Is it just me, or did several of the Super Bowl XLVI ads seem to be surreptitious Obama reelection ads? Chrysler and GE featured emotion laden pitches touting the comeback of American industry. Clint Eastwood’s stealth appearance at half time perfectly captured the tenor of the President’s re-election strategy. Phrases like “We’re in this together … People in Michigan know a little bit about coming back … It’s going to get better, because that’s who we are.”
The sub-text of course was that the auto industry was dealt a mortal blow, but the country would not let it die. The President took a lot of heat for supporting the bail out of GM and Chrysler, and for seeing a future with a strong and growing set of US car manufacturers.
Now that things have turned up for the car companies, and the economy is showing some forward thrust, crowing about that success is the best bet for Obama to gain the votes in states he needs like Michigan. To have the gristly-voiced Eastwood, a known Republican, making that case for him is a note of high irony. It’s hard to argue with Dirty Harry.