When Clint Eastwood Mocks You, You're Officially Screwed

[WilliamPitt]

(Photo: Lars Kristian Flem; Edited: LP / Truthout)

When Clint Eastwood Mocks You, You're Officially Screwed
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

Friday 10 February 2012

I ain't happy
I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine
In a bag
I'm useless
But not for long
The future
Is coming on...

- Gorillaz, "Clint Eastwood"

You know the wheels have come off the GOP wagon when the Republicans feel compelled to accuse Clint Eastwood of being a shill for the president, but that is precisely what has transpired. Eastwood, who is nobody's Democrat by any stretch of the imagination, starred in a stirring Super Bowl commercial for Chrysler about the resurgence of Detroit's auto industry that was, in essence, a gravel-voiced pep talk for all of America. Speaking personally, the commercial made me want to run full-tilt through a stone wall...and then buy a Chrysler, which is quite a confession, as I pride myself on being utterly immune to advertising.

Reaction from the Republican Right was both swift and hilarious. Apparently, and according to the GOP, Dirty Harry is a dirty liberal hippy socialist communist who hates America and is in the pocket of our birthplace-questionable president...but the GOP found itself struggling to be coherent in its critique.

Take, as the prime example, the words of Karl Rove, who appeared on Fox News to denounce the ad. "I was frankly offended by it," said Rove. "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, and the, and the, and the best wishes of the management, which is benefitted by getting a bunch of our money that they'll never pay back."

Far be it from me to belabor a point, but these threads are worth plucking apart a bit.

"...when you have Chicago-style politics..." The Right has been deploying this particular slice of invective against Mr. Obama since the '08 campaign, to little effect. It might have had some impact, Mr. Rove, if your party hadn't spent the last three decades rampaging through the infrastructure of public education in all its forms; had you not done so, the people you're trying to convince might actually get the reference you're throwing out...but then again, by gutting public education in America, you might have spared yourself from grief, as under-educated voters won't say to you, "Um, the 'Mayor Daley' who cracked heads and enforced total obedience in Chicago has been gone for 40 years, you dimwit."

"... using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising..." Heh. Sounds like the entire "Defense" industry to me...remember when NBC and MSNBC became full-on shills for the Iraq war? I do.

"...the best wishes of the management..." So, you're telling me the GOP isn't on the side of management all of a sudden? I'll be sure to alert the Chamber of Commerce that you're on the side of the 99% now. I'm sure they'll enjoy the news.

"...which is benefitted by getting a bunch of our money that they'll never pay back..." Oh for the luvva crumbcake, Karl, the president you whored for gave us the TARP bailout to the tune of $700 billion, and the airline bailout...and oh yeah, wasn't another cerebrally-impaired Bush offspring centrally implicated in the S&L bailout that exploded the 1990 recession, which helped lead to the un-re-electability of Bush Sr. way back when?

You crack me up, Karl. Some of us remember.

P.S., the Detroit bailout worked, which is what pisses you off...that, and the fact that you and your ilk can't admit it when you're wrong. Detroit lives, you hate it, and all your tantrum will accomplish is to paint Michigan a bright, vivid Blue in November of 2012. Congratulations, genius.

The rest: http://www.truth-out.org/when-clint-eastwood-mocks-you-youre-officially-screwed/1328840046

[sinkingfeeling]

1. As VP Biden said, "Bin Laden dead, GM alive."

[SunsetDreams]

2. K&R I've linked your Op-Ed to my OP

The GOP Problem: "It's Halftime for America"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002293005

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Clint on those who whine againt marriage equality using religous hypocrisy:

“These people who are making a big deal out of gay marriage?” Eastwood opined. “I don’t give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody else! Why not?! We’re making a big deal out of things we shouldn’t be making a deal out of.”

“They go on and on with all this bullshit about ‘sanctity’ — don’t give me that sanctity crap! Just give everybody the chance to have the life they want.”

You know who hands out that 'Sanctity crap'? I sure do. I also know that most allow him to carry on with that crap uncontested. Clint is more on my side than many in my own Party. Funny stuff.

[Zalatix]

25. Eastwood sounds like a libertarian.

For now he's an unwilling thorn in the GOP's side.

Enjoy the effect he's having but beware of that dog, he'll turn rabid quick. (See his spat with Spike Lee.)

[Skink]

4. After filming that Eastwood must have felt so much better

[Major Hogwash]

5. Judging by the reaction that ad got, I would have to say that it was the best ad evah!!

If Clint met Karl Rove I have the feeling that the first thing he would say right to Karl's face is "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?"

[WilliamPitt]

6. You'll love this

[Major Hogwash]

7. Hahahahaha!!!!!! That is hilarious!!

He drew Clint really good in that cartoon.

[Surya Gayatri]

8. Nice read, Will...

It's been a pleasure watching the right-wing hacks on Faux Snooze twisting themselves into pretzels over this.

They've been doing their illogical best to prove the perfidy of Clint, using the arguments you mentioned above.
SG

[malaise]

9. Great read

Rec

[Lionessa]

10. Clint Eastwood isn't that important. Love his stuff, but not that important.

I guess because he was a staunch and somewhat vocal Repub, and served as mayor, it worthwhile that he praised the Detroit comeback, but nothing he said indicated direct support for the bailout. He could've been focusing more on say, Ford. And after watching one (of many, sorry I can't remember which MSNBC or CURRENTTV show it was) of the detailed reviews, it seems that much of the footage surrounding the advert was altered to remove any pro-union, pro-99%, or pro-OWS signs and overlaid with banal sayings.

So I wonder, did he really say what everyone is so excited about? I don't think so. Nothing about stimulus or bailouts, just that we can recover because Detroit is recovering (which of course it isn't in spite of the automakers recovering).

[lolly]

14. Well, that's kinda the point

The ad was really just a pep talk, "Go America" type thing, delivered by a celebrity generally considered more conservative than liberal.

Yet the Republicans freaked out about it.

Used to be that stuff went over big with them. Let's pick ourselves up and pull ourselves out of this mess. We can do it! Yeah team. But now, if you're not screaming and shouting that Obama is a Kenyan socialist who is destroying capitalism and sending Christians to the guillotine, then you're a shill for Obama.

[krkaufman]

17. The message in that ad cannot be allowed.

The Republicans have to squelch any impression that the economy might be doing better (whether objectively true or not), so Chrysler's attempt to start putting a positive spin on American auto manufacturing, as a foundation for later pushing their own products, can't be allowed to stand.

Chrysler was simply trying to shift public perception of American auto manufacturing. But, once again, Republicans must put politics ahead of what's good for the country.

[Leopolds Ghost]

20. It's unionized manufacturing, which is evil. The GOP goal is to destroy the Michigan economy

And punish anyone who chooses to continue living in the state.

[Initech]

21. Or close by for that matter.

Look at what the teabagger governors are doing to Ohio, Wisconsin, and now Indiana - this bullshit right to work stuff (thank you Newt Gingrich!!) - it's making unionization impossible. We need to rise up against these motherfuckers - fact.

[Chipper Chat]

11. Gorillaz CD

[Matariki]

12. We need to keep a running list of the memes they're trying to push

and create funny ways to throw them right back in their faces. "Chicago-style politics" - right up there with "Union bosses" and "Food Stamp President"

[AlbertCat]

13. "Chicago-style politics"

Is that like deep dish politics with chunky tomato sauce?

[Kennah]

15. Ah, ah, ah. I know what you're thinking, Rove.

Did Frothy win six delegates or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I sorta lost track myself. But being that this is the 44th President, the most powerful man in the world, who blew Bin Laden's head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?

[MustBeTheBooz]

22. Nicely done!

[WilliamPitt]

23. All-time, gold-medal funny

to you. It's only 10am on Saturday, and already my weekend is made.

[JNelson6563]

24. +1

[Major Hogwash]

27. That was great!!

I wish I had said that myself!!

[krkaufman]

16. Where's the mocking?

Did I miss the news/info where Clint Eastwood was mocking somebody, in regards to this issue? Given the thread title, I read the post expecting to find such info.

[Initech]

18. Now I know what you're thinking - did he fire six cheap shots at Karl or only five?

[Leopolds Ghost]

19. Yeah, this one incident removes the substantial doubt I had about Michigan

if Romney is the nominee.

Not that a Romney vs Obama election would be in any way empowering, message-wise.

But he sure as heck won't win Michigan after this. All Obama has to do is replay clips from the ad and Rove's words.

M-O-O-N, that spells "self fulfilling prophecy".

[WillyT]

26. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[Major Hogwash]

28. Saturday Night Live did 3 follow up ads to this ad. Not just 1, not just 2, but 3!!!!

Get the YouTube videos of these fake ads to watch in case you missed it.
They not only hit it out of the park last night on SNL, they stomped on Gingrich in one of the ads!!!!

It was funnier than hell!!

[WilliamPitt]

29. Thanks for the heads up