Eastwood spends halftime promoting America

“It’s Halftime in America” was not a promotional speech for Obama. In my opinion, the commercial was simply a reflection of the American nation. The use of American icons paired with metaphorical dialogue represented the United States while addressing the main issues most are concerned about, the economy and jobs. The purpose of the commercial as I interpreted it was to reach out to everyone watching and provide hope for a better future.

I admit Chrysler’s ad didn’t necessarily promote the product. Instead, the commercial became a unifying device that spoke to the nation without bias. The main argument that seems to be presented in the media is that Chrysler’s commercial was favoring Obama. I think those who consider the commercial to be liberal or in support of Obama are fishing for controversy.

Anyone could just as easily see the ad as anti-Obama; however, I can’t agree that bias was present in any aspect. Because the beginning of the commercial states everything that is wrong in America, it suggests that we need to take a different approach in the next half. With the new election coming up, the second half is about to begin and since Obama is our current president, the ad proposes that he is to blame for a rough first half.

Although I point out that some could interpret the ad to be anti-Obama, I don’t think it was meant to be. Chrysler may have purposely made the commercial questionable to bring extra attention to their company. Since the basis of the commercial appeals to each individual American’s main concerns such as jobs, the economy, and the future of the country, I fully believe the ad was meant to be a patriotic inspirational speech, not a campaign promotion for either party.

Don't believe me? Watch it below.

Devoni Novak
Communication Studies
Wilkes University 2013