The political world remains abuzz over Clint Eastwood’s inspiring Super Bowl ad for Chrysler, in which the gravelly-voiced actor hails the rebirth of Detroit’s auto industry — and echoes Obama’s populist campaign message to the middle class.
“This country can’t be knocked out with one punch,” Eastwood says in the spot. “We get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s halftime America. And, our second half is about to begin.”
The message dovetails with Obama’s “Winning the Future” slogan — and his team couldn’t have been giddier with the two-minute ad.
“Powerful spot,” tweeted Obama’s top political adviser David Axelrod.
Republicans were outraged at what they considered a corporate ad for Obama’s campaign — and a high-profile endorsement of his $12.5 billion taxpayer-funded auto industry bailout.
“I was, frankly, offended by it,” President George W. Bush’s political guru Karl Rove told Fox News Monday.
“I’m a huge fan of Clint Eastwood, I thought it was an extremely well-done ad, but 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.”
The GOP hopefuls face caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado today, along with a nonbinding primary in Missouri. On Saturday, Maine wraps up its caucuses, followed by a break until February 28 primaries in Arizona and Michigan.