Il Douche.
Posted on 02/07/2012 9:57:32 AM PST by jazusamo
It is mostly unanimous that Clint Eastwood's Super Bowl ad appearance was a stirring and emotional tribute to America and Detroit. The ad was heartfelt, despite the fact that bailed out Italian-owned auto company, Chrysler, paid for it. Unless NBC offered some significant discounts to their ad rates, the ad cost Chrysler about $14 million. Considering the political nature of the ad and the fact that Chrysler vehicles were not touted in the ad, I must ask the cynical question; what's in it for Italian-owned Chrysler?
Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne, is a pretty smart guy. I don't think he would cavalierly spend $14 million just to pay tribute to America and Detroit. An article in Businessweek touches on one possible ulterior motive when it states, "Chrysler continues to seek low-interest loans from the U.S. Energy Department to develop and produce fuel-efficient cars. The company sought $3.5 billion in such loans last year, and that amount has been reduced, Marchionne said. 'I'm not ready to give up,' Marchionne told reporters Feb. 4 at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Las Vegas. 'The department has not indicated an unwillingness to lend.'"
Well, I'm guessing that "the department's unwillingness to lend" has just been reduced further as Chrysler's ad serves as a campaign boost to President Obama. The Administration seemed pleased as they continued with their campaign to run on the perceived success at Chrysler and GM; as noted in the piece, "...the president's lieutenants praised the ad on Twitter." And, "'Saving the America Auto Industry: Something Eminem and Clint Eastwood can agree on,' Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, said in a post on Twitter."
There is a dangerous precedent in having a US President campaigning on the success of an industry that the same Administration has an investment stake in (as in taxpayers' stake in General Motors) that continually raises the question of conflicts of interest. When else has a company receiving billions of taxpayer dollars like GM, owned partially by the government, run an ad disparaging an American company, like non-bailed out Ford, as happened in another Super Bowl ad?
As long as President Obama refuses to exit the taxpayers' ownership stake in GM while he continues campaigning on a platform of their success, there will be those of us who are suspicious of the actions involving both the company and our government. I find it hard to believe that many others are not questioning the ethical issues of having our President have such a vested interest in the auto sector while government agencies, like NHTSA, are responsible for overseeing the industry. And as far as Chrysler and Marchionne are concerned, let's see just how much influence the Eastwood ad bought them when the Energy Dept., or any other federal division, decides to dole out more taxpayer cash as payback for the campaign help.
Mark Modica is an NLPC Associate Fellow.
Il Douche.
You anti-American car company “conservitives” really need to get a life. EVERYTHING is not a liberal plot.
I would prefer to separate bailing out the financial system, from bailing out corporations....a corporation collapsing won’t destroy the economy, the assets would simply be purchased by other firms.
Clint effed up bad on this one. I doubt I'll ever spend any of my money watching any more of his stuff again. Apparently he's senile, stupid, or just plain both. As for Chrysler (and GM) they can choke on their vehicles - never again.
That’s what I’m with now....GM, Chysler - never again.
You’re all confusing Eastwood’s politics with his profession. That’s a mistake.
idiot.
Well me too. But there has been an awful lot of chin music on this forum about those bailouts too.
Not that I am a big fan of those bailouts, either, but at least there is some justification for them, even though, the way they were handled left much to be desired.
Amen to that, Rush!
Conservative talk radio, Rush, Hannity et al should just play about 90 seconds of this radio interview with the Chrysler/Fiat CEO the morning after the ad - starting at about 4:07. Some very conservative comments: "I think the fundamental values that drive this country are sacred..." etc.
http://wjr.com/FlashPlayer/default.asp?SPID=34612&ID=2388908
Thank you Liberty I did not have any idea. Very interesting...
Butthead
Truce?
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