
February 6th, 2012
2:15 pm
I think that last drive seriously crimps the idea that Belichick has revolutionized the passing game by having two amazing TEs and a bunch of average WRs.
I didn’t think it “revolutionized” anything (I’m not a Beli-cheat fan
), but it did create some nasty match-ups for a lot of teams that had slower linebackers or small DBs. The Giants didn’t have Gronk to worry about so much last night, which helped minimize the match-up issue, but their defense was exceptional… most of those Brady sacks at the end came with 3 linemen rushing.
Kyle Wingfield
February 6th, 2012
2:15 pm
Peadawg: I agree with what Colin Cowherd said this morning: Mario Manningham is the Giants’ No. 3 WR, but he would be No. 1 for the Patriots. Imo, that was the difference in the game.
ByteMe
February 6th, 2012
2:16 pm
Pd: Welker is not a “wide” receiver. He’s almost exclusively a slot receiver.
UGA 1999
February 6th, 2012
2:18 pm
The Eastwood commercial was great. Of course Clint is very Republican. We all knew what halftime he was referring to. TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE.
ByteMe
February 6th, 2012
2:20 pm
We all knew what halftime he was referring to.
Seems you disagree with Kyle on what he was referring to, so maybe we didn’t all know what he was referring to.
Peadawg
February 6th, 2012
2:21 pm
“Imo, that was the difference in the game.”
I’d say it was JPP, Osi Umenyiora, and the rest of the Giant’s defensive line that was in Brady’s face all night.
Oh and that sorry part of the Patriot’s defense that they call a “secondary”.
clyde
February 6th, 2012
2:22 pm
Anyway,I bet against the Patriots and won.
I didn’t watch the game though,I’d rather watch paint dry.Missed Madonna too,an added bonus.
Heard that Obama starred in the pregame.That’s political.
Clint needs to stay in Spaghetti Westerns.He’s at home there.
ByteMe
February 6th, 2012
2:22 pm
Oh and that sorry part of the Patriot’s defense that they call a “secondary”.
Their D-line wasn’t much better.
UGA 1999
February 6th, 2012
2:23 pm
ByteMe….WOW we actually agree. Their secondary was terrible.
Dusty
February 6th, 2012
2:28 pm
Kyle,
Go for it! The mere fact that the liberals here are pouring out excuses of innocence. proves your point. When their undercover jobs gets noticed, they start clattering like chimes in the wind. They even seem to forget that GM is owned by taxpayers until the stocks that nobody wants are sold.
But…..as far as I am concerned, commericals at all football games are a waste of teim, political or not. I don’t watch muscle bound guys banging their brains into bran flakes just to run down the field with a ball.
I’d rather watch Democrats try to materialize Obama’s tenure as something dazzling. That’s like trying to kick the ball over the goalpost at 75 yards. Mighty hard to do.!
clyde
February 6th, 2012
2:35 pm
Next year’s Super Bowl should be between The Repubs and The Dems.Put the big fat ones up on the line with Harry Reed quarterbacking the Dems and Nancy Pelosi as a far out receiver.Olympia Snowe can be one of the goalposts,Obama the other.Use Barney Frank as the football.
DannyX
February 6th, 2012
2:40 pm
“They even seem to forget that GM is owned by taxpayers until the stocks that nobody wants are sold.”
GM stock is up 27% this year, somebody is buying it. GM is also selling more cars worldwide than any other car company. GM sold so many cars in China last year the Chinese slapped them with a tariff. 2.5 million GM’s sold in China last year, the Chinese people love GM.
Fiat owns 58% of Chrysler, all of Fiat’s profits last year came from Chrysler. Left for dead Chrysler had a profit of $225 million last quarter.
Pretty dazzling don’t you think Dusty? Btw, the kick was GOOD!
Dusty
February 6th, 2012
2:54 pm
DannyX 2:40
You missed the goal post and hit the stands. GM is still owned by the government. That’s you and me, buddy, and our constitution says nothing whatsoever about citizens being car dealers.
I thought the government was supposed to govern, not sell cars. Where did I go wrong?
Linda
February 6th, 2012
2:55 pm
Kyle, How do you know that they “spend millions & millions of dollars for the most expensive TV advertising spots of the year?” There was also an Obama infomercial before the game. GM, Chrysler, the unions & GE OWE Obama. What makes you think that the Obama Channel who owns State Run News would charge (especially “full price”) for political payback?
Linda
February 6th, 2012
2:58 pm
Did anyone see the Volt commercial? Government Motors was hoping it would catch on fire. It did. The batteries are burning up the cars.
David
February 6th, 2012
3:00 pm
I didn’t see it as political. I don’t Chrysler think would like to be seen as taking a political side because they want everybody’s money. I saw it as Chrysler saying, “See, we feel your pain, we are just plain folk like you, and we’re American f@#k yeah!” Of course, they are full of it but I think that’s the message they were trying to convey.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 6th, 2012
3:02 pm
All you football pundits are way off base.
The Patriots lost for two reasons. First, Tom Freakin’ Brady can always be counted on to throw a drive-killing, game-killing long ball interception during a close, important game. Always. Second, he hasn’t won a Super Bowl since marrying Gisele Bundchen. That’s why we Pats fans call her Jinxele.
DannyX
February 6th, 2012
3:05 pm
“I thought the government was supposed to govern, not sell cars.”
See you over at Kyle’s new blog on the state putting up $400 taxpayer dollars for billionaire Blank’s new unneeded stadium?
At least the auto bailouts had a huge economic benefit. The Republican new stadium kick has to go through 2 stadiums, impossible to make a kick that long. Georgia Republicans should punt that one.
Do what??????
February 6th, 2012
3:05 pm
“GM stock is up 27% this year, somebody is buying it. ”
Yeah, it’s called the government. The public, not so much.
Do what??????
February 6th, 2012
3:06 pm
” I agree with what Colin Cowherd”
That’s the same guy that said Cam Newton would fail as an NFL quarterback. Kyle, since you agree with that moron, I now have a negative outlook on your opinion.
Thanks
Misty Fyed
February 6th, 2012
3:14 pm
Who’s buying GM Stock…Why all our elected officials are because the are the ones who can drive the value up…..sell…… and then let GM fall flat when they face normal market forces again.
UGA 1999
February 6th, 2012
3:16 pm
It is funny that you guys are slamming GM. They are one of the top brands to buy in China. The are in love with Buick. Isn’t this what we want. American companies profiting off of exports?
Dusty
February 6th, 2012
3:18 pm
About those commercials:
Did Solyndra also have solar panel advertisements with cheerful singing such as “You were my sunshine, dear Prez!”?
Perhaps we can interest the Chinese into buying surplus solar panels. Didn’t “we” finance that falllen company also?
Another dazzling achievement by this sunny administration.
Misty Fyed
February 6th, 2012
3:22 pm
Chevy the car is fine. GM the business model failed and hasn’t been repaired. As soon as the Federal Gov’t special status as favorite car goes away….It’ll fail again.