Sadly I'm not surprised at the negitivity expressed in the comments about this ad that is posted in the Video section. It really is sad since I and many others saw this as not just about selling Chrisler products but as a patriotic message about American workers and industry coming back through what has always brought us back from hard times. That is working together and working hard to make our lives and country a better place. I salute Mr. Eastwood for giving his time and words to this inspiring piece. I like he want the world to hear us coming back as our engines roar! I'm still proud of America and will never appologise for that!!!
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Eastwood Heralds Detroit’s Revival in Chrysler Super Bowl Ad
Clint Eastwood, whose “Gran Torino” film focused on the heroics of a retired Detroit auto worker, returned to that theme in a two-minute Super Bowl commercial for Chrysler Group LLC last night, heralding the city’s recovery.
“It’s halftime in America too,” Eastwood, 81, said in a two-minute spot just before the New England Patriots and New York Giants emerged from their locker rooms to start the second half of last night’s game, the year’s most-watched U.S. television event. “People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback.”
Answers can come from the people of Detroit, Eastwood said. Wracked by the 2007-2009 recession and collapse of U.S. auto sales that sent the former Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. into bankruptcy, the region’s jobless rate reached as high as 16.6 percent in July 2009. Now it’s 9.7 percent.
“The people of Detroit know a little something about this,” said Eastwood, who was mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, from 1986 to 1988. “They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again.”
The views Eastwood expressed were his own and the undisclosed fee he received for making them is being donated to charity, Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said today.
The graveled voice that uttered some of Hollywood’s most memorable lines, including “Make my day,” in more than five decades as an actor, director and producer paid tribute to the U.S. industry’s comeback.
I am a Proud American, but with many American's willing to sell out what made this country great for 30 pieces of silver, I cannot say I am proud of what America is becoming. Sad to say but true. I will however stay and fight to return this great country back into what our grandparents made it, the best country on the planet! Hard work made this country what it is, not bailouts and welfare. If Detroit (Meaning the Big 3 auto makers) really want to herald a comeback then let them pay back with interest the "Forgiven Bailouts" they received, but you know as well as I that will never happen! GM and Chrysler raped the American people and will do so again because no lesson was learned.
As far as Eastwood's words, they were fine, hollow but inspirational, good on him. But Detroit has not made a comeback, many taxpayers in America are pissed off at the two who took a bailout and will never buy another of their vehicles again. I am one. More workers in this country have been put out of work that the Auto industry would have if they failed, where is their bail-out?
Like it or not, this was a Political Ad, nothing more than that.
Oh one more thing, just to show how statistics LIE!!
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the region’s jobless rate reached as high as 16.6 percent in July 2009. Now it’s 9.7 percent.
Bull Crap!
Population of Detroit in 1990 was 1,027,974
Population of Detroit in 2000 was 951,270
Population of Detroit in 2010 was 713,777
I do not have the current population of Detroit but it was estimated to be just over 500,000. So if the population of Detroit is half of what it once was, does it not make sense that the jobless rate might be half as well? Statistics can say anything you want them to say.
As far as Eastwood's words, they were fine, hollow but inspirational, good on him. But Detroit has not made a comeback, many taxpayers in America are pissed off at the two who took a bailout and will never buy another of their vehicles again. I am one. More workers in this country have been put out of work that the Auto industry would have if they failed, where is their bail-out?
The auto industry worldwide is not back where it was before the recession and may never be but the US auto industry HAS come back a long way from extinction which was certainly a possibility for GM and Chysler. This was called "Halftime for America" for a reason. I was against the bailouts too but I hope that now in hindsight that most Americans will take a real look and see it was worthwhile especially since we have gotten most of the money back and should make a nice profit to boot when over time the government sells the shares of GM that it holds. We no longer have any ownweship at all in Chrsler from what this story says.
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Michigan Rebound
General Motors Co. (GM) has regained its spot as the world’s largest automaker, car companies are hiring and Michigan had the second-best performance on the Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States in the third quarter. Only oil-producing North Dakota had a bigger gain. The U.S. government has exited a stake it acquired in Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler during the bankruptcy process, and Italy’s Fiat SpA (F) today shares ownership with a United Auto Workers health-care trust.
The U.S. government has exited a stake it acquired in Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler during the bankruptcy process
Exactly, the US government in its infinite wisdom FORGAVE the DEBT Chrysler and so Some Extent GM owed the American Tax Payer! In Hindsight, as was the same in my forsight, the American tax payer was SCREWED!
Clint Eastwood who by the way is a Conservative responded to the criticisms from the right that this pro-America commercial was really a political ad for Obama.
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Clint Eastwood: 'I am Certainly Not Affiliated with Mr. Obama'
FoxNation.com
Following the fall out over the controversial Chrysler Super Bowl halftime ad, Clint Eastwood spoke exclusively with O’Reilly Factor producer Ron Mitchell…
"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."
Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod tweeted his support for the ad last night. 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.” White House spokesman Jay Carney insisted at today’s briefing there was “no” involvement by the administration.
This ad was political, no matter how much they want to deny it, "Look what we are doing with your bail-out money"
Your opinion and you are welcome to it. Others including Karl Rove agree with you but I'll stand by my first impresion of this ad along with believing the follow up comment made by Clint Eastwood. In that I am in ageement with Newt Gingrich and many others.
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(CBS News) A leading Republican says one of the commercials from the Super Bowl is a quiet political endorsement for President Obama.
Karl Rove, former senior adviser to President George W. Bush, saw the Clint Eastwood Chrysler "It's Halftime in America" ad as political payback from the auto industry to President Obama.
"I was, frankly, offended by it," Rove told Fox News. "The president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising and the best wishes of the management, which is benefited by getting a bunch of our money that they'll never pay back."
However, other people have a different view of the ad.
In a radio interview, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said, "I thought that it was pro-American." He added, "I know Clint personally. I can assure you he did not make a pro-Obama ad."
I never said it was a Pro-Obama ad, it was a political Ad. Bush was the one who started the Bail-Outs if we are going to be honest. Detroit is NOT in a recovery, and that is a fact. When you lose over half your population that is no recovery. My opinion, yea it is, but it is a lot closer to Fact than you will ever admit.
Detroit is NOT in a recovery, and that is a fact. When you lose over half your population that is no recovery. My opinion, yea it is, but it is a lot closer to Fact than you will ever admit.
You are compairing apples and oranges big time! You stated a population decline over 30 years (1990-2010).
That has little to do with the last two and a half years:
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the region’s jobless rate reached as high as 16.6 percent in July 2009. Now it’s 9.7 percent.
And really what part of "GM is the Number One automaker in the world again" is so hard to grasp?
It has been estimated the last two years Detroit has lost almost 200,000 people. And how Many Gm plants are in Detroit now anyway? I can answer that, One! Thats right just one plant, the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant. Detroit is STILL not in a recovery! They are tearing down houses taken over by Meth dealers and addicts, really? Recovery? Give me a break!
It has been estimated the last two years Detroit has lost almost 200,000 people. And how Many Gm plants are in Detroit now anyway? I can answer that, One! Thats right just one plant, the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant. Detroit is STILL not in a recovery! They are tearing down houses taken over by Meth dealers and addicts, really? Recovery? Give me a break!
I don't know how many auto plants there are in Detroit now. Chrysler is certainly a presence there but we may have more GM workers in Texas than in Detroit? And this story is about the region not just Detroit proper if we want to knit pick. When I was in the business we used to ship a lot of parts to a GM plant in Inkster which is considered Detroit. There are sections of Detroit that need to be torn down and may never come back to the population that was once there but it sounds like they are improving some things there. 9.7 % unemployement is sure not good but as Mr. Eastwood said "It's Halftime and the second half is about to begin".
Edit:
I got curious and looked up the the list of cities considered Detroit Metro. Doesn't really matter if this was the area Mr. Eastwood was talking about but interesting I thought:
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