NBC Liberals All Agree: GOP Should 'Be Quiet' on Chrysler Ad, Obama Did 'Save the Auto Industry'
In a panel discussion on Wednesday's NBC Today, committed liberal and
advertising executive Donny Deutsch denounced critics of Chrysler's
Super Bowl ad: "Republicans should be quiet because by saying
this is a Barack ad, you're saying this is America the beautiful,
America is on its way back....They're looking like fools."
Moments later, Deutsch admitted the ad touted an Obama accomplishment: "And by the way, Barack did make the move to save the auto industry. Like him or not, that's a fact." Earlier
in the discussion, attorney Star Jones expressed the same sentiment:
"The truth hurts. I mean, if, in fact, the country is coming back and it
benefits this administration, then they reap that benefit."
Later,
Jones concluded: "Anything that's 'rah-rah us' right now in this – in
the climate, is a good thing, it doesn't hurt anybody." On Tuesday,
left-wing MSNBC host Rachel Maddow cheered the ad as patriotic: "I think
that this is a 'Yay, America' ad. And if talking about the country
being in economic recovery and jobs coming back and Detroit coming back
is a partisan statement then we are in a weird universe."
In addition to his Wednesday declaration, Deutsch appeared on the
morning show on Monday to praise the ad: "...it was called 'Halftime in
America.' The great Reagan ad, 'Morning in America.' It was a nod to
that....They celebrated the rebirth of America, the rebirth of the auto
industry. And I think in this political year you're going to have a lot
of references to that ad."
Here is a portion of the February 8 panel discussion:
8:14AM ET
(...)
MATT LAUER: This ad that ran during the Super Bowl, get back to the
Super Bowl, it was for Chrysler. It was all about the tough times that
Detroit has seen and the fact that there is a rebirth there. It was
voiced by Clint Eastwood. Here's a listen.
CLINT EASTWOOD: People are out of work and they're hurting. And they're
all wondering what they're going to do to make a comeback. And we're
all scared because this isn't a game. The people of Detroit know a
little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all
pulled together. Now motor city is fighting again.
LAUER: I think a lot of people liked the ad. And then came the
criticism from some that this is more than a car commercial. This is a
campaign ad for Barack Obama thinly disguised. What do we think about
it?
STAR JONES: The truth hurts. I mean, if, in fact, the country is coming
back and it benefits this administration, then they reap that benefit.
The truth hurts.
DONNY DEUTSCH: Well, by the way, the Republicans should be quiet
because by saying this is a Barack ad, you're saying this is America the
beautiful, America is on its way back.
JONES: Exactly.
DEUTSCH: So, basically Chrysler was so smart. I don't think in their
minds they're going, "We're going to do a pro-Obama ad." They were doing
a pro-comeback ad and the Republicans should not be saying, "Ooh,
that's in Barack's direction." They're looking like fools.
NANCY SNYDERMAN: Yeah, look, I grew up in northern Indiana. So, Detroit
and Fort Wayne, Indiana, and that whole beltway. You know, I think that
a lot of people have felt that mid-western pain. So, as a mid-western
girl I thought it was very much about our resilient spirit. I didn't see
it as political at all. And when this sort of talk started 72 hours
afterwards, I was frankly a little stunned.
DEUTSCH: And by the way, Barack did make the move to save the auto industry. Like him or not, that's a fact.
LAUER: Wasn't there an Eminem ad like that last year? Did you see the same kind of talk?
DEUTSCH: Well, we see the talk because it was such a powerful ad. They
were so smart, they didn't make it about "Buy American," they made it
about Detroit, and this is an extension of it. It's a great ad, by the
way.
JONES: Anything that's "rah-rah us" right now in this – in the climate, is a good thing, it doesn't hurt anybody.
SNYDERMAN: Yeah, I think it was a good ad too.
(...)
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
